Fashion week diary : proof that fashion week is as crazy as you think it is

Anahita Paul : Diary notes from my first ever fashion week shooting the shows backstage

Day one :

I arrived at NZFW on Day 1 wide-eyed, nervous and feeling a bit like a fish out of water. Seeing all the purposeful walks outside, the circles of people gathered who knew each other, I was an outsider and hyper aware of it.  No longer safeguarded by the anonymity of the internet (where I hide behind my camera and other tools), I was in the thick of it all. So many creatives that I’ve seen and admired from behind a computer screen- were RIGHT THERE. 

I walked into the Viaduct Harbour venue and followed directions up the escalator to my first backstage show- Rory Williams Docherty. It was exactly like the backstage videos that played on loop on fashionTV (if you were watching during that generation)… Models sitting on the floor snacking or reading books, corners of makeup artists ticking through long lists and a really strong energy of creativity and passion. People were here because they LOVE what they do, the adrenaline and hype of it all building up to the the walk down the runway. 

I walked around nervously trying to figure out if I should just start shooting, did I need to report to someone or take permission. I floated taking some bts content on my phone, when I heard one model ask me “Is this your first fashion week?” and I thought to myself Damn, I’ve already given myself away while I answered in my trying-to-sound-sure-of-myself-tone “yep it is.” She reassured me, and said there’s no rulebook, and offered to be the first person I took portraits of. As soon as I picked up my camera, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. And the rest just flowed. 

Next I walked from the hair and makeup area to the dressing area (we were about 20 minutes out from the show at this point) and everything changed. From there being a floating calmness in the air, it suddenly turned into this tornado and we were in the eye of the storm. There were rows of changing stations, like the pit stop crews at Formula 1 races. Armed with photos of the look (complete with details on which direction the bag was to sit or the length of the scarf to be draped) and swathes of fabric that stopped them from getting makeup on the garments. They were stationed and ready to get the models changed in record time. And then it was all go… 

Within the span of 3 minutes, I saw the hair clips come out, the lipstick touched up, the clothes changed, shoes on, hairspray in, accessories on and the final styling from the designer himself. All of us photographers took our places and had literal seconds to capture the looks before they headed down the runway. 

This is the moment when you see the vision come together.

For Rory Williams Docherty, the structured garments paired alongside fluid fabrics was both ethereal and strong. For me personally, it was the metallic accessories and glasses that were the final magic sprinkle. One by one, the models walked out and it was all done. And I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and excitement for Rory- if this is what I felt from my 60 mins backstage, I can’t fathom the emotions of MONTHS of designing and emotional turmoil and logistics and sketching and details that they must go through. 

After this, I went over to capture backstage at Campbell Luke’s show. This was truly transformative; the energy was completely different. It felt meaningful and culturally expressive and cinematic. As an immigrant woman from a country that’s also been colonized, the natural connection to the story of this collection was there from the moment I stepped backstage. 

The casting was absolutely spectacular and self-aware. The makeup and hair was intentionally un-Western and the designs themselves were packed with personal narrative. Natural fabrics, and flax woven accessories and just every Design element you’d feel proud to see from a self-referencing indigenous designer. 

Backstage I also got to experience another really significant moment- everyone gathered around to watch designer Bobby unpack the korowai by Diggeress Te Kanawa that had made its way up to the show from Waikato museum. The sense of cultural pride in the room was palpable. 

It was hard to not feel emotional, you could feel the generations of stories that had been passed down to bring this collection to life but also a profound sense of pain to have had to wait this long for this moment of appreciation to be made possible.   

Next, I was at Juliette Hogan where the scale of things was a lot bigger and more established. There was a campaign shoot backstage, and runway finale run-throughs and a whole team of videographers & photographers so I quietly shot my images and then made my way to the show. 

Day 2 :

My schedule was a bit lighter than other attendees because alongside shooting backstage, I was also editing all the photos and uploading content to our social channels. I found a newfound appreciation for anyone who works in media full-time because the urgency & turnaround times are SO tight!

Day 3 :

By Day 3, I was totally getting into the rhythm of it all. I felt like I knew what I was doing and what was expected of me. My first show was Viva Next Gen, which I was shooting backstage but also attending with my husband Nathan (his very first experience of anything fashion related!). Backstage was buzzing with excitement, so many designers each with their own visual language and style. 

I felt more at ease because I found my friends and designers Jojo Ross and Tess McCone (who’s brand Su-Mar was in the show)- we chatted about all things small business, and I eyed up her collection up close and personal. It was playful and whimsical and magical.  

Watching this show was particularly exciting because we got to see a range of designers with such varied self-expression. We got to see the fresh interpretation of James Bush’s minimalism, through to Oosterom’s textural construction. Flying Fox Clothing also had a really interesting runway formation that changed up the audience’s interaction with the garments. Nicole Van Vuuren showed us the future of fashion in upcycling and reimagining scraps. 

Next was Zambesi and it was everything you’d expect from the brand, with an off-site iconic venue, unlikely pairings and individualized interpretation. It was cool and strong and textured in all of its details. The beauty looks were right up my alley with balmy reflective skin, dark vampy lips paired with soft candy tones on the eyes. All the models were buzzing, everyone knows that visceral sense of what Zambesi means, and none of us were taking it for granted. 

The show ended with models lining up along the harbour, the sun gently casting it’s most golden light for the Designer and Founder Elisabeth Findlay to watch her very first show (insider scoop that she’s always been backstage and this was the first time she actually got to enjoy the magic of her runway). 

I ended fashion week at Kate Sylvester- it was her 30th year in fashion so it all felt very prestigious and significant backstage. All of the models were so excited to be experiencing this momentous moment with the Designer. I followed the team out onto the runway and watched them practicing their finale formation, it was beautiful. 

I saw the same model I met on the morning of Day 1, and realized how much of a character evolution I’d been through. I felt sure of what I was doing backstage and outside and knew a few more names and faces. It all felt a bit less intimidating, and a lot more like any other workplace (it’s just better at presenting outward glamour). 

Words - Anahita Paul [aka Naaytu]