This year’s Forces of Fashion, taking place on October 16, is dedicated to the art, drama, and influence of the runways throughout history. Today, we’re heading to the mysterious place that is backstage at the fashion show, where everything comes together—or falls apart—before the spectacle begins. To put it in movie terms, backstage is the film’s climax, where all of the most challenging and exciting things will happen before models finally walk out wearing the designer’s latest creations.
There’s a reason why shows don’t actually start on time (except for Marc Jacobs), and that’s because despite the months of preparation that go into producing a fashion show, there are always last-minute things to attend to, from fixing a button or a zipper on a sample, to getting a model running late from another show (that also ran late) into hair and makeup. Despite this utter chaos, some magical moments come from the frenzy.
Take Kevin Tachman, Vogue’s backstage photographer in the 2010s, who fell into the world of fashion almost by accident and in the process ended up witnessing historical fashion moments like Zoolander’s return to the runways at the Valentino fall 2015 ready-to-wear show. Or consider our European photographer, Acielle Tanbetova, who has been present for some of the most significant debuts and goodbyes of the last decade, and has gotten to shoot in so many of the wonders of the world she could almost call herself a travel photographer.
Most importantly, backstage is about telling a story. For our resident New York photographer Hunter Abrams, it’s about capturing not just first looks (that’s industry speak for when the models are finally dressed in their full runway looks) but also the fittings, the beauty, and the work that goes on in the days leading up to the shows.
Our three photographers have shot hundreds of runways during their years at Vogue; find out which stories have stood the test of time here.
Kevin Tachman
The bulk of my experience as a photographer before I started documenting the shows for Vogue consisted of shooting concerts and festivals. When I first got to experience a runway show in person, it was like an episode of Fashion TV come to life. I found myself in a place I never thought I would be.