Winter Street Style: London Fashion Week Edition

Street Style at London Fashion Week Men’s 2019: 

Behind the Scenes as an Amateur Photographer

Words and Photography by Hannah Guyer

It was by sheer chance that I found myself with a free day to roam London on Sunday 6^thJanuary, the second day of the 2019 Fashion Week Men’s events. Geared with my entry level Sony Alpha6000 camera, I headed to The Old Truman Brewery in the hipster hub of London’s North Eastern Shoreditch. Weaving through the bustling crowds down Brick Lane, a buzz filled the air as I approached the new show location. Photographers, journalists, models, influencers, all at the ready.

Turning into the location, I passed the iconic Rough Trade East Record Store and halted, unsure if I further access was permitted without pass or invitation. A mix of people moved through the space. 

Well-dressed model-types moved with a lofty air of assurance, faces fixed in permanent, perfect pouts ever ready for the candid photo. Photographers darted around armed with heavy duty harnesses to carry their expensive looking camera gear following the model-types in backwards lunges clicking frantically away. Several groups of excited onlookers with smartphones out and stand out designer pieces (think Balenciaga Triple S’s and Louis Vuitton side bags) pointing at key figures as they walked passed and calling out to those whose name they knew, and the occasional civilian tourist who had found them self completely by mistake and unaware in the middle of all the bustle, possibly wondering to themselves if this was what they could expect from any regular Sunday in trendy Shoreditch.

After the 30 minutes or so of hanging awkwardly around at the back of the onlooking crowds, I began feeling more comfortable and confident to move closer to the action. With my relatively tiny mirrorless camera, I worked my way into the crowd of other photographers and shot. Over the day, I progressed from nervously taking poorly cropped snaps of passers-by to actively seeking out models and asking permission for photos, even directing people to pose in certain ways. 

The most useful tool for learning how to act and move in this environment was watching and listening to how the professional photographers conducted their business. Hearing how photographers took charge of a shot and confidently asked the model to pose in a certain place, in a certain position and then take time to check the photos then make any necessary adjustments gave me the confidence to start taking control over my shots. 

By the end of the day my photos had hugely improved simply by having the confidence to stand where I needed and politely giving cues to the models. I realised it was okay to speak to the important people in the room (shock: models are human too) and giving a few compliments or making a joke helped break the ice and make the subject more relaxed, and “thank you, enjoy the show” was well received and made me feel better about using the models’ time. 

Thinking of heading for your own street style/paparazzi-esque excursion? Here would be my suggestions for getting the most out of the day.

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And that's a wrap! The BIGGEST shout out to my talented friend Hannah for her wonderful photography and writing skills, her work is amazing and you should definitely check it out at @hannahguyer.studio and @hannah.guyer. 

Lots of new blog posts in the work so stay tuned.

Your friendly neighbourhood blogger,

Maggie