Kevin Tachman’s Top 10 Behind-the-Scenes Moments From Fashion Month Inline
Photographed by Kevin Tachman1/10Chanel
“It’s always a treat to shoot Chanel at the Grand Palais, but you never know what the backstage will be like, since the sets are so extravagant and models usually enter from all directions. Luckily, there was one big lineup this season, and the sun was peeking through the glass, enhancing the already bright ensembles. The number of looks and girls are double that of any other show, so it’s almost overwhelming to try to capture the mood, the looks, and all the models.
“The soundtrack—‘You Won’t Be the Same’ by Toy—was the perfect groove to keep the mood upbeat backstage and evoke the chic vibe of a Chanel Airlines flight—the one airport I wouldn’t mind a layover at. And, of course, who can resist guest star Cara Delevingne and pint-sized pilot Hudson Kroenig?”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman2/10Rick Owens
“There was an intensity in the air at Rick Owens. The collectsion was named Cyclops, and there was indeed a laser-like focus in the eyes of these women. The model-gymnasts were preparing to do their final walk after days of rehearsal. The audience would soon see these women strapped together in visually arresting configurations that one could only half expect from a Rick Owens show.
“Seeing these formations take shape was like watching a piece of theater and performance art. There were all the regular preshow rituals, like making sure the looks were right, plus making sure everyone was strapped together safely. I asked one of the performers after their umpteenth preshow crunch and muscle-defying stretch: ‘How do you know when you’ll be ready?’ She said with a smile, ‘When I start to sweat.’ ”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman3/10Haider Ackermann
“You know you might get an exciting beauty look at Haider’s shows, but the girls’ rainbow, punk-inspired, windswept mohawks were especially fun to shoot. The lighting was dramatic and the spiderlike silk strands across the models’ faces made for some great photos. The only downside was that I didn’t get to experience the powerful finale with the girls walking en masse through a cloud of smoke.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman4/10Gucci
“The Gucci show was staged in a very cool, quasi-industrial location—abandoned train tracks not far from the center of Milan. The weather in Milan had been incredibly nice, but this was a blustery and stormy day. The show’s soundtrack started out with thunder, taking the theme full circle.
“It was great to see how Alessandro Michele’s vision has continued. You see all these amazing layers and accessories backstage and you wonder how it’s going to work—and then on the runway, it does.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman5/10Moschino
“It’s just a party at Moschino. It’s a big, colorful, massive party, and it’s all about getting a fun picture. It’s like a rock show—people are overacting for the cameras, so it’s peacocking in the best way possible. Everyone was wearing a super-fun car wash–inspired look, the set was amazing, and Jeremy [Scott] was running backstage psyching the girls up.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman6/10Chloé
“Chloé was just #pretty. I can’t resist sunlight, and you don’t get the opportunity to shoot the girls in the sun very much, so when you do, you relish it a bit. For this show, Primal Scream soundtracked the incredibly colorful looks, and Willow Hand was happy to twirl around for the camera . . . She summed up the good vibes of the collectsion.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman7/10Prada
“Again, I was happy to be able to shoot the girls in natural sunlight before Prada. They all had those metallic gold lips by Pat McGrath, which tied into her viral #PatTakesParis event.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman8/10Marc Jacobs
“Marc Jacobs wasn’t really a backstage experience per se. We captured the girls coming through the lobby of the Ziegfeld Theatre after the public runway and step-and-repeat red carpet. The effect was dramatic as the girls slowly passed by us under the lobby spotlights, up the escalator, and later down the grand staircase, so we got a different perspective of the show than usual.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman9/10Prabal Gurung
“The dichotomy of seeing the monks backstage with all the models at Prabal Gurung was really fun to see playing out in real time. There was a serious tone, but it was also cool to see the models interacting with the monks in a really playful way.”
Photographed by Kevin Tachman10/10Balmain
“The Balmain army was in full effect this season in terms of energy, star power, and looks—the only challenge backstage at this show was having a lens big enough to get all the top girls in one shot. #VoguePhotographerProblems.”
