Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: BCBGMAXAZRIA
At the last minute, I got backstage access to the BCBGMAXAZRIA show. I was all geeked. When I told the girls, Sade asked me to take a pictures of the shows backstage so she could see if they had her shoes.
My 1st thought was you have BCBG shoes. She was like yeah! She showed them to me & they were some ballet flats. I had to break it t her that those would not be on the runway.
Fast-forward 2 days later and I’m checking in backstage for the show. As I was waiting for my credential, this tall slice of Chinese heaven walks in with a gaggle of people around her.
It was kinda like a slow motion movie scene. She had this long black ponytail and was wearing this lone black lace dress revealing her panties and bra. As she walked past, I’m like who’s this bitch & why does she smell like every woman should.
Before I know it, a woman called me name twice & handed me my pass.
Once I got back to the staging area, I learned that she was Shu Pei from China and she’s totally a big deal. She also happens to be the 2nd Asian model to score a deal with Maybeline. It was amazing to see the way she floated across the room. That shit was like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon type floating with a switch & sway that only a woman like her could pull off.
Once I got out of Shu Pei’s face, I started to take care of business photographing the going’s on before the shoot jumped off. Unlike most of the other shows that I did, backstage at BCBG was quite sedate and easy going.
It was so sedate that Max Azria paused for a 30-minute hair cut. So funny watching the fashion elite live pieces of their lives at a show.
As for the show itself, well, it was a bore IMO but who am I. I’m certainly not his target client but still. I’m just saying.
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The NYLA Report September 21, 2010
By: Asia Willis
Attention leggy ladies – take note. Max Azria is all about uber short frocks this spring. BCBG Max Azria captured the essence of spring with a classic line of neutrals and key basics for your wardrobe. Featuring beautiful asymmetrical lines and breezy silhouettes, the collection was romantic, youthful, feminine and best of all – simplicity at its finest.
While the runway was dominated by neutrals, there were occasional pops of mustard, coral and rose. The collection ranged from linen dresses to silk floor length seersucker dresses to flirty one-shoulder crepe pieces. The dresses were weightless and breezy as the glided down the runway.
Even though the collection wasn’t jaw-dropping, however, it was quite refreshing to see wearable clothes. I’ve been a fan of Max Azria for years and he designs for the consumer, not the runway.
Spotted front row: Anna Wintour (Vogue EIC), Ashley Simpson (singer), Kelly Rowland (singer), Coco Rocha (model), Katrina Bowden (actress in 30 Rock) and Alison Brie (actress in Mad Men).
Side note: I’ve met tons of celebs in my line of work, but I’ve never been so starstuck until I seen Anna Wintour. I sat 4 rows behind her during the show and that moment was the highlight of Fashion Week and probably my life. I apologize if my review for BCBG is kinda sucky because I was on cloud 9 the entire show – haha!
To check out the entire slideshow of backstage & runway photos clickhere.
Enjoying your posts, man. This one, surprisingly (lol), was very well written! LOL! I loved your description of Shu Pei. You painted a great picture, and made the entire entrance seem very grandiose. I loved the “why does she smell like every woman should.” I literally “LOL”d.
Nice shot at the top. I’ve been meaning to ask you: Did you shoot the shows exclusively with that 300mm, or did you have the time to change lenses? If so, did you find the fixed focal length a chore to deal with at times? I was trying to imagine myself sitting x amount of feet from a runway with a 300mm lens on, getting pissed that I could only get a certain type of shot all the time. For example, full body at the start of the runway, upper body at the middle, and face at the end. What if I want full body at the end of the runway? Then I’m fucked.
Thx for taking the time to read my stiff man. I know it can be a challenge with my tacky skills.
Man, If you saw the way Shu Pei made her entrance your mouth would have stayed up until she walked past. Much like mine. People where all over her. It really was amazing.
In terms of the lenses I used, I shot exclusively with the 300mm f/2.8 during the runway shows. And you have to act quick with it.
You have moments to get a full body shot, then you have hot moment to get a half body shot then boom, you have a hot minute for a tight crop portrait. My goal was to get all three of these shots.
In large part I was successful but I had a lot of missed shots & some missed focus shots. It took a while to get used to the lens & the way that it focused.
And it was a bitch to lug around!
For all of the backstage pieces, I primarily used my 24-70mm f/2.8 & pulled out my 85mm f/1.4 for a few shots. Most of the shots were ambient lit. I really did not have a pressing need to use a flash but I did put it out here and there depending.
In a few posts, I will talk about my overall experience shooting with some tips. Stay tuned.