NYFW 2019
The Experience
Such a great moment captured here! Ghanian dancers brought Accra to New York City and showed us a beauty only found in the deepest parts of it’s culture. As a black person and a dancer, I enjoyed seeing love and excitement being expressed through movement, it really hits home. This was my first time covering fashion week but, I’m sure it’ll be tough one to top being that it felt so true to its inspiration. I had the opportunity of shooting both backstage (hair and make-up) as well as the main event and fashion show. Models and staff kept things professional as we all maneuvered through the chaotic day and I appreciated the minimal work that make-up artists actually did being that I think a “beat face” does match the people’s tradition. Hair stylists kept things culturally appropriate as well with styles more commonly found in African culture: blow-outs, locs, short haircuts, braids and twists. The designers worked hard to be innovative yet authentic to the culture’s traditional cloth called the Kente. Cottons and silks were utilized to create each piece and everyone turned out beautifully. If you are ever in New York City and can make it to Spring Studios you should go to this event. I loved what Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah did with this event and honestly I would love for them to host another.
HAIR & MAKE-UP
Anyone that has ever shot a fashion show knows that hair and make-up has to be the best and worst thing you’ll experience that day. There’s great finger foods but, you’ll have to climb over make-up artists to get it. Models will be giving you flawless poses but, the lowlight situation may make your images look like you shot them through of a potato. So my best advice would be: go with the flow & capture the moments both good and bad as they come.
ROSARIO DAWSON
American actress, producer, singer, comic book writer, political activist and now fashion guru, Rosario Dawson did an amazing job hosting this years’ Fashion Week. Her theme of choice was reflective of Accra, Ghana’s traditional fashion and from her expression, I can confidently say she enjoyed seeing her vision come to life. She is such a loving person it’s unreal. She not only greeted every person on her team but, she also had this smile that controlled the room in such an intoxicating way. I’m sure there was some pressure on her to perform well, because of her own resume and the name “fashion week” but, I must say she danced and smiled her way through the entire night and you wouldn’t have been able to tell a thing.
Showtime
The event coordinator(s) took more of a shop, window display route with this fashion week. There wasn’t a stereotypical runway setup but, it made for a very portrait friendly event. You were able to pose each model and get close enough to them to capture the details of each piece even with the worst of cameras. Once people began to walk through the door things got a little hectic but, security quickly got things back in order. So quick that if you were focused on anything for more than a minute you would’ve never noticed. So my tip for next time would be to set up a rail or rope to keep distance between the models and the attendees which will prevent any setbacks.
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