London · Guide for photographers and filmmakers
“The show lasts ten minutes. Backstage is where the story is.”
The British Fashion Council accredits photographers who are commissioned by an agency or publication, not freelancers, and backstage access is decided by each designer's PR team. In practice, the most reliable way backstage is to be working for someone who belongs there: a make-up or hair brand that's doing the show's beauty, a publication, or the designer. Here's how access works, what to shoot, and how to work in the busiest room of the week.
Lanvin, Paris · backstage beauty
01 · Access
How access actually works
| Route | What it gets you |
|---|---|
| British Fashion Council accreditation | For catwalk photographers commissioned by an agency or publication, with a commissioning letter for the season and recent published work. Freelancers aren't accredited. |
| The designer's PR | Backstage access is requested directly from the designer's PR, show by show. Accreditation doesn't guarantee entry. |
| A brand partner | The make-up or hair brand doing the show's beauty brings its own content team backstage. |
Source: London Fashion Week, accreditation criteria.
02 · Worked example
Backstage for a beauty brand
At Lanvin in Paris, the backstage film was made for the make-up partner, Code8. That's the brief in a nutshell: show the artistry, show the product in the artists' hands, and finish on the look walking out.
Backstage at Chalayan during London Fashion Week SS20 followed the same shape: foundation going on, lip products close up, the finished face, then the runway.
Chalayan, London Fashion Week SS20: application and product.
03 · The shot list
What a beauty brand wants from backstage
Product in the artist's hand
The tube, palette or brush with the brand visible, in use, not posed on a table.
Application close-ups
Brush on skin, lip line, the final touch. Tight framing hides the chaos around it.
The key artist
A few words from the lead make-up artist about the look, recorded with a clip-on mic in a quiet corner.
The finished look, then the runway
The face just before the model lines up, and the same look under the show lights.
On the runway: Chalayan, London · Lanvin, Paris.
04 · How to work
Working in the busiest room of the week
Arrive early: the useful hours are before the show, when hair and make-up are in full flow.
Small kit: one body, a fast standard zoom or two primes, a small gimbal at most. No stands, no lights that need power.
Stay out of the way: artists are on a clock. Ask before you lean in, and never block a mirror.
Respect "no": some models and some looks are off limits until the show. Follow the PR's lead.
Deliver fast: brands want backstage content the same day, while the show is trending.
Watch
Backstage films
Giselle Norman backstage at Lanvin SS20
Lanvin Paris backstage, September 2019
With Freek Iven at Lanvin SS20, Paris
London Fashion Week SS20: Chalayan
Label M and Toni & Guy, London Fashion Week SS20
Boutique Baller x Rolls-Royce LFW closing partyFAQ
Common questions
How do photographers get accredited for London Fashion Week?
Through the British Fashion Council, if you are commissioned by an agency or publication. You need a commissioning letter for the season and recent published fashion work. Freelancers aren't accredited.
How do you get backstage at a fashion show?
Backstage access is requested from the designer's PR, show by show. Working for the make-up or hair brand doing the show's beauty is another common route.
What should you shoot backstage for a beauty brand?
Product in the artists' hands, application close-ups, a few words from the lead artist, the finished look and the look on the runway.
What camera kit works backstage?
Small and fast: one body, a fast zoom or two primes, a clip-on microphone, and nothing that needs a stand or mains power.
Written by Joshua Swain, who films beauty and fashion in London, Paris and Dubai. See the portfolio.