See all these people? They are outside one of Paris Fashion Week's most famous catwalk show venues in Paris, in the Tuileries Gardens. I've just come from watching the Sonia Rykiel show there.
Check out all the people with cameras in the bottom left of the image - in order to get from the gate of the Tuileries Gardens to the tent the show is in, show-goers, mostly industry professionals going about their daily work and minding their own business, have to dodge past these photographers. I reckon there are at now least 150 to 200 of them in total, and 90% of them are likely to be chancers who have set up a blog and want to be "in fashion" (if they actually know what that means) or worse still, they are weirdos who like taking pictures of young pretty women and models.
In the past the street-style photography scene has been a wonderful addition to the proceedings, but it is now out of control.
(image from http://concretemagazine.sjmc.umn.edu)
At the end of each show the "weirdos" as I have come to call them in my head; mainly sweaty, overweight late middle-aged men with multi-pocketed flak waistcoats on, aggressively heckle models and elbow each other to get closest to them and then attack them with flashbulbs. All these girls are doing is trying to leave the show, find their next appointment, have a cigarette, take a breather, whatever. They are off duty, they can do what they want. Today a photographer elbowed a model in the back so hard she winced in pain; I saw another one make a girl cry because he would not leave her alone.
Now imagine a crowd bigger than this shoe-horned into a tiny side street. On the way into the Dior show today at the Rodin Museum, the slender street the entrance of the museum is on was utterly mobbed with above crowd of "street-style photographers" - in reality there are no more than 15-20 very good and reputable ones - and hangers on. The atmosphere outside that show was scary. Police were trying to control the crowd; there were crash barriers, traffic was at a standstill, people shouted, cars beeped. It was not only chaos, but dangerous.
This is not what Paris Fashion Week should be about. Sure there are a few women who play the street-style game and further their careers by being photographed - fair play to them, they are consenting adults. But those of us who would like to get on with their jobs without this hassle have no choice but to face a picket line for each show. Why can't there be an area for street-style pictures to be taken? A sign saying "if you want to be photographed, please go this way".
When I lifted a copy of T magazine to cover my face as yet another lens was shoved into it this afternoon, the photographer called me a "fucking bitch" and told me I looked better with my face covered. When it comes to being attacked for being attacked by a camera, don't you think something is seriously wrong here? We are talking about fashion shows and people who go to fashion shows.
The people who organise Paris Fashion Week need to sort something out.
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As a viewer/reader I certainly don't want to read an article where people are being bullied into having their pictures taken, and the scenario you depict looks horrid. If I had to deal with that on my walk to the office each day, I'd go nuts.
ReplyDeleteI found London quite similar - and in a way it's equally irritating for those not being photographed. I'd walk into some shows and literally be looked up and down and then passed by; while I don't want someone shoving a camera in my face, nor do I love the obvious "not you, love" at 10am.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I did take a few street style snaps while I was over - I tried to be considerate about it and snap people from afar, rather than being aggressive about it, and I also avoided the "swarm": when one photographer suddenly turns into 10, photographing some preening pre-teen carrying Celine's Trapeze bag. Street style is increasingly what blog readers want, which is interesting, if a little irritating.
I witnessed something not quite dramatic last September when I went to Paris for the very reason of observing outside shows. It is important to note that SURELY, Fashion Week is also an important draw card for tourism. Outside Damir Doma last September, I noticed two other female tourists just peacefully watching industry identities enter in and out. Sure, the scene outside Dior outside Musee Rodin was a different story. The mix of evidently non industry people varied in age, gender and who knows even maybe intention. Also... Outside Ann D last September, I remember a model bumping into the parking barrier and I was so impressed how helpful all the photographer looking men and women were, showing respect by not photographing the incident.
ReplyDeleteFrancesca Burns blogged about this during the last round of shows - http://franburns.tumblr.com/post/11064164949/are-bloggers-the-new-paparazzi-and-photographing. It looks unbelievable intimidating!
ReplyDeleteAre they really bloggers or just paparazzi that want to sell photos to whoever they can?
ReplyDeleteIt sounds horrible. I'm really sorry that you had to go through this, (and you don't look better with your face covered by the way!)
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that they're allowed to get away with this behaviour. I'm sure French privacy laws don't allow pictures being taken without consent.
You should band together with other eds in London and write to the show organisers in the main fashion capitals about this - it is totally out of control.
ReplyDeleteYour experience sounds dreadful
ReplyDeleteA few years ago Yvan Rodic (Facehunter) turned the lens on a few of the "weirdos" - http://yvanrodic.com/posts/298/london-september-21st-2009#photo_11941
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I have noticed this too, in London, even inside some of the shows. At one it was very crowded and I had a standing ticket so I was positioned near the photographers pit. A group of big men like you describe were pushing and elbowing me and some others, all of us young women. In the end some of the photographers in the pit had to get up and try to sort it out, it turned out these people didn't even have photographers passes! As someone mentioned above they do seem more like the usual press paparazzi than bloggers. Not wanting to type cast but many bloggers and really young and also quite shy and polite. I do think perhaps the fashion council should consider only allowing entry around the venues to those with a pass. If the passes were made to be visible at all times then if someone violated their position they could be reported. I was standing waiting for one show when a man ran up to my friend and shoved a camera in her face, I mean the lens was touching her nose, he then ran off. In cases like this is really is a form of assault. It spoils it for those of us who are professional and gives the genuine bloggers and street style photographers a bad name.
ReplyDeleteSo much fashion out of the box:D
ReplyDeletewww.erry.ro