The world of fashion can be a messy business. But mess and chaos are what make Robert Fairer’s solo exhibit at SCAD FASH so compelling.
Bloggers and influencers have accustomed us to seeing the frenetic pace backstage at fashion shows. Back in the 1990s, though, few people had access to the behind-the-scenes moments of runway bedlam. London-based photographer Robert Fairer was one of the few. As he started to make a name in fashion photography, he was instinctively drawn to what was happening behind the curtain, realizing that makeup touch-ups and the rumpus of fast changes were as visually interesting as the runway time. Vogue magazine recognized his talents and had him cover womenswear collections offstage for the next decade.
Credit: Vanessa Fairer
Credit: Vanessa Fairer
Fairer amassed an expansive archive of photographs that resulted in a series of monographs published by Thames & Hudson, titled “Unseen,” the first one released in 2016. But his work has never been shown in a solo museum exhibit, until now. Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at SCAD FASH, took the challenge to curate 100 photographs from the thousands he was presented with, some of them never before seen. The result is this exclusive exhibit, “Backstage Pass: Dior, Galliano, Jacobs and McQueen,” on view at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film through April 16. It’s a captivating time capsule of a bygone era of fashion before livestreaming and social media.
As in the recent exhibit on photographer Albert Watson, viewers are immersed in deep darkness and the images, gorgeously printed and illuminated, glow out of the dark.
The exhibit follows the three designers sequentially — British designer John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and Galliano again during his Dior era — during what is considered the “Golden Age of Fashion.”
To the untrained eye, though, the backstages’ state of affairs all look remarkably similar and there is little context within the images to distinguish one designer from the other. It would have been helpful to separate them more clearly.
Fashion photographs are by nature seductive and eye-catching. Fairer’s images are all that, but they also belong to the documentary genre, revealing a spontaneity that is rarely seen in today’s highly orchestrated fashion shows.
Fairer confesses to loving chaos, crowds and mess. “To me, that is a second home,” he says. The photographs that impart this feeling of commotion do so in fleeting moments that convey something magical and ultimately beautiful.
Take for instance the image that opens the exhibit. Shot during Galliano’s autumn/winter 2004-2005 exuberant collection that was inspired by Victorian travelers visiting Yemen, model Erin O’Connor is seen wearing a crinoline skirt so enormous that she couldn’t fit in the elevator. Flanked by two assistants, the model has an ineffable expression of both wonder and surprise, making the scene tragicomic. She never made it to the runway.
Credit: Robert Fairer
Credit: Robert Fairer
Recalling his backstage days, Fairer said in a recent Vogue interview that it was a hectic period in his life. “I’d run around, shoot all the shows during a six-week period. I was sending the film back to England, so I didn’t actually get to see a lot of what I shot. Vanessa [his wife and longtime collaborator] would go through edits, get the contact sheets sorted out and the transparencies.”
The exhibit features photographs taken between 1998 and 2010, which allows the viewer to experience a wide spectrum of aesthetics, from the theatricality of Galliano, who based each collection on imagined stories culled from his research into art, history and culture, to the grunge, street fashion of Jacobs, manifested in his New York shows.
Fairer said he tried to capture the genius of Jacobs, “the slightly off-kilter charm of the palette, the captivating cleverness of the endless twisted classics, the statement shoes, bags.” Jacobs is also known for introducing unisex fashion, with both male and female models on stage.
McQueen was equally inventive but had a darkly romantic side. He used dramatic accessories and excessive makeup as seen in “The Horn of Plenty,” where the makeup artist Peter Philip — under the direction of McQueen — turned the model into a phantasmagoric creature, with bleached-out eyebrows, her mouth painted like a clown’s.
Credit: Robert Fairer
Credit: Robert Fairer
The last section of the exhibit takes a look back at Galliano when he took over Dior and served as its creative director. This was a tumultuous time for the French house as Galliano literally pushed the ideas of femininity and opulence to their very edge. He brought a theatricality to the runway never before seen and a lavish twist to the house with the introduction of heavily branded bags, shoes and accessories.
The exhibit ends with a photograph of a deserted, unglamorous backstage. The photographer was alone while the show was going on live upstairs. “I imagine this is almost impossible to witness again,” notes Fairer in the exhibit’s virtual guide. “The backstage lot is now filled with security during a show and photographers are not allowed to be in the dressed areas.” He concludes with a hint of nostalgia: “It represents a time when there was trust between people, mutual respect for each other’s craft, and when we did not all bury our heads in phones and actually participated in one another’s company.” SCAD fashion students, take note.
VISUAL ARTS REVIEW
“Backstage Pass: Dior, Galliano, Jacobs and McQueen”
Through April 16. $10; $8 senior citizens/ military; $20 family (three or more); $5 college students with ID and SCAD alumni; free for under age 14, SCAD students, faculty, staff and members. SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, 1600 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta. 404-253- 3132, scadfash.org.
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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ArtsATL (www.artsatl.org), is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. Founded in 2009, ArtsATL’s goal is to help build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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