This fashion exhibition reveals an unseen archive of backstage fashion photography from the 90s …
London Fashion Week is taking place this week, from September 16-20, albeit without fashion brands Burberry and Raf Simons who have cancelled their shows following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
One event which will go ahead is a special exhibition at Claridge’s ArtSpace where unseen imagery by celebrity photographer Gavin Bond documenting the early 90s fashion scene will be presented in a specially curated four dimensional showcase. The “Gavin Bond: Being There Showcase presented by Moët & Chandon” features designers from Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Paul Gaultier, to Valentino and Versace, and the supermodels of the era – from Kate and Naomi to Claudia and Carla. The photography, rediscovered by Bond during lockdown, is enhanced with displays of Bond’s many scrapbooks, collections of 90s headline catwalk show invitations and video footage from the era.
In 1988, Gavin enrolled as a fashion student at Central Saint Martins, alongside notable alumni and contemporaries John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan, Giles Deacon and legendary stylist Katie Grand. As CSM fashion students, they were invited to attend fashion week shows to which Bond took his camera. With a lack of inhibition, he managed to get unfettered access to dive into the world of fashion backstage. His deliberate signature characteristics – the shallow depth of field, occasional blur of movement, and softness of details – convey the sensation of catching fleeting glimpses of this iconic fashion era.
Magical scenes from intimate portraits of Vivienne Westwood to Kristen McMenamy quaffing Moët & Chandon backstage at John Galliano will be displayed, as well as imagery documenting the supermodels of the era and their memorable sisterhood. “Moët & Chandon was very present behind the scenes in the London fashion scene in the early 90s. It seemed that a bottle of this famed Champagne, especially Moët Minis sipped with a straw by the models, was de rigueur,” comments Bond.
Bond went on to be a regular contributor to both Australian Vogue and US Marie Claire where he shot fashion stories globally. Today he is based in the US dividing his time between the east and west coasts. He has a broad spectrum of clients from key art campaigns for major studios and networks, backstage on tour with global artists to shooting swimwear in the tropics. Bond has been focusing heavily on the moving image making this an integral part of his work, giving the client the 360 degree vision on all platforms.
Need to Know: “Gavin Bond: Being There Showcase presented by Moët & Chandon” opens from September 15 – 29 from 10am-6pm with free access to all. Claridge’s ArtSpace is located on Brook’s Mews, London W1K 4D; www.claridges.co.uk.
