Fashion’s Front Line
Fashion’s Front Line, Fashion Show Photography from the Runway to Backstage, explores the world of catwalk as both culture and construct.
The title Fashion’s Front Line was inspired by the quote attributed to the photo-journalist and war photographer, Don McCullin who said that covering the catwalk shows in Paris was “worse than a war”. The Front Line is where fashion change is paraded, disseminated and sold. It’s where fashion punters go to size up the new look, do deals and take their place in this unique, traveling community. Here, it’s not where you come from that counts but what you’re wearing.
Through the photographic archive of Niall McInerney, who covered the international shows for over thirty years and the voices of those involved in the production of catwalk: noted show producers, designers, catwalk photographers, hairdressers, PRs and model agents, this text captures and crystallises a fleeting, transient, sensational and headline grabbing world. Despite being transformed by technology and accelerated by big business, fashion’s front line still has power and magic.
“A stunning and original text... delivering new insights and reminding us that fashion is not some trivial decoration to the serious business of life but resides at its heart.”
— Professor Elizabeth Wilson
“An inspiring documentary record of one of the fashion world’s most assiduous and talented photographers through the perceptive observations of a true industry insider.”
— Professor Christopher Breward
“Dazzling and informed writing.”
— Marcelle D’Argy Smith, former Editor of Cosmopolitan
“A must-have for fashion lovers and aficionados.”
— Felicity Green OBE
Fashion’s Front Line; the culture of catwalk
Preparing for Battle; becoming a runway photographer
Capturing the Runway; the skills and scrums of becoming a catwalk photographer
Runway Coups; game-changing collections
Fashion’s Factions; designer battle lines (interview, Antony Price)
Full scale assault on the senses; spectacular show productions (interviews: Mikel Rosen, Simon Costin, John Walford)
New Model Army; walking the walk (interview Sarah Doukas)
Blazing style, dynamite charisma; front row and beyond (Interview Lynne Franks)
Inside the bunker; magic and mayhem backstage (interview Sam McKnight)
Surprise ambush; the unexpected and unscheduled
March of technology; changing tech from production to dissemination
Postscript; reflections on fashion’s battlefield.
'Fashion's Front Line Fashion Show Photography from the Runway to Backstage'
Photographs Niall McInerney
Commentary Nilgin Yusuf
Published by Bloomsbury, retail price £25.
Chinese edition now available, published by Donghua University Press.