Paris Fashion Week 2025 in Action
It's that time of year again: Paris Fashion Week 2025 is here! Capturing PFW is both the most fun and stressful moment; photographers are pushing to get the best photo, and everyone is dying to be seen. A highlight for me was getting to follow AUP fashion students around as they interviewed people outside different shows. I found the mix of characters amusing; some were very talented, while others were just trying to catch a glimpse of someone famous. The following series of images shows "the people" trying to make it big during fashion week through my eyes.
AUP student, Ellysee (who also goes by Elle), was invited by another AUP student, Jaylee Garcia, to be interviewed for a fashion course documentary. Known for her edgy/eclectic style, Ellysee makes the perfect person to comment on the fashion world today.
Elle brought along her brother, and they both offered to mog. I loved their cohesive vibe and fun accessories. They attracted so many people through their vibe while posing for me, designers and models were all impressed.
From the Rick Owens show to the Balenciaga show, this pair had many intrigued by their look. To me, they felt like a bit of a rip-off of Fecal Matter. Fecal Matter is another goth/punk pair, worshiped a bit by Rick Owens. Now, many people copy this vibe for media attention, especially from Rick Owens and his cult-like following.
This picture was a "happy mistake" as it perfectly captures how hard it was for me to get a good photo. People were pushing, walking in front of one another; it was an absolute mess. This pair stopped for my camera, and all of a sudden, ten other cameras appeared, moving me out of the way as if I was the one stealing their perfect shot. This is the competitive world of fashion, and things get ugly.
AUP student, Jaylee Garcia, started the night interviewing AUP students she had followed along with her, as well as Ellysee's brother. Here she was asking if influencers have a positive or negative effect on the fashion world. Many responded to this question, saying it is a bit of both, which I completely agree with. Influencers both heavily contribute to and destroy fashion by giving exposure to small brands, but also giving in to overconsumption.
A few words from Jaylee: “Interviewing people during Paris fashion week was so thrilling and exciting. The atmosphere outside the shows has such high energy. I felt a lot of adrenaline approaching strangers, not knowing how they were going to react. I was surprised at the different perspectives everyone had on the same subject. They all certainly love being on camera. Overall, I had a lot of fun.”
On my walk to the Balenciaga show, I ran into one of "the punks." I was amused by the freakishly long nails with spikes and leather. It was fun, but also just giving very "want to be", performative and cheap. The flash accentuates the leather, most likely bought from Dolls Kill. It almost felt like Halloween came early this year.
Along Rue de Sevres, many small-name designers walked around with models they've hired to wear their designs for exposure. This was the perfect setting as the streets were packed with action and photographers. This image shows one of the stars of the night; this model and dress definitely attracted the most attention. Unfortunately, I did not get many words from the designer or model, but they were kind enough to use my photos on their Instagram stories @asgoodasgold.mt.
If I have anything to say about this past week, it is that fashion week is not just about the fashion; it's about the exposure, the parties and the connections. It is a time when people are really able to use the city to their advantage to make something out of themselves and their businesses. I've also taken away that passion isn't enough in the fashion world; when placed in the mix with so many creatives, it is easily seen who is faking it and who really has true talent and a need for fashion within them.
