More Than a Project: The Community Behind Face the Runway

One weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, Face the Runway hosted a fashion show featuring a variety of designers, both as vendors and runway participants. When I first entered the event, I spoke with vendors showcasing products such as makeup, jewelry, and clothing. These brands included Breezy Cosmetics, The W Collection, XPERIENCE X•ALT, and Gardgy Jewelry. Before entering the runway room, I saw Joseph McRae’s models standing completely still, acting as living mannequins to showcase the garments they were wearing.

I then spoke with some of the photographers on-site to determine where I could shoot without my flash interfering with their work. After finding a place along the sidelines of the runway, I began taking photographs. Below are some of the outfits that stood out to me:

A variety of clothing brands were represented that night. Dillard’s appeared onstage at least twice, while other featured brands included Kimberly Mann, Serenity Fashions, Joseph McRae, Pamoja Na, and NHU Couture. Seeing the confidence taker shape onstage through the movement of the garments and the models' expressions was inspiring.

I spoke with one photographer in particular, Chris of Hovinga Photo and asked him questions about editorial and runway photography.

Elise: “What do you think people misunderstand about capturing an editorial image of a model?”

Chris: “Intention is the key to an editorial image. How you, as an artist painting with light, choose to display a composition depends on all the tools you have in front of you, as well as the tools you have in editing. You have to know what and where to push when setting up the shot. You’re making decisions about background, light, timing, movement, expression, and composition that turn a split second into something that feels larger than the runway itself. Also, are you shooting the clothes, the model, or the clothes, model, and environment? There are many different ways of approaching a runway shoot, and it takes thought and effort. It’s not a ‘snapshot’; it’s a photograph.”

Elise: “Do you think photography can capture the true essence of an event or subject, or does it inevitably elevate reality into something more?”

Chris: “Photography can absolutely capture something true about an event, but I don’t think it is ever completely objective. The photographer is always choosing what survives the moment—the better editing choice, the best point along the runway, the apex, and so on. At Face the Runway, I wasn’t interested in simply documenting what happened. I wanted the photographs to carry the attitude, energy, and personality I felt in the room. So yes, photography captures reality, but it also interprets it.”

Visit the Hovinga Photo shop if you would like to purchase any of Chris’s photographs from the show.

His perspective felt especially true to my experience. Capturing a strong photograph means capturing not only what is in front of the camera, but also the atmosphere surrounding the moment. After reflecting on the event, I selected the following three photographs as my favorites because of how deeply the outfits and their presentation affected me:

These were just my favorite looks from the night. Let us know if you agree @theedgemag!

Graphics created by Elise Whitaker