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Full gallery posted here. Image are adult in nature.

I got an invitation from my friend and über designer Stephanie Verrieres to help her celebrate her birthday at the studio she shares with her business partner Kimie Sako. Together, the form the design team Verrieres & Sako and have been making splashes in the San Francisco design scene ever since they debuted at the Genart Fresh Faces fashion show back in 2006. Stephanie had a grand idea of having her guests collaborate on a a painting. There would be no direction, no theme, no limits. Just a blank canvas, brushes, paint and the collaborative creativity of all involved. To be honest, I didn’t really think it would amount to much thinking it would looking like the stalls of some bathrooms. The night started with a base coat of yellow. From there, Kimie created a rough outline of a woman in a gown. Someone started a tree to the left. Soon, then an Arabic alphabet was added to the right of the tree. Someone came along and added an eye to the left morphing it into a face. From there, more and more elements were added. In the end, a wonderful piece of art was created worthy of some galleries. I was very impressed with the finished product and the party was a huge success. Collaboration on the painting facilitated conversation and by all accounts, everyone had a good time. Oh, the food was fantastic too. It helps when the food was prepared by a professional chef who happens to work for a local Japanese restaurant.

There’s not much going on in terms of runway fashion shows in San Francisco so when the opportunity came to shoot LA Fashion Week I jumped at it. LA Fashion week is a real industry event open only to people in the fashion industry. Produced by IMG, the same company that produces NY Fashion Week, these shows are professionally produced and not staged for selling tickets to the public. I made the drive from San Francisco to L.A. for this event and the timing for this day was tight due to a long delay caused by the closure of Interstate 5 at Santa Clarita. The detour was not exactly easy and took over an hour. I arrived at the parking area with just enough time to change, gather my gear and catch the shuttle to SmashBox Studios by 3:45 pm. The first show, Sue Wong, was scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. so I knew I had to hustle. The check in for the press line was ridiculously slow. They had a small trailer with two people inside issuing credentials for all media so the line was not moving at all. By the time I got in line, it was already 4:10 so I made the decision to go in and shoot it with just the credentials I had from Sue Wong since I had gotten an invite from her P.R. team.

By the time I got to the riser, it was already packed with about 75 still and video photographers. I made my way up to the top level and found a spot. It was pitch dark so I had to setup my gear by touch along. Fortunately, I got settled just in time for the show to start.

The show started with some dancers so this was a great opportunity to setup my exposure. I was a bit startle by how bright the lights were. I had planned to shoot at ISO 400, 1/250 at 2.8. Instead, I had to quickly reset my camera to ISO 160, 1/400 at 2.8. This show took place at the Main Tent which is the largest of the three venues. It’s a traditional setup with a white runway, audience seats set at an incline, and two banks of lights down the middle of the runway. One bank points at an angle toward the models as they approach the end of the runway. The bank next to it points at the back of the models for back lighting. I make this important distinction because I have some seen other shows staged by less professional lighting teams who point the lights straight down at the models. This setup creates very unpleasant dark eye sockets in still and video photography.

The Sue Wong collection was huge with lots of bright, vibrant pieces and very interesting head gear to match. As expected, the models were gorgeous. In a press released from Sue Wong, her collection was inspired by 20^th Century modern artist such as Alexander Calder, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro and Victor Vasarely. Each artist is rendered throughout the collection in a series of hand-painted prints, color blocking, negative / positive reverse and embellishment all in bright, lively colors as well as an infusion of black & white graphic repeats.

As I was shooting the collection hearing all the shutter clicks around me, it became even more clear to me that there are three type of runway photographers. First you have the sports shooter’s rapid fire style of holding the shutter button down and hoping for the best. Second, you have the more experienced runway shooters who pick their shots and timing it for optimal effect. Third, you have the occasional shooter with a kit lens and a flash but those are pretty rare on the risers. Los Angeles Fashion Week is a bit different from others due to the celebrity factor. It was interesting to watch the dichotomy between celebrities and paparazzi photographers. At L.A. Fashion Week, photographers are basically broken down to two groups; those interested in shooting celebrities (paparazzi photographers), and those interested in shooting fashion. It’s impossible to do both because if you want to shoot fashion, you have to get on the riser early, claim your spot, and nest there until the show starts. This process can take anywhere from 30 minutes and over an hour. Paparazzi have to camp outside the entrance waiting for red carpet arrivals. Once the celebrities walk in, they follow them around the runway and front row taking pictures. Runway shooter might occasionally grab a shot of a celebrity as they walk pass the runway but basically, you’re pretty much stuck to the spot you claimed. In less popular show, it’s possible to step off and move around a little.

Shooting Fashion Week is a series of hurry up and wait interrupted by 40 minutes of intense focus and repeated over and over again. One of the biggest challenges in runway photography is managing resources. It’s a real balancing act trying to use the limited resources you have while still maintaining enough for the next show. If you shoot rapid fire, you will definitely run out of memory and power very quickly. Not to mention the extra time required to edit the junk out after the show. The way the runway is setup, it pretty much impossible to get full length shots when the model is at the end of the runway unless you are in the first or second row. Most of that space is taken by the video guys with the humongous tripods. So I ended up shooting most full length shots while they approach the runway and tighter shots at the end.

With the Sue Wong show behind me, it was off to the Nicky Hilton show. This would be a circus as she has one of the biggest celebrity factors and was showing at the smallest of the three tents. In the end, we manage to squeeze in and make it work. Fortunately, sister Paris did not make a showing to it was not as bad as it could have been. As for her collection, let’s just say it was more off the rack than designer fashion but maybe that’s her target audience. Who knows? It’s just not what I expected to see on a runway among more flamboyant designers.

Next up was the Yves Castaldi show. He started the show with a solo vocal performance that tested the patience of all in attendance. People are there to see fashion and anything other than fashion just detracts from it. I have no problem with the performance of a single song so I can test the lighting but I was not ready for a mini recital while packed shoulder to shoulder on the riser with a bunch of sweaty photographers. The show finally opened with Bai Ling as a celebrity model. I was rather impressed with the collection. His entire collection consisted of black, charcoal, and white.

The day ended with the headliner show in the big tent by Randolph Duke. It was a huge show with lots of celebrities present. Randolph Duke is known for elegant gowns and he did not disappoint based on the positive response from the crowd. As expected, the pieces were elegant and feminine.

By the time the show ended, it was already past 9 p.m. By the time I caught the shuttle back to the garage and check in to the hotel, it was already past 10 p.m. and I was exhausted. Luckily, none of the shows start before 2 pm so I could relax before the cycle starts over again. Having the first show behind me, it was now time to make an assessment of what I really needed. I had brought along a backup body and a couple of wide lenses and a flash for backstage shots. But it was just too much weight to carry around so for the second day, I just brought what I needed and a small compact camera for backstage.

Nicky Hilton slide show

Randolph Duke slide show

Yves Castaldi slide show

Model: Angela Ryan, Photo by: Greg Daniels

Austin, TX (October 1, 2007) — Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Los Angeles is coveting the eco-trend this season, partnering with companies such as The CarbonNeutral Company and Whole Foods Market. This year, with eco being a hot issue, designers such as Debra Lindquist and Ecoganik will surely grab greater attention. And this year, many will be in for some eye candy with the Fashion Week debut of Rene Geneva Design.

Rene Geneva has been steadily gaining popular industry attention with recent features in California Apparel News, Yogi Times, Austin Monthly and more. Her conscientious work with indigenous tribes, small villages, and fair trade labor in developing countries in addition to the dedication to the “greening” of her business in many aspects shows audacity, if not leave the reader with the wonder of when she finds time to sleep.

“While eco friendly clothing has become a popular fashion trend, it is still very hard to find sophisticated designs that are truly eco-friendly and target an ever-growing fashion forward audience,” says Geneva. Presently, fashion has a fast-growing market of eco-aware women who have limited options for apparel and even fewer options for sustainable wedding gowns. “Our goal is to fill the void for this modern, aware, and design-savvy customer base within the fashion community.”

With the recent release of their ready to wear fashion line at WWDMagic, August 2007, Ms. Geneva has successfully entered a market eager to receive eco chic apparel. Their designs encompass exotic corsets (under the Faernyn’s Grove brand name), women’s contemporary apparel, eveningwear and bridal made exclusively from organic and eco friendly materials and are offered to an international customer base. Each garment is either made in the USA or with Fair Trade Labor. Textiles this season include Sustainable Biodegradable Product™ rated hemp blends, Tencel, “peace” silk, SKAL certified organic cotton, and bamboo. More exclusive designs use rare fabrics made from tree bark, and hand woven silk. Most designs from this season carry a “carbon neutral” certification that offsets the carbon necessary to bring a garment to life through their “Fashionably Neutral Carbon Program™”, which is the first of its kind in the luxury apparel industry. Company efforts help higher causes, including the “Scraps for Schools” program, which recycles fabric scraps for children’s art projects, and the “Sun Power Project,” which will implement the installation of solar electricity into a needy community in Central America.

Designer, Rene´Geneva, Photo by: Greg Daniels

Rene Geneva Design Studio and Showroom
509 West Elizabeth Street
Austin, Texas 78704
512.762.2918

More information may be found at http://renegenevadesign.com

Los Angeles, CA – (October 10, 2007) Designer Sue Wong Spring 08 Collection, to be presented on Sunday, October 14th at 4:00 PM during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Los Angeles, is an experiment in design direction geared towards a youthful demographic. The collection overall however will not forsake the label’s core customer who continues to demand Wong’s classic vintage sensibility found in Nocturne, her line of special occasion eveningwear.

“Runway should be bigger than life to me – it’s an art performance so why not work it,” says the designer whose shows are known for their grand scale and theatrical presentation. “The runway is going to explode with color! It’s going to be pretty happy and cheerful and all in the same vernacular this season,” she explains in reference to the run-of-show.

Highlights from the collection are inspired by the recognizable works of some of the 20th century’s most influential modern artists including Alexander Calder, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miro and Victor Vasarely.

Each artist is rendered throughout the collection in a series of hand-painted prints, color blocking, negative / positive reverse and embellishment all in bright, lively colors as well as an infusion of black & white graphic repeats. The ingenious combination of prints, patterns and textures applied together with progressive design is testament to Ms. Wong’s perpetual talent.

New fabrics befitting the modern aspect of the collection are crinkled silk organza, crinkle silk cotton, power mesh, matte taffeta in a range of vibrant multi-colors, citrus, black and white and quintessential yet subtle greys.

Young Hollywood is catching on to the new direction with celebrities choosing Wong for their press appearances including: Vanessa Hudgens of High School Musical, Hayden Panettiere of Heroes, Miley Cyrus of Hannah Montana, ,Jordin Sparks of American Idol and film actresses Rumer Willis and Brittany Snow among many others.

While Sue Wong’s new take on retro modern is designed to capture the attention of a burgeoning contemporary market and first-time dress wearer, the collection overall remains true to its core customer by retaining a selection with classic vintage appeal, a universal fit, and unbeatable pricepoint.

The Sue Wong collection is available at better specialty boutiques and department stores such as Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and more. The label is also carried in over 25 foreign markets.