» A spot of styling and teaching at the V&A one night…

French Connection Friday Late – Close Up

Friday night at the V&A was a who’s who of fashion big-shots, and was probably wall to wall with the big-shots of fashion’s future. French Connection Friday Late: Close-Up, offered the chance for anyone to get personal (in a professional aspect you understand) with well proper and successful fashion photographers and stylists.

Vogue’s very favourite snapper, Tim Walker, chatted about his fantastical fairy tale creations, while Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones talked about the work they do for GQ, iD and Nike. Facehunter hunted through the corridors and around the corners of the museum capturing the most stylish of the evening, Among their prey included a vision in purple and a princess in layers of peach lace – the ladies effort was appreciated by all (especially those who were missing the local fashion sights from the recent London Fashion Week). And while everyone milled around, watching films, or crafting an adornment for themselves, real photoshoots were happening around them – one of archive pieces from the V&A’s fashion collection standing/sitting/lying still, and another featuring modelly models, stylish stylists, arty art directors and…well a photographer of course. .

But for those who wanted to get a piece of the fashion action themselves, of which there were many, their attentions were focused on the French Connection Photography Studio. All evening the clever, creative, stylish and topical created individual images fit for glossy pages. Following the advice of photographer Donald Milne (who shoots for iD, Arena Homme Plus and Visionaire, while directing pop videos for Pulp, Beastie Boys and Massive Attack), the cult stylist Tamara Cincik (Dazed and Confused, Wallpaper*, Purple), new talent fashioned looks out of the French Connection AW collection.

Of the French Connection Friday Lates thus far (there are more to come), Close-Up was one of the busiest. The beautiful and inspirational-looking, quietly queued for a chance to shoot, watch, listen, style, pose, create and dance (the Voguettes provided the soundtrack). These are faces that we know we are going to meet again, although this time the camera will be in their hands.

french connection friday late - close up

The Shoot

french connection friday late - close up