At the very beginning of the fall 2020 season, Corey Tenold noticed a difference. “The mood was definitely more reserved,” he explains. “I think people were being more cautious in general due to the coronavirus. Shows, for the most part, seemed quieter and more chill.” Those very warranted fears and anxieties are now widespread, as is the coronavirus illness itself, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of joy to be found.
In New York and across Europe, many of the shows offered up silver linings in the forms of beautiful garments, whether it was the inside-out collection from Alessandro Michele at Gucci or Nicolas Ghesquière’s deep dive into fashion history and time travel at Louis Vuitton. Backstage Tenold captured moments of positivity, from Gigi Hadid snapping her friends (and turning the camera on Tenold himself) at Marc Jacobs to the bewitching, foggy moodiness at Rodarte.
“The month is draining, there’s no doubt about that,” Tenold says. “But the energy is infectious. Once the month is over and you’ve had some time off, you miss it. You miss the action, the friends, the traveling, the drama, the stories, the moments.”
Here, Tenold shares his 15 favorite backstage photos from the fall 2020 shows.
Dries Van Noten
“Capturing beauty in first looks can be challenging. However, when it does work out, it can be special. This moment was caught in a blur, but I loved the colors and the light reflecting off of her headpiece.”
Halpern
“I loved the reflection that the flash created on these amazing pants! Also, I loved the way the hands looked with the nails matching the blue.”
Marc Jacobs
“I saw Gigi taking photos on her disposable backstage at Marc Jacobs. When I asked to take her photo, she posed, but I asked her to pretend to take my photo as I took hers. I loved this result!”
Carolina Herrera
“This moment greatly represents backstage. Zoomed out, we see the girl’s on a white backdrop. Normally you would just see a photo cropped in of the model with white behind. But by zooming out, you get more of a feel for what is really happening. Another photographer helping to light on the left, the dresser fluffing the dress, a makeup artist preparing the next model on the right, and you get an indication of our location with the Vessel in the background.”
Area
“Love the colors, the pose, the shape of the outfit, and the hair.”
Sies Marjan
“The venue for Sies Marjan was breathtaking. The fact that we got to shoot the girls against the glass was unbelievable. Some girls were too scared to stand against the windows, but Sora [Choi] had no fear.”
Prada
“Loved all of the colors in this photo!”
Isabel Marant
“This was directly after the Isabel Marant show. Adut [Akech] was trying to get my attention as she ran past. I loved the feeling of urgency this photo captured. The concerned look on Doutzen Kroes’s face also helped capture the essence of the moment.”
Marc Jacobs
“I really caught a moment here with Fran [Summers] that I loved.”
Christian Dior
“Sora always serves up something interesting. I try my best not to direct models backstage and just capture what I see, and she took the bag up to her face by herself here. I loved the outcome. ”
Balmain
“I love the wide range of moods in this photo, from happy to disinterested.”
Chanel
“The stare in this photo caught me as I was editing. The fog in the background also helped set the mood.”
Rodarte
“Sometimes mistakes can create the best photos. I think my flash didn’t fire on this shot, but as I was editing, instead of skipping over it, I saw something here. The result is an image that ultimately matched the vibe of the show.”
Central Saint Martins
“It’s funny, these designs from Leeann Huang caught my eye the most while shooting backstage at the CSM show, which included a ton of looks from multiple student designers. Turns out, she ended up being one of the grand-prize winners.”
Hermès
“There is a lot of movement backstage. Sometimes I catch an unassuming moment that just seems to work.”