The Voxfrock rookies are GO; backstage, front-of-house, on the Plaza, up to their lanyards in VAMFF 2018.
VAMFF Models backstage. Photo: Zhongda “Sam” Wang
We mustered a remarkable crew this year, supervised on the fashion journalism front by Voxfrock editor Janice Breen Burns and on the shooting range by RMIT adjunct professor of photography and all-round industry legend, Monty Coles. Kicking off are Swinburne University BA (Journalism) graduate Gemma Rowley
Voxfrock rookie Gemma Rowley
Gemma writes on her VAMFF collaboration with RMIT University photography graduate Zhongda “Sam” Wang.
Sam Wang, left, shoots rehearsals with Geraldine Frater-Wyeth of Event Gallery (right) and stylist Philippa Moroney. Photo: Monty Coles
VAMFFING WITH SAM
WORDS: GEMMA ROWLEY PHOTOGRAPHS: ZHONGDA “SAM” WANG
If you’re no stranger to fashion shows, you’ve seen us. We get around with our ‘media access’ lanyards and are usually granted entry to the runways a lot earlier, while you stand and chat in those ever so stylish-but-starting-to-become-uncomfortable heels.
Maybe you wondered what a VAMFF fashion show is like for a backstage photographer or a VoxFrock rookie fashion journalist. So, I’ll tell you.
Photographer Zhongda (Sam) Wang was surprisingly calm when he met me out the front of the festival’s key runway venue, the Royal Exhibition Building. I arrived at 8pm, but Sam had been hard at work since early afternoon, shooting models preparing backstage. Fashion’s not all glitz and glamour for the workers!
Pre-runway finishing touches. Photo: Ssm Wang
Sam’s composure was easily explained; he’s been shooting VAMFF shows since 2015. “Don’t worry, I was a lot more overwhelmed the very first year I started” he says. “I was quite nervous in the beginning; fashion wasn’t really my thing.”
RMIT adjunct professor of photography, Monty Coles, however, told Sam to relax, have fun with it. “It really is important to have fun when you work in this type of field,” Sam says now. “I ended up doing three consecutive days and just fell in love with it.”
David Jones showcased a range of models of all ages, shapes and ethnicities. Photo: Sam Wang
Now I watched as he glided through backstage like it was his own house, comfortably showing me around as I asked questions. He pointed to where photographers stand to get a particular style of backstage image; a rush of models lining up ready for the show to commence. Bright lights, a heady smell of hairspray, the sound of yelling and frantic footsteps. “This is normal,” Sam laughs, “It’s actually really organized this year.”
Sam tells me he loves capturing moments of unique beauty and backstage is full of them. “The longest part of my job isn’t editing,” he says “It’s selecting which images I like most”.
I ask Sam one more question before racing off to find my seat at the runway show. “How would you describe your VAMFF experience?” Later, as I looked around at VAMFF’s crowds of laughing, chatting people, his answer resonated: “It’s hard to articulate,” he said, “There’s no other experience like this”.
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