dot com baby vol. 01 - from the 13th debut runway backstage
vol. 01 — @fromthethirteenth debut runway backstage
I arrived at 2 PM for The 13th backstage shoot and spotted Kim with a big suitcase. Turns out she is one of the makeup artists for the show. When we got to the venue, the first people we met were Jordan and Adi. Jordan asked how long the interview would take. I said, “Ten minutes max, but I can make it shorter,” knowing we would both be busy once things kicked off.
While at the venue, I started talking to everyone, makeup artists, models, literally no one was left behind because, well, I am a yapper lol. Conversations drifted from how strong Vietnamese coffee is (it actually made me tremble) to people trying to guess if I am Filipino or not. I had just come back from the Philippines earlier this year for my friend’s wedding, so I get it, we probably are cousins from different islands lol. Also, the Philippines slaps, you should definitely go.
I shot most of the backstage moments with my legendary digicam paired with a tiny external flash for some extra punch. Creative decision, almost everything in the collection is black, so I wanted the flash to hit the garments directly and pull out the textures, stitching, and tiny details at their fullest. Of course, I forgot to charge the digicam the night before, so the battery started dying two thirds into the show. Luckily, my mirrorless camera stepped in like a dependable sidekick.
This was my first time shooting a runway backstage, so massive shoutout to Jordan for letting me capture the making of his debut runway, raw and in progress, behind the big long black curtain.
For the IG edit, I shaped the story into two flows within this series.
The first focuses on candid moments, the quiet concentration, the jokes, the last minute touch ups, to show that behind the glamour, we are all just humans doing what we love.
The second is where everyone looks majestic and gorgeous. Someone backstage told me the best moments to capture are the ones right before the runway starts. I would describe it as beautiful chaos, just like the current Dot Com Baby edition, chaos and dreams lol.
So enjoy The 13th, the creation in progress behind the curtain, plus the gorgeous guests who came to celebrate the debut.
Also, mom, I made a lot of new friends.