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'Runway Madness'

Photog's book captures glitz, glamour of Fashion Week

Web posted on: Thursday, February 18, 1999 5:49:01 PM

By Jamie Allen
CNN Interactive Senior Writer

(CNN) -- Think it would be fun to be one of those photographers who takes pictures of pretty models strutting the catwalk during New York's Fashion Week? Then talk to Lucian Perkins, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer for "The Washington Post" who has worked the glitzy show for more than a decade. He says the job is no walk in Central Park.

To the contrary, it's a dawn till after-dusk, energy-draining mission, a blur of fashion shows (about six per day) and a constant elbow fight with other photographers. That's not to mention the deadline at the end of each day.

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Work it, baby! View some photos from "Runway Madness"

"Literally, by the end of the week I feel like I've been put in a bag and punched by 30 people for about an hour," he says. "You rush from one show to the next and conditions are very crowded ... I sometimes go through two pairs of clothes a day just from running around."

But Perkins' hard work has paid off -- Chronicle Books published a book of his work late last year called "Runway Madness." Perkins says the book captures the ever-changing industry as it rose to staggering popularity from the late 1980s to early 1990s.

'It's like a balloon'

Fashion Week, for those who don't know, takes place twice a year in New York, when designers unveil their collections and Seventh Avenue is overrun with models, buyers, critics, celebrities and media. The spectacle is in full-bloom in the Big Apple this week, with Perkins caught up in the chaos.

From his New York hotel, Perkins talked about Fashion Week's rise over the last few years to prominence on cable channels and in fashion magazines.

"I think it has grown so big that it's like a balloon -- either it's going to pop or keep on going," Perkins says.

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Perkins has noted some changes this year that could signal a "changing of the guard" on the horizon for the industry. For one thing, the concept of the supermodel -- the Cindy Crawfords and Naomi Campbells whose faces brought the fashion industry to middle-class households of America and beyond -- might be headed for the retro-land of Andy Warhol.

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"A lot of the models this year are very, very young," he says. "Naomi Campbell looked like a fish out of water. She looked so much older than the other models. I get the impression that the supermodel thing is dead."

Another change: The days of Versace-esque flair is gone, at least for now. Aside from Betsy Johnson, designers are walking a straight line.

"The shows have been fairly subdued," he said. "Isaac Mizrahi and Todd Oldham are no longer showing. They were the two wildest, most interesting shows. So far this year ... the shows have been very low-key, very professional."

'I'm wondering how long it's going to last'

Perkins observes these changes with a light heart. It means his book has captured a time that is passing into history.

"Runway Madness" is not like so many of the other fashion books on the market because Perkins attempts to document not only the models of the day, but the humanistic qualities of each event.

It's a behind-the-scenes look at an industry that has captured the world's attention: There's the pictures of models pre-pose; the shots where Perkins turns the media's eye on itself, revealing a staggering number of photographers bullying for position at each event; the looks of awe and amusement emitted by the audience.

"Any project that I do is based on documenting that part of our society," he says. "This is definitely a segment of our society, and it has played a role in what our society looks like. It's really a culture in and of itself. And from that standpoint it will hold its own. Twenty or 30 years from now, people will think this is a reflective part of our society."

Why are so many people fascinated with the world of modeling?

"I'm not really sure," he said. "But I'm wondering how long it's going to last."




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