Backstage Confidential: Sonny Vandevelde

I’ll never forget the time when fellow blogger Julie Fredrickson of Coutorture.com wrote a scathing message on her blog last year directed at young designer Alexander Wang.

She said, “If a photographer (or videographer) isn’t there to capture the show, it doesn’t matter how damn many editors are there to witness this fantastic event. It didn’t happen if there isn’t something to publish later that is tangible.”

It all makes perfect sense. If anything, photographers should get top-notch access to events simply because they are responsible for taking millions of photos that capture the magical fashion shebang at its best. Designers in action, wonderful clothes worn by the world’s most beautiful models, gorgeous beauty shots etc. These images are beamed online within hours, if not minutes, for the world to see.

As an online fashion enthusiast, I personally prefer backstage images over cookie-cutter photos of models mincing down the runway, simply because backstage shots are spontaneous and highly animated. It’s always nice to see models work those clothes reflecting their own poses and personality (or lack thereof) before, during, and after a fashion show.

One of my favorite photographers is Sonny Vandevelde, whose amazing backstage images are published on various online outlets such as his own personal blog, sonnyphotos.typepad.com, Diane Pernet’s A Shaded View on Fashion (www.ashadedviewonfashion.com) and Hint magazine (www.hintmag.com) among other sites. I asked him a few questions while chatting online at the height of the spring 2009 collections in Paris.

So, Super Sonny, when did you start taking backstage photography?

Phew, that was a long time ago. I was working for Stiletto magazine (now Oyster magazine) and every year they would send a photographer to cover the East Sydney Tech fashion show. The first year I did that, during the intermission, I went behind the curtain to have a look... why was I shooting the runway when I could have an interaction with the model? So that’s how it started, and that was about 20 years ago (give or take five years).

What camera do you use to take those beautiful, dreamy shots of yours?

Right now, a Canon EOS-1D Mark II, but if you give me money I’ll upgrade.

You had an assistant during Aussie Fashion Week. Do you have one while you do the big circuit (New York, London, Milan, Paris)?

I wish, I wish, I wish! I could do so much more with an assistant, but for the fashion (month) I just don’t have the budget yet. I would love to have one — someone who’d want to work for free, and pay their own way? When I had Dan in Sydney it freed up a lot of my time, so I could shoot other stuff as well.

Name your top three favorite models.

What? Are you out of your mind? Only three? Okay, Iekeliene Stange, Myf Shepherd and 100 other models.

I love Myf! She was so nice when I met her backstage at the Alex Perry show in Australia. What about your favorite designers? One in each city, please.

Oh, again, such a hard question. This changes every season, though. Preen put on a good show this season, but they’re from London, no? Proenza Schouler is good, too. London: don’t even go there. Milan: I’ll tell you soon. Paris: oh my, the true capital of fashion. I would have to give you my favorite one each day during fashion week. Like on Sunday, it would be a toss between Bruno Pieters and Rick Owens. Monday would be Vivienne Westwood. Tuesday would be Bernard Wilhelm etc.

What was your best backstage experience?

The first time I was actually not asked to leave... and Kelly Cutrone telling security that I have to be backstage.

I love Kelly Cutrone! (PR honcho of People’s Revolution) What about your worst experience?

That would be me dealing with young interns that have power for 15 minutes, working for a PR company and being put in charge of the backstage list and then not being willing to communicate with me because I’m not on the list, even though the designer confirmed me for backstage.

So you have this young girl, high on power all of a sudden, realizing I might actually be someone, so she calls security on me and has me thrown out. Needless to say, this girl no longer works there.

Another one would be talking to Karl’s bodyguard, who was talking quite animatedly to another security guard backstage during the show. His gesturing arms and hands kept coming into my shot so I asked him that I respect he is French and likes to talk like that, but if he could please stop flapping his arms when he talks... he gave me the look of death. But... I got the shot!

Which do you prefer, women’s or menswear?

Women’s wear, of course.

Big league fashion photographers make money through ad campaigns, but for a budding photographer, is there money doing backstage photography? How does a young photographer supplement his income?

Well, I worked in bars and restaurants for the first 10 years.

Interesting. I know you mentioned in your blog that your brother owns a restaurant in Australia. What’s your favorite food?

Thai and Teriyaki Chicken Burger from Muncha’s in Avalon (NSW, Australia).

What’s next for Mr. Vandevelde?

I’m actually working on an exhibition.

Oh, wow! Where?

SoHo Grand NYC next year. I’m quite stoked!

What are you doing online at 2:43 a.m.? Go to sleep!

I can’t. I have to get all the images from the (memory) cards. What am I doing online? Why, downloading porn, of course, the whole reason the Internet was built!

Ha, ha, ha! Get an intern to do all the work for you, like after the show, etc. You’re in Paris, for God’s sake. All the beautiful people are there. Enough with the porn and go to sleep!

All the skinny people, you mean?

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thanks, Sonny, as always.

Ali Michael sends her love.

I love her, she’s sweet.