The real action isn’t on the runway this season—it’s behind the scenes. Brands are having fun, and photographers are there to capture it. Is it an age-old marketing trick or pure bliss? Cover image: courtesy of Isabel Marant
OUR THOUGHTS ON MILAN FASHION WEEK FALL/WINTER 2025
BACKSTAGE AT FASHION WEEK = FUN
The hottest ticket in fashion right now? A backstage pass. Brands and designers are pulling back the curtain, flooding our feeds with behind-the-scenes snapshots that are raw, chaotic, and fun. It’s less about the polished picture and more about the energy, the moments, and the community.
And it doesn’t come out of the blue. Recently, there’s been a growing hunger for something unfiltered, a countermovement to the hyper-curated aesthetic that has dominated fashion and social media for years. It became clear when content creator Lyas and his iPhone 4s—a relic by today’s standards, yet the grainy, flash-heavy snapshots he takes have become instant cult hits—took storm at several fashion shows. The selfies snapped with it? Unhinged, in the best way. They capture something that no AI-enhanced, ultra-HD camera can: realness.
This shift isn’t just happening behind the scenes—it’s seeping into campaigns, too. Take some of Balenciaga’s latest visuals. Shot by the team, with a low-key, “random” aesthetic that feels more personal than well-thought-of. And DSquared? They turned their runway into a full-blown party—something that would usually happen off-schedule, now center stage.
PANOPTICONCORE
The rise of the backstage visuals right now might be tied to the ever-growing influence of panopticoncore—an aesthetic that taps into the idea that we’re constantly being watched. Fashion has long played with surveillance as a theme, and Loewe took it to the next level in a recent campaign featuring Emily Ratajkowski. Alone in a Loewe boutique, she’s captured through security cameras as she changes, slipping into a complete Loewe look. The underlying question lingers: how authentic can we be when we know we’re constantly being watched?
Genuine or not, fashion’s most compelling moments are no longer reserved for the front row. They’re happening backstage, in iPhone camera rolls, and in the hands of those who know that imperfection isn’t a flaw—it’s fun.
Keep an eye on our Instagram and TikTok for updates, and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
