Backstage With Annie Gale at Feng Chen Wang AW’25 in Paris
Words & Photography by Annie Gale
Now, many of us have watched all the runway fun unfold via front of house views and instagram highlight reels… But have you ever wanted to peek backstage at a fashion show, finding yourself interested in the nitty gritty behind-the-scenes? Two weeks ago - I had the opportunity to work backstage at Feng Chen Wang’s AW’25 runway show in Paris. And it went a little something like this…
The household name during Paris Fashion Week, a Chinese-born eponymous brand, Feng Chen Wang has found its home within the official fashion month calendar. After receiving an MA in Menswear design at the Royal College of Art, Wang showed at New York Fashion Week prior to receiving a nomination for the LVMH prize. Living in London, you come to recognise the many exciting traits of this city… one being that it is only a stone’s throw, or rather a Eurostar away, from Paris. So I thought… Why not try to attend the iconic Paris fashion week?, I mean it’s only a two hour train. It became my mission to make the trip worthwhile by attempting to find work while I was there. What was certainly close to 200 emails and countless coffees later, I unearthed the website Modem. After emailing a few contacts, I received my first rejection. PR got back - saying the show was already full. Despite this seeming loss, it showed me the form was working. I didn’t let the rejection stop me – in fact, the response only fueled my efforts further.
I emailed the press contact at Feng Chen Wang and expressed interest in assisting backstage. The next day I received an email from the communications director asking for my availability while in Paris. After some back and forth, I found myself sitting pretty in a cab direct from Gare du Nord to their studio in the 12th. My first task was finding 15 pairs of black and brown socks…I quickly familiarised myself with the Parisian version of Westfield. After three hours of relentless searching, I returned with the items and was met with the sharp reality that I was no longer needed for the day.
I’ve worked in fashion for a while now and am all too familiar with the ebb and flow of backstage preparations. It’s par for the course, albeit a bit disappointing. Despite the fact that I was sent home, I continued to express my eagerness to assist backstage until I was offered the opportunity to volunteer at the show. Call time was a prompt 10am, attire black formalwear… coffee on site. Thank god. The morning was spent steaming, fitting and organizing the backstage area while we waited for the models to show up. On top of the runway, the models were also getting their photos taken for the lookbook which meant, like most things during fashion week, everything had to happen quickly and efficiently.
Steam, dress, photograph, repeat.
In the afternoon a handful of dressers - extra volunteers whose sole job was to style the models for the runway - arrived and relieved some of the chaos. There were six quick changes - many of the models having more than one look. The casting was quite diverse, including male and female models though the collection focused on menswear. With the support of the dressers, we ensured every model hit the runway looking polished, pristine, and effortlessly stylish. The collection, coupled with an exuberant audience, ricocheted the energy of high quality streetwear as it mixed with ready-to-wear menswear garments.
Victor Ma, a Chinese-American singer, songwriter and actor, became engulfed in the spotlight wearing a yellow monochrome look. The fit was completed with custom Feng Chen Wang X Ugg stompers entwined with vine-like detail while sporting a ceramic accessory in the likeness of a mythical animal. These playful creatures were custom-built by craftspeople from Jingdezhen – the porcelain capital of China. During an interview for Man About Town, designer and creative director Feng explained the collection operates as a node of traditional Chinese mythology. Models didn’t just wear the clothes but they were imbued with an aura throughout, thus connecting the dots between colours, fabrics, shoes, and accessories.
Working backstage at fashion shows is always a special experience, one of my favourite parts being the people I’ve met. When you spend 12 hours straight with strangers, you tend to get to know them pretty quickly. Oftentimes these connections are maintained at a distance and in many cases, turn into lifelong friendships. I was lucky enough to meet another volunteer who quickly became my go-to when it came to quick questions and extra assistance. We ended up spending the rest of our time in Paris together. We went from backstage high pressure, to bonding over coffee at Dover St Market all the way to catching the Steven Passaro presentation at Palais de Tokyo. Finally, as we reflected upon the days’ many adventures… We ended the night at La Perla for a well deserved celebratory drink.