A few weeks back we were treated to a September spectacular. The opening launch and party of a new photographic exhibition to hit London. On paper, it was timed perfectly. Just as autumn struck its creative descent onto the city, London was aglow with celebration of all things design, with both London Fashion Week and London Design Festival in full swing. However, it also marked a period close to which the nation’s official mourning period for the Queen ended. After a dedicated stretch of respect and homage to Her Majesty, a somber tone was replaced with a new invigoration that reminded us of an era bygone. That’s right, the nineties were back. With champagne bottles popping, camera lights flashing and DJ Fat Tony on the decks, a hedonistic sass so ubiquitous with the decade, filled the air across exhibition’s launch and after party.
An absolutely fabulous affair, Hamiltons Gallery exhibition of British photographer Gavin Bond’s Gavin Bond: Being There is a true triumph. Marking Bond’s first solo exhibition, the show is a backstage pass to some of the decade’s hottest fashion shows with a range of previously unseen works. A result of Bond’s rediscovery into his own photographic archive during the 2020’s lockdown, the exhibition flaunts a mischievous series of both notorious and sexy fashion ‘moments’ we all know and love.
Taking the photographer back to the late eighties and his Central Saint Martin days as a young fashion student, Bond shares his alumni status with fashion’s heavyweights such as Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon and John Galliano. With names so synonymous with one of London’s greatest fashion heydays, oh what a time for Bond to be making his name in the industry.
As a fashion student, Bond was invited to attend a London Fashion Week one year with the rare opportunity to experience, with his camera, the wild wild west of backstage fashion shows. A truly formative time for Bond, it wasn’t long before he attracted the attention of major fashion editors, including Marion Hume of The Independent who became one of his career’s greatest advocates, commissioning his services in not only London, but Paris and Milan too. A further career break facilitated by John Wolford, requested he shoot backstage for Vivienne Westwood’s iconic Anglomania show in 1993. Bond’s photographs would later be compiled by the designer herself as a montage for one of her promotional fold-out posters. The rest they say is history.
Shooting quickly and unobtrusively using available light only, Bond’s technique and magic to his art is to keep things simple. In order to operate fast and ‘capture the moment’, Bond would limit his exposure options to only adjust the aperture according to the distance. Be it a fleeting glimpse of the designer or the sparkle of a dress as models marched past, Bond developed a distinct style that embodies so much of London’s fashion scene. A remarkable slice of pop culture, known as the era of the ‘Super’ with Carla, Kate, Linda, Naomi, Cindy, Christy and Claudia frequent subjects, Bond’s work stands iconic in his capture of this unparalleled fashion sisterhood.
Bond’s signature work would then lead to contributions at some of the world’s greatest fashion publications, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Rolling Stone, Elle and most notably British GQ for whom he has shot over 35 magazine covers. These days, Bond remains in the business however specialises also in entertainment photography to deliver publicity and marketing campaigns for major global film studios.
The presentation of Bond’s work by Hamiltons Gallery is a sentimental trip down memory lane, for those lucky enough to not only remember, but also live through the nineties. The Mayfair gallery and Bond worked together to conceive a unique ‘grid’ formation and arrangement of approximately 50 gelatin-silver prints that achieves a feeling of intimacy as if you’re actually ‘being there’ backstage; further paired with a selection of large format prints. As a real treat for the senses, it’s time to hop back in the time machine and enjoy every minute of this fashion-revisited show, dahling.
Hamiltons Gallery, 13 Carlos Place, London W1
hamiltonsgallery.com
