In an age of digital transparency, where our endless access to superstars at their most authentic has blurred the line between fantasy and reality, the 90’s flash shoot paid homage to a simpler time of candid celebrity.
The unique nature of the 90s Flash aesthetic lies in the fact that the clothes themselves are only a minimal part of the style – the integral aspect is the role of the camera and the circumstances of the photo itself. Lining the team’s moodboard were photos of models and celebrities alike leaving nightclubs, smoking, walking their dog, flipping off the photographer, drinking coffee or even hiding from the camera. Donning everything from casual daywear to extravagant night pieces, the models for the shoot encapsulate the celebrity-in-action charm that makes the aesthetic so unique.
Use of the paparazzi as a de facto accessory is nothing new-brand Poster Girl utilized a the similar approach to their SS24 campaign by releasing promotional videos designed to imitate the style of old TZ “interviews” chasing models around as they flaunted their stylish pieces. In 2006, Nicole Ritchie posed for a Jimmy Choo campaign surrounded by flashing cameras and hounding reporters, embracing the nature of pap shots as a marker of social status and an efficient marketing tool.
The models for this shoot sought to emulate the tongue in-cheek nature of pap shoots in their clothes, which ranged from (not-so) casual laundry-day fits to glamorous club uniforms, and their attitude, as they leaned out of taxi windows, waved off the camera in annoyance and dutifully applied makeup in club mirrors, all while subtly acknowledging the camera. 90s Flash is less of a cohesive visual style than an approach and attitude towards the celebrities or models themselves-with emphasis on the rawness and “candid” portrayal of the subjects, the team aimed to conjure an era lost in time.
Written by: Francesca Gautreau
