SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film Presents Robert Fairer, Backstage Pass: Dior, Galliano, Jacobs, and McQueen

Internationally celebrated fashion photographer showcases backstage images from the golden age of fashion in first solo exhibition

ATLANTA, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design proudly presents London- based artist Robert Fairer’s debut solo exhibition, Backstage Pass: Dior, Galliano, Jacobs, and McQueen, at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, opening Oct. 13. Curated from the acclaimed photographer’s extensive archives, the exhibition features more than 100 stunning, high- energy, backstage photographs from the most iconic runway shows and collections by the house of Dior, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, and Alexander McQueen during what is considered the “Golden Age of Fashion,” an era of artistic zenith in runway show production from the late 1990s to early 2010s.

Fairer is widely celebrated in the industry for his finesse and talent, coupled with gentlemanly charm. His innate ability to form trusted bonds with fashion’s most esteemed creatives and personalities is reflected in his mesmerizing photographs. In the late 1990s, Fairer had the foresight to go behind the curtain at a time when backstage photography was in its infancy, and introduced a new, exclusive perspective on the way runway shows were seen, chronicling womenswear collections off-stage for American Vogue for more than a decade.

Designed as both a visual and aural experience, Backstage Pass re-creates the glamour, spirit, and frenetic allure behind the scenes of runway shows. The exhibition presents Fairer’s evocative, candid shots of supermodels Mariacarla Boscono, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Shalom Harlow, Chanel Iman, Kate Moss, and Alek Wek being made runway-ready by legendary makeup artists Pat McGrath and Val Garland, hair stylists Julien D’Ys and Orlando Pita, and famed milliners Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones. The exhibition offers an intimate look at the rarified world of backstage photography and a captivating record of a bygone era.

“I am absolutely thrilled to show my first solo exhibition at SCAD FASH, curated by Rafael Gomes,” said Robert Fairer. “My collection of fashion and beauty behind-the-scenes photography is something that must be shared with new generations, hopefully to witness and gain understanding of the past, inspire in the present day, and help us to learn lessons for the future.”

Backstage Pass showcases Fairer’s prolific body of work and personal archive of more than 1 million photographs, the largest collection of its kind in the world, accumulated over a career spanning almost three decades. In recent years, working in close collaboration with his wife, Vanessa, Fairer has preserved this time capsule of photography, leading to the Unseen book series from Thames & Hudson. The SCAD FASH exhibition showcases many images never before seen.

“Robert Fairer is one of the foremost photographers of our time, and it is an honor to celebrate his unique eye, style, and point of view captured from a rare vantage point in fashion history,” said Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at SCAD FASH. “This exhibition represents a living history of his work designed to inspire SCAD students, alumni, and museum guests, opening their eyes to Robert’s creative genius chronicling one of fashion’s most enthralling eras.”

SCAD students from top-ranked degree programs, including photography, fashion, advertising, luxury and brand management, business of beauty and fragrance, and graphic design, will have the opportunity to interact with the artist through virtual exhibition tours, conversations, and other future programming. Fairer’s exhibition will be fêted as a highlight of Atlanta Celebrates Photography 2021, celebrating both this exciting exhibition and ACP’s cultivation of the photographic arts to enrich the Atlanta art community.

Backstage Pass is on view through April 16, 2022. For more information, visit scadfash.org.