Hanging out backstage with Gosha Rubchinskiy’s teen gang

The scene backstage at a Gosha Rubchinskiy show is notably different to ones found elsewhere at Paris Fashion Week. The Russian designer is known for his preference of street-cast models, usually eschewing agencies and instead scouring cyberspace to cast fresh faces from across the world. Teen photographer and Londoner Tom Emmerson was one of these faces chosen by Rubchinskiy to walk at AW16 – a collection that was inspired by subcultures from punk to 90s skaters and skinheads. After the show, Emmerson explained their meeting to Dazed, revealing that the designer had followed him on Instagram before they met at a book signing for Rubchinskiy’s IDEA books collaboration Youth Hotel.

The photographer spotted an opportunity, taking his camera backstage to snap the candid gallery above – where fellow models prepare for their turn on the catwalk, lounging on the floor of dressing room in the old theatre in which the show took place. Speaking of his experience, Emmerson says that the show was a “great experience – not just the walk itself, but meeting all the people I did and making friends with the other models.” As for his parents, they were actually very supportive of his runway cameo. “I was surprised as going to Paris meant I had to miss two days of school,” says Emmerson, “but they thought it would be an interesting learning experience!”