Fashion is often presented through polished campaigns and professional runway imagery, but some of the most revealing moments occur behind the scenes, where its models exist outside of perfection. It’s within this space that the photo archive of Angelica Blechschmidt sits, the larger-than-life former editor-in-chief of German Vogue. Rather than documenting the final, constructed product of fashion shows, the photo series, titled Angelica Blechschmidt – In The Archives, consists of in-between moments taken backstage at fashion shows in the 1990s. Long before smartphones became a universal documentation tool, Blechschmidt used a tiny Olympus film camera to capture the rhythm of the industry, and, in doing so, provided an important visual record of an era that continues to influence contemporary fashion.

The exhibition is on display at the Berlin auction house Grisebach, curated by former stylist Kirsten Landwehr, fashion editor Alexandra Bondi de Antoni, and Grisebach curator Dr Anna Ballestrem. “Kirsten and Angelica were friends,” explains Bondi de Antoni of how the exhibition came about. “After Angelica’s death in 2018, Kirsten inherited over 180,000 negatives and picked them up with a truck from outside of Berlin. During the pandemic, she started the IG account @archiveangelicablechschmidt. I joined a few years ago, after sliding into her DMs asking if we could work together.”

In an era shaped by social media, backstage moments are often repackaged as content, transforming authenticity into something that is carefully constructed, blurring the line between genuine documentation and a cycle of virality. By revealing candid moments of joy and collaboration, Blechschmidt’s photography reminds us that fashion is not only defined by finished collections, but by the communities and everyday experiences that shape them along the way.

While a selection of Blechschmidt’s photos was previously included in a show curated by Claudia Schiffer on 90s fashion photography at Kunstpalast Düsseldorf, this marks the first and largest solo exhibition of Blechschmidt’s photography. “We have deliberately chosen to cooperate with Grisebach because we share a commitment to quality and a love for unusual photography as a historical document,” Bondi de Antoni continues.

Blechschmidt’s photos capture a range of figures who helped define the era: supermodels like Kate Moss, Shalom Harlow and Kristen McMenamy rub shoulders with Donatella Versace and Isabella Blow; Vogue editors Anna Piaggi, Hamish Bowles and Grace Coddington are seen alongside designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani and more. In one photo in particular, Tom Ford is photographed backstage at his AW95 collection for Gucci, a pivotal, 70s-inspired collection that marked a turn towards a sleek and sexy future for the brand.

Across her career, Blechschmidt offered a lot more than traditional fashion coverage, combining style and lifestyle features whilst reporting on issues such as poverty, politics and climate change. She was also an early champion of then-emerging designers like Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, becoming an integral figure in Berlin’s cultural scene. Her distinct journalistic approach is perhaps best reflected in this editor’s note from Vogue Germany’s January 1994 edition: “I am fascinated by the fractions of a second that seem so accidental, yet are as typical, unique, and revealing as a fingerprint.”

Blechschmidt’s archive is therefore particularly relevant now, as the rapid pace of social media and trend cycles means that these ‘fractions of seconds’ slip away quicker than ever. Viewed today, these photos act as a reminder of the importance of observation and patience, preserving a timeless visual history that prioritises genuine creative exchange, human connection and unseen details which have ultimately reshaped the fashion industry.

Angelica Blechschmidt – In The Archives is on at Grisebach in Berlin until July 16. For more information, click here