In anticipation of life after his final semester at Taylor, senior Deokjun Lee has been working to build his portfolio — and in no ordinary way.
This past February, Lee spontaneously decided to book a flight to New York Fashion Week (NYFW), a semi-annual week of events in Manhattan similar to those held in Paris, London and Milan: a collaboration of designers, influencers, models and publicists in the fashion industry across the globe.
According to Fashion Week Online, NYFW was first centralized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1993.
As a film and media arts major, Lee has had extensive training in videography. Over time, photography has also been an increasing interest of his, especially sparked by the foundations of photography class he took last semester.
“I really (like) the point of photography of staying in the moment,” Lee said. “(In videography), you’re constantly moving the moments, but I really like that I can stay in the photos, and I can actually feel that moment.”
While Lee was hoping to expand his experience, network and portfolio in photography, he was also looking forward to taking what he has learned and putting it into practice in a professional setting alongside those with the same passions.
For someone who loves fashion as much as Lee, the idea of participating in NYFW was irresistible.
“I love how those fashion brands bring out the emotions through the pictures,” Lee said. “I got really hooked on that, and I was like, ‘I wanna do that, and I think I can do that too.’”
For Lee, the opportunity seemed like the perfect combination of risk, adventure and investment in his passions. So, with a few friends and some camera equipment in tow, Lee left Upland and set out for the city.
The event is historically kept very secretive to keep the masses away and the mystery alive. Usually, the times of the events are published but the locations are not readily available to the public, Lee said. Those interested in attending must rely on receiving an invitation or obtaining information by word of mouth.
In the past, Lee had been to a similar event in Seoul, South Korea, so he had an idea of how the experience would work.
He was the first photographer to show up at the suspected location in New York City. He tried to sneak into the runway building but could not get by security personnel.
“I didn’t have any connections,” Lee said.
Lee decided to take a break and get coffee. Once he returned, he thought he would make the most of his time being there even if he could not get into the event.
So, he began to take pictures of those waiting in line.
“Most of them were models because they were preparing for the runway,” Lee said.
In making conversation with the models, Lee asked for their Instagram handles. In exchange, they gave him information about the events they would participate in.
Suddenly, he was in. One designer even invited him to the runway event.
Lee felt that he was getting these opportunities because of his willingness to strike up conversation and his genuine interest in telling their stories. The models and designers could sense this too.
“The whole idea for me was not just taking pictures for my portfolio but also building my connection and network,” he said.
Throughout the week he was there, Lee felt he grew in his real-time photography and editing skills. The volume of photographs he was taking was a lot to manage — averaging 2,000 pictures taken and 100 to 200 edited each day.
At the end of the week, Lee had switched from taking an excessive number of pictures and narrowing his favorites to being more mindful of angles, framing and lighting so that he did not have so much to sift through at the back end.
Out of necessity, Lee would edit the photos from the day all throughout the night. It was important to get the pictures to the models the next morning so that they could post them.
Of the 50 models that Lee sent his pictures to, 30 ended up posting them online — a huge win in light of his networking goals.
He was ultimately just excited to be in the presence of such successful fashion personalities.
“One of the most popular ones was from Argentina,” he said. “She was (an) influencer from Latin America, and she has 3.8 million followers, and she literally posted my picture on her Instagram, and she tagged me there.”
Also among the crowds — perhaps one of the most recognizable faces in fashion — was editor-in-chief and global editorial director of American Vogue and chief content officer of Condé Nast, Anna Wintour.
In the times he had visited New York City before this trip, Lee had not been thrilled. But after NYFW, his enchantment grew.
“I realized that New York is definitely the city of chaos,” Lee said. “The city of — probably filthy and dirty. But at the same time, there’s so many people who have a dream. It’s all dreamers. They all have their own ambition, and they know where they’re going.”
Lee reflected on the difference between the Midwest and the Big Apple.
Where people would have only nice things to say about his work in Indiana, in New York, they would tell him the truth — but he found the critique to fuel him toward excellence rather than mediocrity. The competitive environment inspired him.
As he nears graduation, Lee is focusing on more commercial and fashion photography projects. He has a film coming out this spring as well.
Though the trip was a considerable financial investment, Lee feels it was far worth it — and it will not be the last glimpse the city sees of him. He aspires to move to New York next year to continue chasing his creative ambitions.
“The whole world is how you choose your options in your life,” he said. “I think we sometimes limit ourselves.”
Lee’s NYFW photography and more are featured on his Instagram @deokjun.lee.
