Photographing Paris Fashion Week is a physical and mental commitment. The streets are busy, unpredictable, and full of character, which is exactly what makes it such a strong environment to work in as a street style photographer. It is less about perfect outfits and more about how people wear them and move through the city.
Since I moved to London from Vancouver 18 months ago, Paris has become one of my favourite cities to photograph during fashion week. The mix of architecture, light, and pace keeps you alert. For a street fashion photographer, it rewards curiosity and quick decisions.
Fashion week allows me to combine the different strands of the photography work I showcase. The feeling of being at the right place at the right time in street photography, the grounded feel of lifestyle photography, the individual identity of personal branding, and the structure of fashion photography all come together in a way that feels natural rather than staged.
Street portrait outside the Yohji Yamamoto show at Paris Fashion Week menswear AW26
Before London, I spent 10 months travelling and shooting street every day around Asia. That time helped me overcome the awkwardness of street photography and trust my instincts when approaching people. That foundation still shapes how I work now.
What began with approaching strangers on the street has led to campaigns with Burberry and Pinterest, and to documenting Paris Fashion Week for both LE MILE Magazine and The Rakish Gent. Shooting for two magazines meant holding two clear approaches in mind at all times.
For The Rakish Gent, my attention was firmly on menswear. I focused on textures, colours, layers, and how outfits came together on different bodies. I was especially interested in character. Shooting close allowed me to capture details like jewellery, eyewear, face tattoos, and styling choices that often get missed when photographed from further away.
In addition to street style, I had the opportunity to photograph afrobeats artist Shallipopi in Paris for his editorial feature in The Rakish Gent.
This approach connects closely with my ongoing interest in menswear and reflects the tone of my Broken Windows Theory editorial for 1883 Magazine. It is also seen in my earlier work for The Rakish Gent, including the Ode to British Summer Editorial.
Photographing for two publications at once pushed me to work decisively and stay flexible. I moved quickly between setups, often using two cameras, and relied on instinct to respond to moments as they happened. That way of working suits street fashion photography and keeps the images honest.
Menswear has been central to my work for a long time. It is where my interest in fashion photography began and it continues to influence what I shoot today. From editorials to dating photography, my focus is often on men, comfort, and letting people be themselves rather than directing every movement.
Outfit detail shot outside the Dior show at Paris Fashion Week menswear AW26
In terms of style, I am drawn to boxy shoulders, layered looks, streetwear influences, jewellery, and strong personal details. More than anything, I am interested in the people wearing the clothes. Getting close allows those personalities to come through naturally.
When I look back at previous fashion weeks, most of which I photographed at 28mm, menswear consistently stands out as what I find most engaging. That realisation led my fellow photographer Adam and me to spend the full week in Paris this season, fully focused on menswear and the rhythm of the streets.
Next, I will be back in Paris for womenswear in March. Before that, London Fashion Week is around the corner. I will be shooting for Pinterest again and documenting the menswear style that defines London’s streets. You can check out Paris’ womenswear AW26 and my work from LFW AW26 on my blog once they conclude over the next month. In the meantime, below is a selection of Paris Fashion Week menswear street style photographed exclusively for The Rakish Gent; read The Rakish Gent’s “Between the Shows” Paris Fashion Week story here.
