83 candid photos from New York Fashion Week spring 2027

New York Fashion Week is hectic for everybody, but especially for photographers, who might find themselves sprinting across Manhattan from one dress rehearsal to another in pursuit of the perfect snap.

This year, The FADER tapped London photographer Simran Kaur to help capture the energy backstage at Anna Sui, Tyler McGillivary, and more for one of the month’s shortest fashion circuits of only five days.

Check out Simran Kaur’s photos from backstage at NYFW spring 2027 below, and read some of her reflections on the energy at Ben Doctor, Anna Sui, Ella Mae, and more. – VM

I was quite excited for this show since I have been a fan of the brand for a bit. I saw ADÉLA wore their pieces and I think it did complement her hair and total look altogether. She looked like a star (well, she is one for me).

The backstage was full of colours! And funny enough one of my model friends was wearing a blue wig (Looking like Miku ahh). She looked gorgeous. Everyone had their hair done or splashes of colourful extensions! But my favourite always stayed that blue wig.

Makeup-wise they were aiming for something magical with their glitter powders and such. I don't know what they were using but all the models looked like fairies from a Peter Pan movie.

Some of the models even had hair extensions on the nails! I couldn’t stay for the show but I bet the movement made the garments come alive even more.

Something else that stayed with me were the blue heels paired with the blue hair. I was totally captivated by that electric blue colour through my lens.

Backstage at Mercer Labs before the Tyler McGillivary show felt like a massive sleepover. It was fun to watch the models lay around with their nails and makeup done, talking about whatever and scrolling Reels side by side for the fun of it. It was a girls’ night kind of thing, where you come to let your words out and leave with an empty mind, heart filled by another person's energy.

When they were rehearsing on the runway, which was illuminated with large scale floral projections, the clothes felt like mimetic camoflauge, almost like the models were trying to become one with nature.

Capturing some moments backstage at Anna Sui was like making one of my long term dreams come true, even if they were strict with what I was allowed to shoot. While I was there, models were still getting dressed, so I focused more on their makeup – I miss when people used to go crazy on the makeup!

I grew up being inspired by Anna Sui’s palette: pastel and fun with blacks and darks. It is like putting water and fire together: the contrast looks amazing, especially within their makeup and perfume lines. I think a lot of us girlies can relate to Sui’s cute and playful sense of fashion.

While the rehearsal was still rolling, they played a bit of “He Needs Me” by the Femcels; I did run to the catwalk just to record that bit, since I thought they would appreciate it.

I definitely felt like I was on familiar ground. My childhood was in front of my eyes: cute dresses, ribbons, frills, and sunglasses that could reflect the sun – but most importantly, big pink curtains and stars on the backdrop, with glassy sandbanks reflecting the lights on either side of the runway.

While the world is falling apart, there was a sense of comfort in those rooms. What if we could replace hatred with love and the things that actually bring us joy? To me, Ella Mae’s collection felt like a statement on girlhood: the power that it holds, but also how it can bring peace and love to those places where there are none.

During the rehearsal, a model in a magenta tutu caught my eye. It felt like I was watching my inner child manifest in front of me in her purest form.

Step out of the lift and you’re right there backstage. Lots of silver wigs on models looking like sculptures walking around the room.

I loved the sequins on the garments. Whenever the models walked down, the lights on the catwalk turned the whole room into a dancefloor. Plus Ms* Gloom’s custom soundtrack was playing in the background.

The setup was pretty chic, including the red carpet the models walked, but it was the music and clothes that brought the space to life.