Normally we don’t really think about backstage photography as an asset for ACHTUNG, especially during fashion weeks as we feel this part of fashion week coverage is saturated – but then came Sally Moore who made us want to give it a shot again. We talked to her before starting off the Milan season, here’s her two cents on the matter:

ACHTUNG: Which role does fashion play in your life?

Sally Moore: Fashion plays an important role in my life, as the way I dress reflects who I am and the way I think. For instance, I rarely, if ever, wear flat shoes. I think I developed a tolerance for discomfort in dressing very early on, so I don’t even register it as discomfort anymore. I feel aligned, even more comfortable, when I dress this way. To do otherwise would feel like a lie to myself. And this tolerance for discomfort is something I apply to every aspect of my life, including the way I photograph: it’s convictions and manners.

A: How much of your style is instinct versus deliberate choice?

SM: I don’t rely much on instinct, I’m extremely analytical when it comes to choices and decision-making. Once, I tried to convince myself that instinct had led me to where I am. It was on a random day in Tokyo. I remember acting purely on impulse during a spontaneous midnight tattoo session: I got a “111” tattoo that symbolizes instinct in angel numbers. In truth, it’s probably the least meaningful of the four tattoos I have, and I hope I never get another one, haha.

A: Which fashion week New York, Milan, or Paris are you most excited about?

SM: Paris. There are major shifts happening here right now, and it’s also, above all, my hometown. It’s a city I understand, a place where I grew up and witnessed the evolution of fashion over the years. I’m always curious to see how designers make Paris come alive through their collections.

David Koma seemed to be in turmoil when creating his Blumarine S/S 2026 collection. The press-release even spoke of the tension between grace and gloom, the bright and the brooding. The notion of a dark romantic goth vibe is somewhat always there in a Koma collection, whether namesake or for Blumarine which was founded almost 50 years ago and not normally known for a goth edge. But that’s where the talent of the Georgian turned Londoner Koma comes into play. Making compromises, keeping the fun of Blumarine alive with butterfly embroidery, lace, loose taffetas, and luxe faux fur trimmings. The end: a gothed out Mariacarla Boscono closing the show in a sheer ruffled floor length gown decked out in body chains, crosses, and pale face make-up.