Enter The V Time Machine

In this once-in-forever series, V sent portable studio and statement FW20 coats around the world, proving that the art of image-making can still reach new heights.

September 12, 2020

Fashion: Aryeh Lappin
Photography: Chris Colls
Author: SAMUEL ANDERSON
Models Mayowa Nicholas (The Society), Malgosia Bela (DNA), Guinevere Van Seenus (DNA), Yasmin Wijnaldum (The Society), Parker Van Noord (DNA), Alexandra Agoston (IMG), Adesuwa Aighewi (The Society), Edita Vilkeviciute (DNA

One studio, one iPhone, zero boundaries. For three long months, during the onset of this year’s COVID crisis, V and New York-based photographer Chris Colls took on an unprecedented endeavor: creating a beautiful and cohesive fashion story without ever stepping on a set. The result is V Time Machine—a time capsule of creativity in quarantine, and proof positive that collaboration in fashion is alive and well.

A breakthrough was finding life-size, collapsible “studio” that could be shipped around the world. As Colls quarantined in Soho, the studio traveled around not only the City but the world, making pit stops in Ibiza, Amsterdam, and Greece’s Aegean islands. Once each model received his or her V Time Machine “kit”—the custom light booth, an iPhone 11 Pro, and Fall/Winter fashion—Colls directed them via Facetime.

Though technology and constant communication were key, the shoot presented more than its share of logistical challenges—from power outages to shipping complications. (Special thanks to the donkey, who sherpa’d the booth directly to Malgosia in Greece!)

Not only is it first-of-its-kind shoot on par with pre-pandemic imagery, but V Time Machine finds strength in the grit and experimentation that went into it. “[This production] was equivalent to a year’s worth of shoots,” Colls reflects. “It felt like [photographing] someone on the moon.” Considering the end result, it was nothing less than a giant leap for fashion-kind.

V126 is available now for pre-order. Get your copy by clicking here and enter the time machine, down below.