Kiri Chhun ’25, makes a mark with photography at New York Fashion Week

Never underestimate the impact of a quality social media feed. 

In Kiri Chhun’s case, it led to a gig photographing at the recent New York Fashion Week. 

“I just got a random email that they’d found me on Instagram, looked at my portfolio, and would I like to come shoot runway fashion,” the Photography & Video senior said. The team from Runway 7, a Fashion Week production company, works to represent cultural diversity by “integrating international designers, media, celebrities, and commerce,” according to its website. And the opportunity they provided Chhun, he said, was an incredible learning experience. 

“How cool is it to go there, get eyes on my photography, and find something no other photographer is doing; to stand out?” Chhun asked.  “I was the new kid on the block, trying my best and learning and becoming a better photographer out of it.”

NYFW

Chhun traveled to New York City the day before Labor Day so he could also have the experience of covering a Fashion Week casting call. “The line (of models) was out the door and down the street,” he said. “I interviewed some of them and it was really interesting; they were traveling from everywhere and it was inspiring to see.”

The experience of shooting Fashion Week itself, Chhun said, taught him the importance of getting to the gig early, “before the guys who show up and have tripods set up,” and gave him insight into how to navigate the photographers’ pit. “I learned to pack light and navigate the crowd,” he said, “and had a good time. Chhun, who is of Cambodian heritage, even met two other Cambodian photographers from Chicago. And the day wasn’t without the more glamorous moments, either like when a Rolls Royce would pull up and models would exit, he said. 

“The fashion is art,” Chhun said, “and you combine that with photography,” and it’s a new artform altogether, he said. “It was definitely an adventure.”

Artistic growth

How did the experience expand Chhun’s artistry and his goals?

“For next year, my goal is to get a paid gig,” he said of Fashion Week. “Fashion, I have an interest in that photography, but it’s very cutthroat,” he observed, “and I would have to go full-throttle into it.” But, he added, “I’ve been successful shooting other stuff” to maybe make an eventual career move into fashion photography possible.

His business (you can see his work at kchhun.com) has been busy enough with weddings, clients, and the College sharing referrals, he said, to feed his entrepreneurial spirit. And the challenge then becomes balancing all of the demands on his time: entrepreneur and student, along with handling social media and marketing for his work. 

“PCA&D is giving me the background, the confidence, the skillset to walk into those big-time jobs,” Chhun said of his recent Fashion Week experience. “The critiques and the professors have been beyond helpful.”

All photos used with permission by the artist.