One Step Closer; Movement director Pat Boguslawski on how he brings the best out of models by elevating their walk.
Pat Boguslawski by Mert & Marcus
Through time, as the culture of fashion progresses and expands in both its complexity and ambition, so too does the list of creative specialists required to help bring a designer’s ideas to life; only a generation ago, even the title of ‘stylist’ still had a ring of novelty about it. More recently, as the number of fashion shows staged every season continues to increase globally, so too has the need to ensure that the hundreds of models required to move down a catwalk each Fashion Week are equipped to do so confidently and in a manner that befits the mood of the collection. This is the job of Pat Boguslawski, the most in-demand movement director of the moment. He has helped the likes of Victoria Beckham and Dina Asher-Smith cut eye-catching shapes on the pages of Vogue, and positioned models within the photographer’s frame on campaigns for Gucci, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy and Issey Miyake. But it is in the live context of the fashion show that his work is perhaps most vital of all. He has choreographed model movement in shows for AMI Paris, Holzweiler, Stella McCartney, Dilara Findikoglu, Harris Reed and Sies Marjan – and, most of all, for Maison Margiela, where he has been working closely with John Galliano since 2018. His most recent triumph was the elegantly intense runway procession that showcased Haider Ackermann’s acclaimed collection for Jean Paul Gaultier couture at the end of January.
Gucci Spring Summer 2021 Campaign
His skill lies in enabling models to express their own character – or maybe even create an entirely new one – while propelling themselves within the specific idiom of the runway. There is perhaps no better example than Leon Dame’s walk for Margiela back in September 2020, a spectacle which immediately went viral. Although very much a conventional catwalk in one sense – foot over foot, hips forward, shoulders back – the defiant, enraged energy with which it was executed took it somewhere else entirely: a stroppy near-stomp whose sheer attitude stole the show; almost comical, slightly terrifying, inarguably unforgettable.
Pat Boguslawski
Boguslawski is uniquely qualified to fulfil this role. Born in Lodz, Poland, he began training as a dancer at the age of 15. Three years later, while continuing his studies in London, he was scouted as a model and ended up walking in shows for Dior, Rick Owens and Alexander McQueen. ‘Model’ was not a job title he ever felt entirely comfortable with, however. Thinking of his role more as performer than mannequin, at 23 he returned to Poland to study acting. It was then that he realised where his true calling lay, thanks to an experience he’d had preparing for a McQueen show, when the brand’s creative director Sarah Burton called on him to help his fellow models with their walk.
Let’s go back to the time when Sarah Burton asked you to look after the other models’ movement on that McQueen show. How long ago was that?
About 10 years ago. I used to be a model and before that I was a dancer for quite a long time. I was scouted on the street by some photographer and then all of a sudden I started doing fashion week and walking for high-fashion brands. And then there was that moment when Sarah saw something in me. She pulled me out of the group models and said, ‘Oh my God, thank you so much.’ I didn’t know what she was talking about: ‘What do you mean? What have I done?’ (Laughs) And then she started explaining that she really loved the way I move and present myself on the runway – she thought I could really feel something, you know? So she asked me to show the other models how to walk to the music and fill the space. I didn’t think then that I could do this as a job. But later on I started assisting a choreographer called Aaron Sillis – I was his creative assistant for about two years. One day he said to me, ‘I have this shoot that I can’t do it, they’re looking for a movement director – do you know anybody?’ And I made a joke, I said, ‘Yeah – he’s called Pat Boguslawski.’ He started laughing because he didn’t think I was serious. But in that moment I thought, my God, maybe I’m not joking! I think I’m actually able to do this. And that’s when I realised I’d found my dream job.
Pat Boguslawski
When you started modelling yourself, doing catwalk, did anyone show you how to walk?
No. Growing up in Poland, I had a TV in my room and it was always switched to Fashion TV. I was just fascinated by these people working in fashion, always travelling, having so much freedom by being freelancers – they can take a plane and go for a shoot… Obviously now we can see it all on Instagram and different platforms, but back in the day Fashion TV was the only channel where you could see what was happening behind the scenes. I watched a lot of shows, especially John Galliano and McQueen. By watching everything and having the dance background, it felt pretty natural to me to, you know, go for it and walk.
I remember a few years ago interviewing a young model who was just starting out, the daughter of a famous model, and she had to ask her mum how to walk. It’s interesting that models are expected to know how to do this. I feel like it’s only recently that people have come to realise that it’s a specific discipline which models might need some help with – you can’t just shove someone on a catwalk and expect them to know what to do.
Absolutely. Everything we’ve seen for the last 10 years has been, like… boring, I would say: models walking without any emotions, their eyes empty, like strict mannequins from a shop window. I was always wondering why this was happening. And then recently after conversations with models I realised that this was what they were being taught by their agencies. So my job is to change their mindset: ‘No, this is not what we want – you guys need to be yourself and bring some energy. You need to act, you need to perform – you can’t be scared, you need to have a groove. You can’t walk without any feelings or emotions or any attitude.’ They’re afraid that if they are more original or do anything more than they’ve been taught, it’s going to be wrong. But I’m like, ‘No, this is more interesting to me. Because this is the only way I’m going to remember you.’
Do designers give you a specific brief in terms of how they want the models to move?
Yeah, of course – we speak about it a lot. I’ll be like, show me the collection, play me the music, show me the space – and based on that I’m like, OK, this is what I see, this is how I imagine it. And they listen. Sometimes they might feel a bit scared: ‘Oh, maybe this is too much.’ But I’m like, OK, let’s do rehearsals and then you’ll see… Trust me, I know what I’m doing! I’ve been working as a movement director for about seven years now, so I’ve done a lot of shows and I know at the end what I’m going to create. And ultimately my job is to make sure their show is remembered.
Leon Dame in that Maison Margiela show is probably the clearest example of a walk that makes a show memorable.
Absolutely. And I feel like he’s the best example of someone who is super open-minded, who is not scared, who wants to collaborate, who wants to have fun. And that’s all it takes to… become a supermodel, I guess: you’ve got to be excited, you’ve got to be hungry. And he is one of those guys who is like, ‘OK, what are we doing now?!’ Also, he’ll try to propose something, he’s not just waiting for direction. I want people to have fun – that’s the most important thing – and Leon is one of them, he really wants to enjoy his job. I think I was similar to him when I was a model; I was not scared. And I didn’t really like being classified as a model – for me it was about acting, being a performer.
Leon Dame in that Maison Margiela
That’s an interesting point, because quite a lot of successful models go on to have a career in acting too.
Absolutely. For me, that’s very important. I always say, when I’m working with casting directors, ‘Guys, I know for you it’s all about the face, but the face is not everything.’ Know what I mean? Someone’s energy and character and the way they move is more mind-blowing for me than having someone beautiful on the runway who doesn’t know how to present themselves. I want to see people who want to have fun. Because I’m having fun!
When you’re working on still images for editorial or campaigns, what is your role there? Is it about the arrangement of bodies within the composition of the frame? Are models holding a pose, or will the photographer shoot them as they move?
It really depends on the brief. Sometimes they just want people standing still, so it’s creating a pose and that’s how they take a picture. Sometimes they want to capture people while they’re moving fast and we see them mid-movement. Every project is different. For me it’s fascinating that sometimes with a still image you can get someone who can’t move so well, but the way I position them, the way I explain the movement to them, in the picture it’s going to look fantastic.
Looking through your work, in some stills you can’t work out if the model has been caught mid-movement or is holding a pose.
Yeah, because that is my job! My job is to make them look good. Also, I work with models who are super amazing. The top models have been working in this business for 20, 30 years. So some photographers might think, ‘Oh, why do we need Pat?’ But for me it’s a collaboration. I can inspire them, I can give them something interesting. And sometimes with those people who can’t really move and are new to this business, that is obviously a different collaboration because I need to give them more, and sometimes I need to position their bodies.
Have you found that you’re getting asked to work on film more? Because it does seem that the fashion industry has really embraced moving image in this post-pandemic era.
It was definitely happening after Covid and a little bit during it, for sure… But I feel like now everybody wants to start doing shows again. Everybody’s hungry for a moment; everybody wants to see a real show in real life. Which I prefer, because I always like anything that is the most natural, the most real. So I’m definitely very, very happy to work on shows, because the adrenaline you get during the show is definitely higher than during a fashion film. I’ll be there backstage and it’s like doing a show in the theatre – you’re already getting that feedback in the same moment. Whereas with video you have to wait for the editing and post-production, and then they publish it and you see the comments. But it’s not real.
A catwalk show is a really intense form of drama, isn’t it? It’s a moment so fully charged with all the work that’s gone into it beforehand.
Absolutely. With the Haider [Ackermann] Jean Paul Gaultier [couture] show – we were so busy making that show that we didn’t really have time to think about anything else. But when it happened and Haider got a standing ovation and everyone was giving applause – and not only to Haider, to the Haider team and the Jean Paul Gaultier team and hair and make-up… and the choreography (laughs) – you know, people were so happy to see it and screaming and applauding for such a long time. And that was such a beautiful moment for all of us. We looked at each other and were like, oh my God, we are part of something really big at the moment. Because you hardly ever get standing ovations in the shows in Paris, you know what I mean? You have to give them something amazing to get that sort of feedback. Yeah, it’s beautiful.
But also your audience is massive now because, when you started doing this, most catwalk shows were only seen by the people in the room. Now so many fashion houses broadcast their shows live online, and plenty more get streamed via the phones of people in the audience. Does that affect how you do the way you work?
Not at all. Recently someone asked me, ‘How do you feel about all the views and comments you’re getting on TikTok?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t have TikTok. I have no idea what’s happening there.’ They’re like, ‘Oh my God, the walks you’re creating are getting like three million views and 50,000 comments.’ I’m like, ‘Guys, I have no clue because I have no TikTok.’ Sometimes I see comments because I am on Instagram, but the rest I’m not really aware of. I’m just having fun and focusing on my work.
Can I ask you about your career before you went into movement direction? You studied dance in Poland and acting in Los Angeles, is that right?
No. I was a dancer in Poland and then I went to school in London. And then I went to school in Los Angeles also as a dancer. And then when I was about 22, 23, I was modelling so I didn’t really have time for dance any more. And then through modelling I realised I wanted to do acting, so for three years I studied drama, taking private acting lessons from amazing actors in Poland. And then I was assisting and I realised I wanted to do movement direction. But this whole process has been really fascinating, because around my 20th birthday I was just super lost: ‘OK, what do I want to do with my life? I want to be a dancer, I want to be a model, I want to be an actor.’ I wanted to do everything – at once! But now looking back I’m so happy, because all these experiences made me who I am and led me to become a movement director.
The role you’re doing now didn’t really exist when you started modelling, so it’s not like you could have applied for the job. But everything you did on the way to where you are now has enabled you to do what you do.
Absolutely. Back in the day I didn’t know I was going to be a movement director because I didn’t know this job existed. I was doing everything because I was hungry to create something beautiful in the future and enjoy my life. And now I’m in that moment when I’m really enjoying my job. I meet a lot of new people and get to travel… I can’t ask for more, I guess. I’m having so much fun. And that is the most important thing about my job. I’m spending time with the most creative, amazing people. It doesn’t feel like a job when you’re doing something you love.
Pat Boguslawski is represented by Streeters and Elite London