A Southwark Council housing manager who freelances as a fashion photographer is putting on a charity show at the council’s headquarters.
Robertson Egueye, 55, looks after 7,000 properties across Peckham and Dulwich. But in his side hustle as a freelance photographer, he flies around Europe shooting catwalks.
In collaboration with Danish fashion house House of Avida, Robertson is hosting a fashion show at the council’s Tooley Street offices with proceeds going to the charitable organisations Southwark Women’s Network and Community Fridge.
Robertson, who arrived in the UK from Nigeria 35 years ago, has worked at Southwark Council for 22 years.
Six years ago, looking for an outlet to escape the pressures of work, he started taking photos around Southwark.
Robertson said: “My job is highly pressurised. Being the area manager… meeting the expectations of people… you need something to wind down so I started doing street photography.
“I used to walk along Tooley Street at lunchtime and shoot people on the streets people – candid images and stopping people on the street.”
One day, he took a photo of a woman outside the Tate Modern who turned out to be hat designer Yuan Li.
She liked his photography so much she invited him to take photos at Royal Ascot where she was showcasing her hats, kick-starting Robertson’s career.
Since then, he has done fashion shows in Paris and Madeira – but now he wants to do something local.
Proceeds from the event will go to Southwark Women’s Network – a council-run scheme helping female staff “realise their full potential”.
Money will also go to the Albrighton Centre’s Community Fridge – a service giving free essential food items to over 1,300 people each week.
Peckham-based fashion designer Gisella Boutique, who has featured at the V&A Museum and London Fashion Week, will have a stall at the event.
Founded by designer Bettina Pagh, House of Avida creates “high-quality, exclusive designs” inspired by “80s and 90s rock’n roll”.
‘House of Avida – Couture Meets Photography’ will be held at the Atrium, 160 Tooley Street, SE1 2QH from 6pm to 9pm on Saturday, September 16. Tickets cost €34 and are available here.
As one of the beneficiaries of fundraising at the event Albrighton Community Fridge is so grateful to Robertson and everyone else for making this happen. Understandably for us, and many organisations that are providing food support for people, donor fatigue is setting in, and this is a fresh and innovative project that will raise awareness of the work we are doing to new audiences. Very excited about the event and looking forward to seeing everybody there.