This is the man behind some of the world’s biggest fashion shoots

The fashion industry can be a difficult nut to crack, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. In our new monthly series How I Got Here, we hear from Scandinavia's most exciting young creatives on how they made it – and the advice they would offer their younger selves.

“I'm always looking for a way to reinforce movement and its relationship to the camera,” says Canadian-born, Finland-based visionary Eric Christison, who, after a prolific career as a professional ballet dancer, expanded his craft to choreography. Working mainly with fashion, his impressive client roster boasts many industry heavyweights, including Chanel, Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton. Christison is also the mastermind behind the choreography for the history-making cover shoot of Vogue Scandinavia's October-November 2022 issue, starring Norwegian model Ceval Omar and eight other fashion industry trailblazers.

“I look at choreography as a practice in organisation and problem solving,” the 33-year-old explains. "Whether it's dance or fashion, it's a process of arranging and reconfiguring ideas, tailoring them to the individual needs of that project and showcasing other elements brought by the team.”

While attending an art school in his hometown of Toronto, Christison first dipped his toes in dance at the age of 14 and immediately fell in love with it. Having always been a physically active kid, Christison had dabbled in various sports, from figure skating to taekwondo, but dance provided him with something special. “Dance was the perfect mix; a space to challenge myself in a technical manner, while also remaining sensitive and able to articulate in the safety of a studio, which was a sensation I had never experienced before,” he recalls.

Soon, he auditioned for the National Ballet School in Canada, where he enrolled and commenced his decade-plus journey as a ballet dancer. It was a path Christison didn't even know existed at such a high level. “No one ever told me it could be a lifelong profession that takes you abroad, where you get to work with some of the most influential choreographers in the world,” Christison says. “"It has been one of the greatest gifts I'll ever experience.”

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It’s also what brought Christison to Helsinki, when, in 2009, he secured a place in the Finnish National Ballet. Although the creative left Finland for a while to work in Switzerland, he returned to Helsinki after he stopped dancing for a ballet company in 2017. Over the years, the city has become a sanctuary for Christison, offering a breather from his hectic work and travel schedule. “When I'm in Helsinki, I’m on my own time,” he says. “I get to be in the studio alone. It’s a research and reflection stage that helps me prepare for work… That's when I define my vocabulary and take the time to understand what I’m bringing to the table.”

Amongst the things that drew Christison to fashion was the escapism and endorphins it can induce — an effect similar to the one that performing arts can have. “I've always been fascinated by the idea of existing in different worlds and universes,” he says. “That was my fascination with ballet as well: that there's both something relatable and unattainable – there's fantasy and there's nostalgia.”

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For Christison, each job, whether a fashion show or a shoot, provides its own challenges, but the biggest may be achieving a cohesive vision. He sees his role as the choreographer as putting the puzzle together, ensuring that all the teams' ideas work seamlessly. “With all the different components involved in a shoot the priority is always telling the right story. It needs to feel honest in relation to the subject and be visually compelling,” he says. “A really stimulating element of fashion is being constantly asked to regenerate ideas. This practice ultimately provides a unique response and set of results.”

Looking at a fashion image, for instance, one might not even realise all the effort that went into achieving it, and that could well be where the magic of Christison’s work lies. “I want to challenge people's preconceived ideas of what choreography in fashion is,” Christison says. “One might not recognise the repetition or the tasks performed that result in even the simplest of images, and I find that equally as interesting as work that displays virtuosity.”

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Although Christison has paused his ballet career for now, at least, it still serves as an immense source of inspiration for him. His processes and methods are heavily influenced by renowned choreographers such as William Forsythe, George Balanchine and Wayne McGregor, visionaries whose masterpieces Christison has performed himself. “They are most definitely 20th-century neoclassical masters and have had a profound impact on the ballet world," he says.

When asked for Christison's key advice for someone hoping to become a choreographer in fashion, his answer is plain and simple: Do your homework. “Research yourself, dive into your craft, look beyond your bubble and listen to as many opinions as possible,” he says. Christison is also quick to stress the importance of sticking to your guns and believing in your own path. “The right people will find the worth in that and appreciate your perspective.”

As for his own future, Christison hopes to work with fashion for as long as possible. “When I started dancing, I thought I would be in a ballet company forever,” he says. “But I couldn't be happier where I am right now.” Nevertheless, he is not one to take anything for granted, and he's dedicated to always evolving his work. “Complacency is a killer,” he asserts.