At the front of the house, the lights go off, and when they come back with thumping soundtrack and a dazzling array of designs, the show lasts about seven to 10 minutes. Backstage, however, is coveted access to most photographers at the New York Fashion Week. It is also where the action lasts much longer.
The ultra-thin models do shows all day long for a whole week and have to rush from one venue to another with no time even for a meal during the day. [break]
So it’s no surprise that they try to grab a bite before, after and even during their hair and make up. For them, Fashion Week is probably a blur with only one clear memory: the sound of camera shutters clicking.
They are photographed through every step – Hair & Makeup, first looks – and then every step on the runway during the show. All week long, from morning to night.
The designers tend to be perpetually busy with press interviews backstage while assistants keep things, including press access, running smoothly.
New York-based designer Prabal Gurung, whose show was one of the most anticipated this season, was showcasing his designs on the runway at New York Fashion Week for the first time. In between interviews, he went to the front of the house to check on lighting and other details.
The initial plan of a machine spewing a cloud of smoke as the first model entered the runway eventually fell through. However, he even had time to chat with the models as they waited for dress up.
Backstage at the Melbourne-based designer Toni M’s show, the designer went around the room going through each look with the assistant who would dress up the model during the show. He greeted every assistant with a big smile and a warm “Hi, I’m Toni” as he shook hands.
At one point when he couldn’t find a particular pair of shoes, he walked to the room’s corner and got on his knees in front of a big brown box. Then he started digging in until the pair was found.
Sometimes, the show itself becomes a part of another show. Backstage at Sophie Théallet, another New York-based designer, a TV crew filming a program featuring renowned event photographer Patrick Mcmullan came by to shoot a segment in which Patrick would talk to Sophie.
As the two spoke on camera for several minutes, the hair-and-make-up army maintained a steady pace on their work with no hint of distraction. There’s no time for distraction, backstage or front of the house. At least not until the show is over: backstage work can easily last two or three hours.
Presented here are a series of backstage images at multiple shows from the New York Fashion Week Fall 2010 Collection held from February 11-18 in New York’s Bryant Park.
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