Fashion Week is here! As previously mentioned, I’ve worked backstage at Fashion Week New York City for the past ten seasons, and it’s fun, crazy and chaotic. I get to spend time with amazing designers and see their designs even before fashion’s top people do.

But, there’s a big difference between what the guests at the shows see and what it all looks like backstage. The designs are shown in tents that are constructed on the property of New York City’s Lincoln Center, home of the Metropolitan Opera, The NY Philharmonic and the NYC Ballet. Here’s the front of the Fashion Week “building”…

The entrance to NY Fashion Week at Lincoln Center

Where people can wait between shows

Where people check in for the shows

Here’s the back…

A view of the backstage entrance with the heating/cooling systems to keep the tents comfortable

The hallway between several backstages

Now that you’ve seen what Fashion Week at Lincoln Center looks like, you may be wondering what happens backstage before the collection is shown. Here is a countdown to a fashion show. This is excepted from an article I wrote for Somerset Holiday Book

3-4 hours prior: the clothes arrive. Production people set up music and effects. Catering brings food. Clothes are prepped and steamed. Security keeps all unauthorized people out.

2-3 hours prior: models arrive to get their hair and makeup done.

2 hours prior: dressers arrive to prep and help models with their outfits (called “looks”).

1 hour prior: some media and celebs are allowed in to preview the collection. Paparazzi shoot photos with the designer(s) and celebs. A few models rush in from other shows they have just worked. Production people run around taking care of last minute details. The design team makes sure each look is ready. Chaos abounds.

Showtime: “First looks” is called and models begin dressing (sometimes a model will have two or three looks in one show).

½ hour to 1 hour after scheduled showtime: show begins and last 5-8 minutes.

After the show: models change into their clothes as quickly as they can and rush off to their next show. People, sometimes over 50, come backstage to say hello to the designers and see the collection, including more celebs and photographers. Everyone clears out within the hour so it can all begin again with the next show.

The amount of effort and money that goes into putting together a five minute show is astounding. But, buyers from all over the world attend the shows to choose what they purchase for their stores, editors decide what they want to shoot for their magazines, and stylists decide what looks their want for their celebrity clients. A well-executed show with beautiful designs means success for the designer.

Because I work backstage, I am not allowed to take any photos. However, below is a photo that BCBG MAX AZRIA sent me the article. The models are lined up on the tape while hair and makeup does some final adjustments. The curtain on their left divides them from the audience.

Hope you enjoyed reading about Fashion Week! I know I’ll have fun working there. This season I’ll be working at the Project Runway Finale show, Prabal Gurung, Zac Posen, Belstaff, Badgley Mischka and Carolina Herrera. Yahoo!

Illysia Neumann-Loreck