Behind The Scenes At The Paris And New York Fashion Week Events

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The Northern Hemisphere has just finished a run of the fashion industry’s biggest events, including the London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. It all looks glitz and glam on the runway, but what’s actually going on behind the scenes? Junkee spoke to a couple of industry insiders who attended Fashion Week events in Paris and New York to find out.

Australian photographer Jake Terrey has worked in the industry for more than a decade, shooting for the likes of Vogue, GQ and David Jones. He’s worked with pros like Cate Blanchett, Miranda Kerr and Ruby Rose. He knows his stuff and when we spoke he had just returned from the latest Fashion Week in Paris. So, my first burning question was: “What’s it like to work behind the scenes of the world’s biggest fashion events?

“It’s insanely difficult and stressful,” Jake says. “Fitting models and taking photos until 4am for many days up until the show… It’s odd working on something for months that ends in minutes.”

But hang on, why does everyone looks so glam in the photos if they’re all pulling all-nighters?

“No one who works in the industry making clothes or making images cares about the appearance of glamour,” Jake says. “The people you see getting photographed out the front of shows usually don’t have anything to do with it.”

Fashion writer Hannah Klose, who runs the Never Ever Pay Retail site, told us what happens off the runway. “After the shows in New York City, I spent most of my time snapping street fashion,” she told Junkee. “It’s actually incredible how many people pose outside of the shows even if they aren’t on the guest list, in the hopes that they’ll be papped and discovered!”

“New York Fashion Week is on another level [compared to events in Australia] with the celebrity factor and posers out front.”

Jake says it can also be really competitive among the photographers, depending on what they’re there for. “Media photographers at shows are usually the worst, everyone pushing and jostling to get the best space,” he says. “I’ve seen a few fights over guys thinking someone stole their shot but everyone is taking essentially the same photos backstage so chill out. People are more intense about it in Australia than overseas in my experience.”

Whether you’re into fashion or not you can still appreciate that these events are really just a case of like-minded people coming together to celebrate something they all love. That said, Fashion Weeks are still a super busy professional space, and there is so much work that goes into the pictures we end up seeing on Instagram or in magazines.

“I think everyone runs on adrenaline Hannah says. “There’s this level of intensity pre-show that’s bigger than waiting to unwrap your Christmas presents. All you can think about is the runway set-up, who will be there, what the collection will be like and what’s going to be in your goodie bag!”

As far as the best aspect of being part of Fashion Week events, Hannah says it’s picking what to wear. What better time to play around with different looks and see if they work? For Jake, it’s more the social scene. “Everyone’s in a good mood and there are parties and dinners every night with people you wouldn’t often get to go out with.”

And the downside? Hannah says it’s the killer heels. “It’s definitely how sore your feet are afterwards — fashion is pain!”

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Whether you’re heading to an event for Fashion Week or hunting for bargains at your local op shop, the compact and agile styling of Toyota Yaris will help you stay fashion forward. Find out more here. Yaris: Find The Drive Within You.

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Lead image: Jake Terrey/Supplied