Backstage bedlam

In honour of this week being the first Sydney Fashion Festival, here are six things you might not know about what goes on backstage at a fashion show.

* Hair and make-up artists are an endless source of knowledge. That’s why the smartest models quiz them non-stop as soon as they get in the chair. Remedies for pimples, dry patches and fried, frizzy ends are whispered into ears over the hairdryer hum.

* There’s lots of hanging around doing nothing. Lots. That’s why models rarely show up without soduku, novels or a laptop to keep busy when not being groomed to within an inch of their lives.

* Models eat. I’ve seen boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts, finger sandwiches, fruit and cheese platters and fridges full of water and soft drinks behind the scenes and yes, they are usually devoured as soon as they land.

* Models don’t drink. Not before a show anyway. Champagne backstage is a bit of a myth in Australia.

* Designers are usually very calm in the hours before a show. By then they’ve worked so hard they know it’s time to let someone else takeover. And besides, they’ve already had trials with the hair and make-up artist much like a bride before her wedding day so they’re pretty confident about the results.

* Dressers are truly the unsung heroes. Each model has his or her own dresser standing by a rack holding all the clothes and accessories they are to wear in the show. It’s the dresser’s job to physically help them in and out of their clothes in a matter of seconds during changes. Not at all easy when you consider zips, buttons, corsets and killer heels.

Then there’s everything that goes on front of house. Stand by for the bh tell-all tomorrow.