(Editor’s Note: DALLAS, Apr 7, 2004/ FW/ --- Michelle Taylor, Milan Bureau Chief for FashionWindows wrote this account during New York Fashion Week held from Feb 6-12, 2004. Though it has been over 2 months since then, the story and the photos are still relevant to the readers who want to see an inside look on what happens backstage during the fashion shows.)

NEW YORK, Feb 6, 2004/ FW/ --- Its 7am and I am already tired before the day begins. We are in New York and it is officially the first city to open the women’s fall 2004 collections, but in the next four weeks there will be both surprises and betrayal, making it perhaps the most interesting fashion season in recent years.

Yet for the wandering gypsies that spend between 6-8 months on the road in search of the fashion trail or that otherwise call themselves photographers and fashion journalists, they have already been to Paris and Milan for menswear and Haute Couture, so this is not technically the first city of a new fashion season that turned out to be pretty, girlish and proper.

There is no saving lives going on, no curing horrible diseases and definitely no resolving of world peace, it is simply all about dresses….and this is the amusing part. Now the question that sounds perfectly legitimate and at the same time completely ridiculous is ‘why is it that we spend between 12-18 hours a day for 6 weeks without a day off, living out of suitcases, not eating proper meals and still try all the same to look gorgeous, while not making loads of cash?”

Now, for a normal minded person the answer is pretty straight forward, that is; we are all completely nutty, both photographers and journalists. And yes, albeit that I have been part of this whirlwind tour for the past 5 years, it has taken me up until recently to accept that I am not completely ‘normal’, but then again who is! And actually like this game.

But lets get back to the beginning of this short but intense journey that will either keep the metropolitan myths about fashion and gorgeousness alive, or as I probably suspect, completely destroy them.

Last night's Chinese meal is still in my stomach but luckily I have slept for 7 hours, a luxury by any fashionista’s standard. Mari and Heidi are in the bed next to mine (a rare sight as Mari usually gets up at about 3 am and starts working! Yes, completely mad!) and I try not to disturb them as I heave myself into the shower.

Technically the first show of the day is 9am, but its backstage that we are interested in at the moment and so I need to be at Bryant Park no later than 8am to see hair and makeup, last minute rehearsals, get an interview with the designer and see models in the waking up process.

Javier, our runway photographer is stirring and I tell him that I am off. We are all part of a team but all have completely different time schedules to follow on fashion week, but I will catch up with him in the next few hours.

Camera in hand, I speak to security and my name is on the list, so this morning there is no discussions needed, a lovely feeling, after all, it is morning and the arguing or discussing can ruin your entire day! Models are already in hair and makeup, I head to get a coffee and say some polite hellos, smoke a cigarette with the girls out the back and shoot a little.

I snap the beauty and hair shots and then set about getting some more interesting story telling shots. I need something that expresses all of the above in a single picture, the frenetic pace, crowded and unorganised backstage atmosphere, designers getting nervous and PR princesses getting snotty at everyone. All the glitz actually only lasts a mere 20mins on the catwalk, despite costing thousands of dollars and involving months of work.

Things start heating up, some US celebs has come backstage and all the photographers crowd to get paparazzi style pictures of them with the designer, and then it is the quiet before the storm…

Everyone is almost ready and first outfits are called for, the room cleared of most photographers and the girls are placed in line as if they are on a junior school outing. Headphones on, the audience is seated and photographers are piled high on top of boxes, ladders and anything that will get them high enough to be able to shoot the show at the end of the runway.

Boom! Lights go down and the music echoes from the speakers, the top model hits the catwalk and its all up to her, the walk, the look, the attitude. The first girl comes off, runs flicking off heels and quickly getting into the next outfit with the help of her dressers. One zips, one does shoes and its back in line, last minute makeup touches and hairspray. Back onto the catwalk, poised and professional….

The end. Now though, lets not forget that this is the first in a series of what usually averages to be around ten shows a day, and there are still 3 weeks and 5 days left until it all ends! In reality it is only the beginning.

Day 1 Feb 6, 2004

Day 2 Feb 7, 2004

Day 3 Feb 8, 2004

Day 4 Feb 9, 2004

Day 5 Feb 10, 2004

Day 6 Feb 11, 2004