New York Fashion Week's Best Backstage Looks

Sometimes the best hair and makeup looks at Fashion Week aren't the ones being sent down the runway. These are the hairstylists, makeup artists, and manicurists who caught our eye behind the scenes

During Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, backstage beauty pros work their butts off. They have 6 a.m. call times, tend to dozens of models, dart from show to show, and give innumerable interviews to editors about their "inspiration." 

Yet, somehow, despite the pandemonium, many of them manage to do it all while keeping their own inspired hair and makeup looks intact. 

Whether it's a sleek topknot, a gorgeous bright lipstick, or an impeccable manicure, we're downright impressed by the beauty pros who take the time to do their own hair and makeup. Especially under the chaotic conditions that are NYFW, where going for a 20-second ponytail and a slick of lip gloss would be extremely tempting. 

So when we spotted particularly put-together pros backstage, we snapped their pictures -- and asked what they were wearing. Most of them were taken aback that we had noticed them, let alone cared. But, like any true beauty buff, they were happy to share their secrets. This is how the pros do it ... 

We talked to Friedman about the rainbow hair she created for the Peter Som show, and then we asked her about her own unusual, black-green color. "My hair is naturally lighter towards the ends, so I didn't have to bleach it to get the color to take," she says. "You can see more green towards the ends." 

Makeup artist and founder of Mally Beauty, Mally Roncal, always looks camera-ready. So we weren't the least bit surprised by her extremely fun topknot and red lip backstage at Tracy Reese. "It's my red lip kit in Neutral Red," she told us. 

When you meet her, the first thing you notice about manicurist Simcha Whitehill is her bubbly personality -- the second is her cool, retro look. Backstage at Charlotte Ronson she created blue, ocean-inspired nails while wearing a 1950s-ish hairstyle and bold red lip. "It's not about me!" she said when we asked her about it. "It's about the nails." 

Tresemmé celebrity hairstylist Jeanie Syfu is one of the most notoriously stylish women backstage. Her clothes are always amazing, and her hair couldn't be more fun. The first half of Fashion Week this season was extremely hot and humid, and Syfu opted to wear this pretty braid to help her stay cool. "It's my summer hairstyle," she says. "Even though it's September, I'm keeping it going." 

Jenny Packham's collection was inspired by Las Vegas in the '70s, and manicurist Gina Edwards seemed to be feeling the same vibe. We loved her beautifully blown-out hair (with just a hint of Farrah Fawcett to it) and violet-pink lip color, which she told us was aDior lipstick.

While Butter London Global Color Ambassador Katie Hughes was busy creating a perfectly bare manicure at Band of Outsiders, she herself was wearing a very bold lip. "It's Nars Dragon Girl," she told us. "It makes me feel put together."