Hidden talent

Runway shows are fleeting affairs but every 10-minute spectacle requires months of careful thought and arduous preparation. Out of view of the front rows, there are teams of highly skilled specialists who play fundamental but rarely celebrated roles in every fashion week. You’ll find them in London, Milan, New York and Paris, working in cramped backstage areas or bustling offices until the early hours of the morning. These are often hectic, fast-paced environments but they are where a lot of the creative magic happens.

Here, monocle goes behind the scenes in the five major fashion capitals to catch some of that action and pay homage to the unsung heroes of fashion weeks. — L

1.
THE CATERER
Andrea Menicatti
Milan

Post-show celebrations are almost always followed by champagne – even before noon – along with quick bites for the models, photographers and journalists backstage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Milan holds first place when it comes to fashion-week hospitality. Here, you can expect to be served delicious focaccias, mini-bowls of pasta or biscotti on silver trays. Miuccia Prada is known as one of the city’s best hosts, thanks in no small part to the cheerful and generous catering by Marchesi 1824, the historic Milanese pastry shop now owned by the Prada Group.

Its ceo, Andrea Menicatti, ensures that every Prada show culminates with waiters serving trays of bubbly, chocolates and the crustless salty butter and cucumber canapés that are such staples of the brand’s events that habitués call them “Prada snacks”. “It’s a team effort, serving a large number of people with different needs and tastes,” says Menicatti. Contrary to popular belief, fashion people do eat.

2.
THE SECURITY CHIEF
Fabio Covizzi
Milan

Even among Milan’s immaculately dressed fashion crowd, Fabio Covizzi stands out. He’s easy to spot with his shaved head and sharp suits from the likes of Fendi, Prada or Ferragamo. At shows, many guests wonder how he can move so seamlessly between guarding the entrance, escorting guests to their seats and fending off over-eager fans from celebrated designers such as Miuccia Prada during their post-show interviews.

“I sleep very little,” says Covizzi, who tells monocle that he typically works on seven or eight runway shows a day, plus events and evening cocktails, during fashion weeks. Covizzi’s company, Eventservices, employs more than 350 security guards, who are divided into various teams that he oversees. The process requires months of advance planning to ensure that those 10-minute performances go smoothly. “I started in 1984 with the very first Dolce & Gabbana show,” he says, adding that he has worked at more than 2,000 such events. “I still love this job. Otherwise it would be impossible to be so attentive.” 

3.
THE MAKE-UP ARTIST
Pat McGrath
London

You’ll spot Pat McGrath and her team of make-up artists backstage at the biggest shows in Europe’s main fashion capitals, from Versace’s in Milan to Miu Miu’s in Paris. In her signature black headband, she has a calm presence even amid the pre-show pandemonium when dozens of models are waiting to sit in her make-up chair. Over the years she has created ancient Egyptian-inspired looks for Christian Dior Couture, added petals on models’ eyelashes while working with Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino and caused a sensation when she transformed John Galliano’s Maison Margiela models into porcelain dolls with glass-like skin – an artistic and technical feat involving airbrushed layers of gel finish.

Even as her career reaches new heights (she now has her own make-up label and was named a dame of the British empire for her services to beauty), she remains a reassuring backstage figure. You might hear her team members referring to her as “Dame Pat” when they need her to pass a brush or add her finishing touches to a look. 

4.
THE MOVEMENT DIRECTOR
Pat Boguslawski
New York

Models’ mesmerising runway struts don’t happen by accident. The man adding flair to many of their performances is former model and dancer Pat Boguslawski, who now works as a movement director. “I knew that there was a gap in fashion since the 1990s,” he says. “I wanted to be the person to bring energy back to the runway.” After walking for the likes of Alexander McQueen, he had ideas for how to enhance fashion shows with more stagecraft. “The magic is in the combination of dance and acting,” he says. “You need to see characters, not just movement – otherwise, the clothes aren’t believable.”

Boguslawski’s most celebrated moment took place at last year’s Maison Margiela Artisanal show by John Galliano for which models prowled around in a theatre-worthy runway performance. The piece of advice that he dispenses most frequently could apply to anyone. “Be confident, be yourself and have fun,” he says. “That way, people will remember you.” 

5.
THE PIT PHOTOGRAPHERS
Giovanni and Silvia Giannoni
Florence

During every fashion week, thousands of runway images are disseminated online, to be pored over by buyers, editors and fashion enthusiasts across the globe. None of these would exist were it not for the skilled runway photographers who you’ll see positioned at the end of each catwalk, sometimes shouting at guests to uncross their legs as the lights go down – anything to get the right shot.

Italian-born Giovanni Giannoni has been a steady presence in the pit for more than 20 years. A pioneer in the transition from film to digital photography on the runway, he has worked as the in-house photographer for brands such as Louis Vuitton and shot for industry publications including Women’s Wear Daily. After he takes the photographs, his partner, Silvia, selects the best images for every look, swiftly editing and archiving them. It’s a carefully choreographed job that takes them to Milan, Paris, London and Tokyo for months at a time, all in the name of fashion. 

6.
the pr maven
Lucien Pagès
Paris

The night before a fashion show, fleets of press officers – often dressed in black and holding walkie-talkies – are up late finalising seating charts, confirming interviews and negotiating access with fashion editors. Among the busiest communications specialists in the business is Lucien Pagès, who works between New York, London, Milan and Paris, and spearheads public relations for about 60 runway shows every season. To ensure that his clients get the visibility that they deserve, Paris-based Pagès divides his staff between events yet also puts in plenty of personal face time.

“I have to work a lot but I take things day by day, level by level, like in Super Mario Bros,” says Pagès. “I’m lucky to work with a young team that’s excited about fashion and their job. Still, it’s like co-ordinating something that’s a cross between a ballet and an army.” His survival tips? Being in bed by midnight and abstaining from drinking at parties – even though those that Pagès holds are always unmissable.