New York, New York!

The behind-the-scenes diary of New Zealand apprentice hairdresser Sophy Philips at New York Fashion Week 2011!

NYFW Day One – 10 February 2011

It's day one – there's no time to be nervous.

Early morning and I’m helping Richard Kavanagh track down some hair extensions and bring them back to the studio in Williamsburg where he's shooting a hair story for Australian Vogue.

Then straight over to the Lincoln Center for my first Fashion Week show. It's a presentation in ‘The Box’, where models stand on elevated staging while everyone walks through and takes photos. This is a really nice alternative to a runway, as it allows everyone a lot more time to see the garments and take photos. The designer is Mara Hoffman, and her designs are simply gorgeous. Her inspiration for the collection was 'desert warrior', so we're wrapping turbans and painting fingertips black. The hair is quickly curled then loosely pulled back into a braid that starts as a fishtail and ends as a three strand.

There's a great Japanese girl band called Water Fai playing spaced out jams during the presentation, and they're all wearing beautiful Mara Hoffman hooded kaftans.

Our hair team is led by Martin Christopher Harper, who is a wonderfully calming presence, walking through our backstage area and guiding everyone through the look (and turban tying).

There's a table covered in Redken and Cutler products, and we're instructed to help ourselves. I've gotta learn to use all these goodies ASAP, so I'm happily carrying around a very heavy suitcase now.

I've bumped into Lauren Gunn at the Columbus St subway station - we've decided to grab dumplings for dinner. Excellent decision, followed by a deep sleep…

Mara Hoffman

View the show

NYFW Day Three – 12 February 2011

Today begins with a leisurely start – bit of a cheeky sleep in, taking my time to get ready. Then my phone rings. It's Danielle from Cutler, the salon I'm assisting here in New York. She needs me to race uptown into the Garment District to Sachin and Babi's offices RIGHT AWAY, where they're shooting their Fall look book. Her timing couldn't be better as I'm just about ready to go. I grab my trusty L’Oreal suitcase and fly out the door to hail a cab.

I find the office, no trouble. I've had a week to orientate myself in the city and learn how to give and take directions. The shoot seems chilled, although there are a lot of people here giving their imput from the cluster of couches they're all sitting on. The model's hair has gotten rather fluffy since it was styled, what with numerous outfit changes. But I've been given strict instructions – 'NO BRUSHING, JUST HAIRSPRAY AND HANDS' is scribbled down in my notebook. The whole team is waiting on me to finish the style… Eek!

I'm barely there for half an hour before I've gotta jump in another cab (not before I grab a slice of pizza for very late breakfast) and race up to the Lincoln Center for a show by Maisonette 1977. Today's show is led by a guy called Seiji.

The look is a soft curl with ends left straight, created by spraying the hair with Cutler Volumising Spray, then pincurling the hair’s mid-lengths only. It's quite a laborious look to create, and it's absolutely down to the wire with getting the models ready. There are end papers and hair clips everywhere.

At one point Seiji has me holding a curling iron, a flat iron, hair clips, and a dryer all at once. This works until he needs to take them over to where the models are having look book photos taken, and we realise they're completely spaghetti-ed together. Lauren and I unplug and detangle as quickly as possible, passing hot tools over the heads of photographers, models, make-up artists…

At one point I find it hard to look up from the ground – the models are wearing the most mind-blowingly awesome shoes. I struggle to understand how they are even keeping the models upright. It may have been this distraction that led me to leave my hairdryer behind at the show… Rookie mistake! Needless to say, haven't seen it since.

View the Maisonette 1977 show

NYFW Day Four – 13 February 2011

Day four of Fashion Week, and this place is running like clockwork. Check in. Get a pass. Unpack. Watch the demonstration. Check out, grab a diet Coke. Check back in. Wait for a model. Grab said model before the makeup team does. Sit her down, pull those braids and extensions out from her previous show, and get cracking with this show's look.

Today I'm working on the Yoana Baraschi show, once again at The Box in the Lincoln Center. You may notice I've been spelling 'center' with -er instead of -re. I figure, when in Rome, don't be French.

The look is a marcel-waved top section gently pulled back into a pony tail, which is then twisted into itself and pinned so it sits horizontally.

This is quite a fiddly look to create, and it's testing a lot of stylist's marcel waving techniques! We're using 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 inch curling irons.

I assist Lauren in getting the perfect pony, holding pins and sections of hair. Then I realise the model we're working on isn't who they appear to be – it's Andrej Pejic, the Australian male model creating waves with his gender-bending looks and casting. He recently shot a campaign for Marc by Marc jacobs, and walked for Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, etc. It's fascinating to watch this transformation from man into woman – although it's not hard with Andrej's long bleach blonde hair and incredible lips. As we're doing his hair, he's giving an interview for a reputable New York publication. The journalist is struggling to get her questions across, trying her hardest to stay politically correct, polite, and sensitive. Andrej's giving the best answers he can to half-cocked questions, and I'm curiously listening to his responses. He's obviously used to all sorts of questions, and so goes about answering the best he can.

During the presentation Andrej seems to be getting more attention than any of the clothes. Yoana Baraschi herself is wandering through adjusting the models clothes while they stand on their stages. She seems to be quite the character (google search Yoana Baraschi images and you'll see what I mean).

All in all, an eventful day!

View the show

Andrej Pejic article

NYFW Day Six – 15 February 2011

Lauren and I are in midtown Manhattan today for the Daniel Vosovic show. I arrive early, and wait outside the building while guests from the previous show pour out the door, all looking fabulous. It's a fashion blogger’s dream – and they're all here, fighting for photos of the most fashionable and recognisable people. I only have my point-and-snap camera with me, and I feel like a dickhead pulling it out and asking to take pictures of these style mavens, so I take a couple of discreet 'crowd shots'.

I really am floored by what everyone is wearing. They all look like they got caught in a Chanel/Top Shop/Burberry hurricane and came out looking chic-as-hell on the other side.

Before I know it, I'm being asked to have MY picture taken! Oh lord, I've been waiting for this day. The day when I get a hat tip for finally putting together an outfit worth noticing. I'm not stupid, I know this girl is only interested in my glorious fur coat, but nevertheless I'm happy to oblige.

Upstairs it's all go to get started with the next show. Wesley O'Meara is leading the show today and gives us a demonstration. The look is 'Amish S&M' – looking like the girls have been working in a field all day, wearing latex collars and leather bonnets.

Brilliant.

We construct a messy ponytail with fluffy pieces of hair round the hairline left out. The ponytail is secured, braided, then twisted into a bun. The fluffy hair that was left out is heavily sprayed with Redken 23 hairspray and three-prong tonged, then brushed out. Such an effective, yet easy look to create!

We're way ahead of time so venture into the catering room where I find a platter stacked with a mountain of various cheese cubes. This is such a good find.

Fifteen minutes before show time, we're all ready to pack up when we're told there is a model who hasn't even arrived yet. We're all on standby, tools in hand, so when she sprints into the backstage area it is ALL hands on deck. Four makeup artists, two manicurists, four hair stylists – this girl is surrounded, being pulled, brushed, blended, painted every which way. Seven minutes and the girl is done. Amazing team work.

I head down to the Chelsea Markets for dinner after the show. Lauren and I are too tired to even make sense. Richard led the Diesel show today, can't wait to hear how it went.

NYFW Day Seven – 16 February 2011

One of my last days in New York, and I've got the day off! I'm on a mission to explore and tick as many things off my tourist list as possible.

I head over to the meatpacking district to find the legendary Bumble and Bumble salon that I've been hearing about for many years. Inconspicuous from the street, I walk into a plain looking lobby and am greeted by a friendly man who ushers me into an elevator. Straight up the seventh floor, I walk out into an open plan half cafe-half shop with the most breathtaking view of Manhattan and the Hudson River. I ask for a sneaky tour of the salon and get escorted downstairs to the hub of the place. It's quiet at the moment I'm told, because most of the stylists are working at Fashion Week.

I can't resist buying some product – who could? And it is half the price of the Bumble and Bumble product available in New Zealand, so I justify the spend and pray I don't put myself over the luggage limit on the way home, with another two bottles of shampoo.

I zoom off to the Shake Shack at Madison Square Park for a hotdog and a Concrete (frozen whipped custard shake full of banana and peanut butter).

Tonight I'm going to see Interpol at Radio City Music Hall. Ahhhhh! The flashing lights of 42nd St and Rockerfeller Center are just too exciting.

I love NY!