It’s an early hours start for Ennio Capasa and his team. Or rather work left over from the day before ends in the depths of the night.

NIGHT
4 am

All looks have now been finalized and the order of the entrance and exit of the models agreed.
The clothes are hanging on racks ready for Enzo to take them to the Carrousel du Louvre.

4.30 am

Almost impossible to find a taxi to get back to the hotel. The all-night session in Paris has practically come to an end and with it all of Paris’s taxis!

DAYTIME

10.00 am
The collection items have now reached the Salle Soufflot and Enzo is looking after them as he waits for the team.

11.00 am
The make-up artists and hair stylists organize their “tools of the trade” and listen to the final input on styles decided by Ennio.

11.30 am
The first models and team members arrive.
But before starting it’s best to enjoy a hearty breakfast!

12.00 am
The photographers are coming in and the first flashes explode in the air.
Backstage things are starting to get crowded!

12.30 pm
Catwalk check for the models

13.30 pm
The last girl has now arrived. To speed up her “overhaul” as many as seven
people are working on her at the same time. And in ten minutes she’s ready!

13.45 pm
People start to come in to take their seats.

2.00 pm
The room is packed but backstage things are running decidedly late! But this
is all part of the fashion game! You need at least 10 minutes to organize
the girls, get them in line, check the final details, shoo away the
photographers and start up the music!

2.40 pm
15 seconds of darkness, music, lights on and Karmen makes her entrance onto the runway.
Maida is marking the time and shows the girls the exact second they have to take to the stage.

While Ennio checks the parade’s progress on the monitor, Alistair runs through the final details of the looks and Paul Hanlon, the hair stylist and Lyne Desnoyers the make up artist apply the final touches to mascara and hair.

Once the first parade is over, the have to change as fast as possible and get back in line for the second exit, brave the umpteenth check of the assistants, make-up people and all the rest: an out and out assembly line!

Magdalena’s Look No. 32 closes the parade. Then it’s a final exit and
catwalk for all the girls and at last Ennio himself.

Applause

The first hugs back stage

An unmitigated triumph!
And another wonderful sensation of satisfaction to feel part of such a closely-knit and intense team, to belong to such a chaotic, but undeniably fascinating and exciting world! Also to work alongside such a charismatic and experimental designer, a visionary yet also a rationalist, Ennio is
driven by pure passion for style, for rock music and for that often indefinable formal and stylistic balance.

2.50 pm
The music is turned off, the lights come on in the hall and the journalists
crowd into the backstage area.

And finally we too enjoy a toast with all the others!

Check out all the backstage photos on flickr.