New York Fashion Week:: Backstage at J.Mendel

j.mendel, established in russia back in 1870, is a top shelf design house with a strong reputation for evening as well as furs-- aka "my jam!"  the girlish makeup for the catwalk, sponsored by revlon, was dreamt up {+ executed to perfection} by the one-and-only gucci westman {mentioned here}.  to compliment the spring mix of color and pattern within the '13 collection, westman kept the makeup quite simple with contoured cheeks {using revlon's new photoready bronzer}, and nude lips {using the colorburst lipgloss in 'bellini' and lipstick in 'private viewing' available january} -- which played up a "natural beauty" theme.

the hair story, designed by mr. orlando pita {mentioned here}, was swept off the face in a center part {using this hydrating botanical cream via phytho}, then styled into loose cascading waves and set with a workable hairspray.

for a classic meets modern look, manicurist jin soon choi chose a timeless nude color for the hands and paired it with something more unexpected & playful on the toes.  choi used revlon nail enamel in purple, pink, and bright red on the toes {depending on model skintone}.

this fashion week i found myself much more at ease, which allowed time to soak up "smaller moments" backstage;  i.e. a woman scratching the soles of never worn manolo blahniks with scissors {to prevent fashion roadkill}, an assistant carefully steaming a chiffon gown that's about to make her debut, or even the production crew feverishly assembling the stage. . .  count it all joy!

behind the scenes photos via tulip louise

catwalk photos via style.com

is it not just divine?  i must say that j.mendel was by far one of my favorite collections i saw this season-- the yummy prints, the delicate chiffon, the vibrant hues, the floral appliques, the dyed fur {magically made springy}, and the intricate tailoring... oh, the tailoring!

an unforgettably special moment was getting to snap the above photo of model bette franke backstage immediately after she walked the spring '13 finale dress!   

yours truly-