Alternative looks behind the scenes at Paris Fashion Week

Fashion shows can be magical and glamorous events, powerful enough to transport guests and online viewers to a different world – often the world the designer mentally inhabited while creating their new collection. It’s a familiar format, even to those who have never seen a show: there are models, clothes, lights, music and, often, celebrities in the front row. When everything goes according to plan, the results can be extraordinary. And although the magic only lasts about 12 minutes, the making of these shows is very important.

Thousands of hours of work and sometimes hundreds of people are involved behind the scenes. There’s the designer and the brand’s studio team, but also hair and makeup professionals, set designers, construction workers, public relations representatives, runners, assistants, interns, runway models, fit models, security guards, drivers and many more.

In this photo essay by Cyril Zannettacci, CNN Style takes a look backstage at Paris Fashion Week’s Fall/Winter 2022 season, which wraps up today.

The images that follow include exclusive shots taken before the Balmain, Cecilie Bahnsen, Isabel Marant, Rick Owens and Dior shows. These photographs offer a glimpse beyond, around and off the runway, offering an alternative view of fashion week.