FYI by Dani Read

Dramatic Scenes of a Backstage Performance

Inside a tiny dressing room, approximately the size of a broom closet, FYI lingerie designer, Dani Read, was directing a team of make-up artists, hair stylists, models and assistants in preparation for her Spring/Summer 2012 runway show at The Westway. I was welcomed into the madness backstage, and encouraged to capture the frantic, bustling moments just before showtime, as these candid spectacles are rarely witnessed by the public. I photographed as twenty contorted bodies maneuvered together within the constrictive space, each with the grace and dexterity of a ballet dancer. A hazy cloud of hairspray and body paint lingered above while an assembly line of hair and make-up artists systematically groomed, primped, and styled each model until perfection. Misplaced shoes and snagged hosiery acted as an antagonist, thickening the plot and inciting suspense. As is typically the case, the anticipation is evermore thrilling than the climax and it’s backstage where all the real drama unravels.