Contribs.(Contributors)

Contributors

Franz Walderdorff After 16 years of photographing hair and makeup behind the scenes at the fashion collections for Allure, Walderdorff has seen his share of the out-of-the-ordinary. "This season, the makeup artist glued tiny feathers all over the models' faces" at Alexander McQueen, he says. But Walderdorff spotted his favorite curiosity on the streets. "I saw [hairstylist] Guido zipping between the Lanvin and Louis Vuitton shows on a motorcycle," he says. "He was doing the hair for both shows at almost the same time."

Victoria Kirby When Kirby first ventured backstage as an unproven beauty assistant, it was tough

for her to coax even one quote out of the experts. Now, Allure's beauty editor,

who wrote "Backstage Beauty," has built a rapport -- even a friendship -- with her

sources in New York, Paris, and Milan. "When I felt sick at the Nina Ricci show, [makeup artist] Pat McGrath offered to bring me hot tea," she says. "When you're so far from home, these people you talk to every day for three weeks are like family."

David ...