Behind the Scenes at Paris Fashion Week with photographer Nina Westervelt

Fashion photographer Nina Westervelt gives Untapped some behind the scenes shots at Paris Fashion Week! When asked what her favorite show was, she told us it was hands down Alexander McQueen: “It was completely surreal and dreamlike. Romantic yet haunting.” Her favorite show backstage was Sonia Rykiel, which took place in a large warehouse: “Nothing more fun than watching your favorite models stampede through a smokey fog while the sunshine pours through the broken windows.” The major difference between New York and Paris shows is by far the venues she tells us, and by way of the photography that has come out–we wonder if the New York tents are stifling creativity!

Here’s as photo essay by Nina, with her own captions:

Arizona Muse (my favorite model!) backstage at Chloe

Lining up for rehearsal backstage at Cacharel  

Models Siri and Hanne backstage at Cacharel

View of the Eiffel Tower at Dries Van Noten

Runway at Dries Van Noten

Runway at Rochas

Backstage at John Galliano  

Alexander McQueen finale

Liv Tyler posing for cameras at Givenchy

Look #40 at Jean Paul Gaultier

Chloe Sevigny backstage at Kenzo (she walked in and closed the show)

Makeup artist applying coverup to a model’s legs

Makeup artist Dick Page backstage at Sonia Rykiel  

Model stampede backstage at Sonia Rykiel

Tribal makeup at Vivienne Westwood  

Backstage at Vivienne Westwood  

When we asked about her own time in Paris, Nina said that sadly covering the collections leaves “little free time for shopping, sightseeing or even eating!” But at the end of a long day, she would go to Le Tambour on Rue Montmartre  with her coworkers for great atmosphere, wine and divey decor.

To see more of Nina’s work, check out her website at  ninawestervelt.tumblr.com