It's that time of year again: fashion week. As such, we've set ITG photo assistant, Tom, loose for his first season backstage. Here's what he saw, who he spoke to, and a preview of what's to come. Check back in throughout the week as we update this post with new shows.

MARC JACOBS

Tom's take: “I saw some Nars concealer/foundation backstage, but I am 100% sure they didn't use any of it. Or if they did they did it in the sneakiest way. You could see every 'flaw,' red blotch, shiny spot, freckle, etc. on every girl. It was super refreshing, I always wondered if Liu Wen even had pores or if her skin really even existed, it always looks like ridiculously un-realistically perfect even in un-retouched backstage stuff (I found out she doesn't really have pores—maybe one or two. The curtains have been drawn back you guys). Gigi was there & she glowed—whatever drugstore stuff she uses must actually work for her. Also there was a bit of a circa 2005 doll-faced model moment that happened—Heather Marks, Jessica Stam & Caroline Trentini were all backstage together. I didn't get a shot, regrettably, but it's OK. It would have been better if Gemma Ward had been there as well. And even though they have been around so long & they're all a bit older they looked really great, I'm sure they aren't super used to going down the runway with nothing on their face but they looked really damn good. Trentini's freckles were super prominent and she was super smiley. I have nothing to say about the wigs.”

François Nars (Nars): “As much as I love makeup, I always love seeing a woman with no makeup—maybe that’s weird coming from a makeup artist. I remember a shoot with Linda Evangelista and Richard Avedon where I just put grease on her face and nothing else. I love that, so I followed Marc all the way when he said, ‘I think we should do the girls with no makeup.’ We’re using Nars skincare, so moisturizer and eye cream—we played with all the products. Most of the girls have perfect skin, but if there’s a little trouble, we’ll use a tiny bit of makeup. There weren’t really any references—Marc just showed me the colors of the clothes, which were beige, camel, khakis. He felt the girls should look like an army on the runway. The makeup comes from the set in a way—the set is bright pink. Sometimes doing less is more, and I think the girls look beautiful. I love them with nothing, as much as I sometimes love them with a lot of makeup. I love a glow. Shine can be very sexy, and I love the reality of it. We love the circles under the eyes. Then the wigs bring sophistication and makes the look very fresh. It's actually a bit dramatic that they have really nothing on. It’s a very refreshing look. Maybe next time we’ll surprise you with a very heavy look.”

PROENZA SCHOULER

Tom's take: “The makeup was just Embryolisse & a MAC glitter eye gel that I'm not even sure is out yet. That's really all they used. I hope all the models' skin is just glowing after this season—they've had it really good. There wasn't too much caked-on heavy stuff at any shows. Moussed, slicked-back hair, too. I don't get why designers like it so much! I preferred the dry side-parted texture-y wispy hair that I didn't get to photograph—ugh—at Victoria Beckham. Also, I really enjoy the fact that Binx's street style is like...Target, and it's probably on everyone's blog already. I swear that's what she was telling someone who complimented her pants! She used the French pronunciation, too.”

MICHAEL KORS

Tom’s take: “There was a mini red carpet at the entrance to this show, which was kinda crazy. Definitely wasn't expecting that. Some really good models here too—my upstate girl Maggie Rizer!!! & Liisa Winkler & Malaika & Candice—who I did not get a photo of—she had craziness around her sorta like Kendall but it was 8am and a little too much to deal with. Next time hopefully! I talked to Maggie a bit about 'coming back to the runway'-slash-red hair + freckles. I have the voice memo if needed. I just wanted to talk to her honestly, so I was like, 'Hey can I get a quote, I'm from Into The Gloss' I hope that wasn't shady of me. The beauty was like matte blushy-ness + a subtle glossy lip + a lined/mascara-filled eye. Its sorta what he always does isn't it? MK is making the products this time though—did we ever get any in the office? It's like giant gold packaging and very pink, girly matte-looking blush and a cherry gloss. I was excited to go here & woke up at 6am this morning for that reason though—I knew the girls would look really pretty and the makeup would be noticeable & would photograph well. The photos are like that too. The space was just sun filled and everyone was kinda just quiet. After some of the other shows it was a really nice place to shoot.”

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

Tom's take: “Hair inspired by Björk, and a no-makeup makeup look that used literally no makeup. The girls just wore some rose lip balm on their lids, cheeks, and lips (the same kind in the white tube with green & red rose vines on it, this or rosebud salve was used EVERYWHERE!) They also used a bit of a gold Marc Jacobs eyeshadow stick on their lids but it was such a subtle gold—why bother? I guess when the hair is as crazy as it was here you don't need a statement-y makeup look. I'd describe how the hair was done but like, who does that benefit? Are there girls out there reading ITG hoping to re-create this? I don't know, maybe they'll say so in the comments and then I'm going to feel bad. It looked like Guido just took pieces of hair in his hands and then twisted and twisted into little buns—the wispy swoops in the front ended up being really cool though. I have the voice memo from Guido. And thank God for Issa Lish! She's let me photograph her at like every show I see her at and is so damn sweet, energetic, and brilliant. Girls like her deserve fancy beauty contracts.”

Guido Palau (Redken): “It’s a continuation of last season’s girl, with that punky headband. She’s got the same innocence and cuteness to her, but now she’s going to a rave. She’s into her dance phase and is wearing some Björk-inspired knots. It’s a very easy hairstyle to achieve because you can’t really get it wrong. We take four sections of hair and bring them up to the top of the crown, sort of like a mohawk. Then we twist them down and leave some of the ends out, especially around the hairline so it doesn’t feel too clean or modern. Then we’re finishing it with some fine pins. One thing that you do need is a little bit of texture in the hair to make it much easier to go up into these knots. If your hair is too clean, it’ll slip slide around. So the Redken Wind Blown 05 we’re using are multi-purpose—sometimes you’ll see it being us to create chunky sections of hair and then you’ll see it to achieve these knots. Just before the girls go out, I’m going to be spraying a little bit of Evian to give that slightly sweaty feel, so you feel like they might have been in a nightclub. It’ll help create a softness—like an innocent mistake. It should feel easy.”

RAG & BONE

Tom’s take: “This was such a good backstage. Jin Soon was so friendly! I missed her interview, and then asked the PR girl to email it to me, and then Jin Soon was like 'No, no, no' and went through everything again for me. Basically the whole beauty story was 'undone downtown girl’—she talked about cleaning up all the dirt from the girl's nails, skipping the base coat, and keeping it sporty and light. The color was a nice milky sheer pink. The hair was inspired by Japan(I think?)—it was a cool look. Like at Thakoon, they tied the hair, literally, in a knot. The makeup was no-makeup makeup again—Gucci gave me a nice quote about it, hearing her describe it the way she did made it feel less redundant because it's literally what everyone is doing. I think the idea behind it is important and lovely (letting the skin breathe, seeing people's pores, etc). Winona Ryder was there! I didn't get anything from her, :(. I did get two pretty portraits of Allison Williams—no interview or quote at all though, which was one of my many NYFW rookie mistakes tonight, including getting Anna Wintour to pose for a portrait and then catching her blinking. There have been a lot of good moments to outweigh the bad though—it’s all right.”

Jin Soon: “We’re going back to basics and tried to give a modern, clean, fresh look on the nails because she’s a downtown, really cool girl and you don’t want to put too much of a high gloss or bright color—it’s sportier this way. But it’s still very groomed and well-done. We put one layer of Jin Soon Power Coat as a base, one coat of Jin Soon Tulle, and one coat of Jin Soon Top Gloss Top Coat. In this case, since the color isn’t super pigmented, you don’t have to use base coat if you’re in a rush. But always use the top coat and you’re good to go. The key about using this kind of color though is you really have to clean under the nails. A lot of people have dirt there, and you’ll see it through the polish.”

Gucci Westman (Nars): “We wanted the girls to feel effortless and cool, but have the face be quite beautiful and fresh. For the skin, I’m using the Optimal Brightening Concentrate, and I’m layering the Copacabana Multiple with a cream on the eyes, followed by lip gloss on the lids. The brows are very groomed, brushed up, and really perfect. And there’s mascara on the top lashes, with a little bit on the bottom. I’m doing a little less sheen on the skin than I normally do—just a little powder because there’s so much shine on the eyes. The lips are a combination of pencils—I wanted them to look relatively thin in comparison. Overall, it’s lighter—a little bit less edgy. They feel like themselves, and that feels fresh. There’s something that feels so nice about the simplicity of the look for this season.”

DONNA KARAN

Tom's take: “I guess this was Charlotte Tilbury's version of no-makeup makeup? They only used a few products like a lot of shows this season (or did they use a bunch and just hide them? Are all the backstage make up artists lying to me? Who can I really trust?) The eye look ended up being sorta smokey and sexy though—it was light and pastel-y but definitely there. I really liked how the nail color matched and vibed well with the eyes. Also Kendall was there so it was like a circus—people were jumping over themselves to ask her stuff and grab a shot of her. Sorry, I just got like one. Also saw a bunch of models getting pedicures? I didn't know they did that—I guess there were a lot of open toed sandals in the collection.”

THAKOON

Tom's take: “Inspired by Herb Ritts's Pirelli calendar photos—oil slick beachy twisted hair and glassy wet looking face. Brows and lids were smothered in lip gloss, nails covered in a clear glitter. The only color makeup was a coppery bronze. The models were shining all over the place, it was really beautiful. They looked like glass mermaids. I think the way Odile tied around the hair in the back was really beautiful, too.”

Diane Kendal (Nars): “Thakoon wanted the girls to look like they were just coming out of water with the sun reflecting light on their dewy, wet skin. So basically we just moisturized, evened out skin tone and then we’re applying the South Beach Multiple just on the apples of their cheeks with our fingers and spreading across. On top of that, we’re using the Illuminator in Orgasm— it’s got quite a shimmer so it gives a beautiful sheen to the skin. We’re brushing eyebrows up and filling them in with powder and a brush, but not really defining them—just making sure there’s no holes so they look a bit fuller. And there's no mascara or anything. We put some lip gloss on the top of the lid and a bit of lip balm on the lips and that’s it.”

Odile Gilbert (Kérastase): “It’s a feeling of summer and holiday, because no one gets enough holiday! And we were very inspired by Herb Ritts’ photos—it’s all about the oil on the body. Think Helena Christensen with Chris Isaak—so sensual. To get that wet look, we’re using a ton of the Femme Fatale Blow Dry Gel and then on the bottom length, we’re using a lot of the Keratin Thermique, which launches next month and protects hair from the flat iron. On the very ends, we’re spritzing some Laque Noir and before the models walk, we're finishing it off with Gloss Appeal Instant Shine Top Coat for Hair.”

HOOD BY AIR

Tom's take: “Such crazy people working at this show and modeling in it. MAC did the makeup. The look was 'a girl lost on a cold wintery mountain and a man rescuing her,' or something. They both have frostbitten rosy cheeks—stippled on with fan brushes to give the look of broken capillaries. The colors were very saturated—it made everyone's eyes look beautiful. The men and women had a similar look but they pumped up the guy's a bit more, the cheeks were much rosier. It was so odd to see male models outside smoking just covered in blush.”

PRABAL GURUNG

Tom's take: “Super super simple look, very matte and sculpted. Hair in slicked-back ponytails, glossy clear nails, and major contoured cheekbones with a super pearly highlight. There were only three products used. Hair and makeup took like 15 minutes on each girl because it was so minimal. Diane Kendal did the makeup and Paul Hanlon apparently did the hair for Tresemmé but I never saw him.”

ALTUZARRA

Tom's take: “Very '60s Catherine Denueve-esque. Or that's what they were saying. Odile did the hair which was a chignon variation—kinda simple and elegant from the front and a bit turned up in the back. Everyone's done slicked back hair so far. The makeup was all MAC by Tom Pecheux—very pretty and girly—but not too girly as he said. Annie has a good voice memo, she also reminds Tom of his sister—I hope she caught that part of the interview, he seems like a nice guy! The makeup was '60s with a twist, sorta like the hair I guess. Pink lips, light face, and spiky lashes. Monika/Jac had on a really cool vintage coat. She was so sweet to me.”

Tom Pecheux (MAC): “We want the girl to look very fresh and very girly, but not like a little girl—it’s about a youth with a twist, like Catherine Deneuve in Belle du Jour. The makeup is about satin skin, rosy cheeks, and pink lipstick, which goes slightly over the lips. We have to give the world what it wants—big lips! But we paint them with a brush, not with pencil. There’s white pencil in the inside corners of the eyes and a nude eyelid. And then, just a piece of false eyelashes, right in the middle. We do a lot of mascara on the bottom lashes, also in the middle, so it really opens the eyes and makes them look doll-like.”

ALEXANDER WANG

Tom's take: “This was so insane. I thought it would be an event and it was, but Gisele wasn't there! Anyway, the hair was all gooey and slicked back to death with a slightly frizzy wavy ponytail thing. The makeup was all Nars. Very simple—they used like four products (like at Prabal—Diane Kendal likes it simple and minimal I guess). They had foundation, a matte bronze Multiple for the cheeks, and a shimmery Multiple for the eyes. They also used a Nars gold glittery shadow for highlights and had a bronze glittery eyestick out as well, but I saw them just using the shimmery Multiple on the eyes. Also the eyebrows were bleached, but not all the way—they switched it up for each girl and they weren't the yellowy looking bleached eyebrows they usually have. The girl's eyes all varied a little as well. The makeup was sort of easy and loose, but the event coordinators were not.”

Diane Kendal (Nars): “During Spring/Summer, you always want to have that feeling of skin that’s luminous and dewy. I’m using a white highlighter to get an athletic high-shine, as if they’ve been working out, but in that glamorous way. We’re accentuating the tops of the cheekbones and the brows, and then sculpting the face with the Palm Beach Multiple, conturing the T-zone, and using lip balm on the lips. Guido's taken the hair back into quite a low ponytail, and then with the luminous skin and eyebrows, you get a very bold, strong feel. We’re bleaching the brows, toning them with a cool dye, and then brushing them. We didn’t want to do no brows, but wanted to have that feel of them blending into the skin.”

Guido Palau (Redken): “In a way, Alex was talking about how a girl looks when she’s really sweaty with her hair back. Obviously we wanted her to look more sophisticated than that, but he was looking at that sport idea. We’re doing a very simple ponytail that’s been tweaked to become futuristic. It’s a high-gloss texture, which is achieved with Hardwear Gel to create the silicon-like head shape and Diamond Oil Shatterproof Shine to get a super glossy shine. It’s important that ponytail is dragged back and low. It gives a more extreme, austere, and modern look.”

JASON WU

Tom's take: “The look was a smokey smudgy warm brown eye. The entire process was very quick and easy. Malaika and Saskia were really showing off the eye well and looking really damn beautiful. Also Odile Gilbert said the hair was inspired by Charlotte Rampling, but the eyes were more interesting.”

Odile Gilbert (Kérastase): “The inspiration is Charlotte Rampling and Lauren Bacall. We’re setting the hair, doing a side part, and giving it a wave for a retro feel. And we're giving all the girls body and length—so some extensions if the hair's not long enough, mousse at the roots, and combing it out after spraying it with hairspray.”

Diane Kendal (Lancôme): “We’re doing really luminous skin and emphasizing the eyes with Le Crayon Khol in Black Coffee mixed with moisturizer and then putting a cream base on top. The eyes have a sultry, sexy wave with curled lashes. We’re dusting the cheeks with a peachy shimmer and countering. We’re filling in eyebrows—just maximizing the girls’ features. It’s really about the skin and enhancing the eyes with a dewy, smoky look. Spring/Summer always tends to have a more natural feel.”

NYFW Spring '15 shows photographed by Tom Newton. Post updated as of September 11th, 2014, 8pm EST.