HJ Guest Editor
DAY IN THE LIFE
As well as being International Artistic Director at TONI&GUY, Efi Davies is a regular backstage at shows and shoots around the world. She tells us what it’s really like
► What’s the biggest misconception about working backstage at shows and shoots?
People think it’s all glamour, front row selfies and champagne. The reality is it’s more likely you’re on your third cold black coffee you've forgotten to drink, standing on your feet for ten hours, doing hair in a corridor with no mirror. But honestly, what people don’t realise is that backstage is pure graft. It’s early mornings and late nights, but that chaos is part of the magic, and it’s earned through passion, prep and the odd panic attack!
► How physically demanding is it?
I’ve had mornings where the alarm goes off at 4am and I’m still prepping head pieces from the night before with the team – after doing a full day at the TONI&GUY Academy. Fashion Week is no joke physically – sore feet, aching back and a kitbag that gets heavier every season and yet by the end of the week, I somehow manage to lose half of it. You cope because you love the chaos, because each show is a privilege and because there’s no other place you’d rather be.
► What’s the reality no one sees ?
The pressure, the laughable number of pins and grips in your own hair and pockets, the moments when you lose your favourite brush and don’t realise until the last show. They don’t see the BTS panic moments with five minutes to showtime, or the relief when everything comes together at the last minute. Instagram only shows the pretty, not the coffee spills or the hard work involved in getting a look. The late nights, the solo work, the ‘figure it out’ moments. But that’s okay, because the real reward is knowing that you have an incredible team that pulled it off under pressure.
► How does working under pressure change the way you think about hair?
I find that pressure doesn’t make you cut corners, it makes you clever. You learn to think clearly and to plan two steps ahead. If you can do a flawless braid in ten minutes, you know you can do it in five, without compromising on quality. It creates a hair-focused survival instinct and that’s why it’s so important to always practise all of the techniques.
► How important is the hairdresser/ designer relationship?
It’s everything. If you don’t understand the designer’s vision, the hair won’t make sense. When the relationship works, it feels effortless and the end result always looks stronger because of that trust, and when a designer trusts you, it gives you freedom. And when you trust them, it gives you direction. One of my favourite parts is learning from other creatives, it’s such an amazing privilege.
► What’s a moment backstage that made you think, ‘this is why I do it’?
The finale. That moment when everything comes together, when the music drops and you see the designer’s vision come to life. The moment you get a glimpse of the incredible teams backstage clapping with pride and relief. That’s why we do it!