Sometimes I forget how rough New York Fashion Week can actually be—waking up at the crack of dawn, running from show to show. Hence my jam-packed schedule with shows every hour on the hour all day long. 

I interview celebs backstage, run to the front of the house and try to protect my seat—which every fashionista wannabe tries to nab in my absence—and then I book it to the next show. Meanwhile, I catch glimpses of a rarified world backstage and on the runway. Here are 18 such highlights from days one to four of the fall/winter 2014 shows.

Lindsey Vonn at the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection show. (photo: Astrid Stawiarz)

1. Backstage at the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection show, Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn, on crutches, took off her medical boot to reveal a big scar running up the front of her leg. She later walked the runway sans boot but with crutches, which she brandished at the end of the catwalk to much applause.

2. Also backstage at Heart Truth, I was asking Joan Jett about her gum and she offered me a piece. At first I thought she was going to give me the gum straight from her mouth, but then she pulled a new piece out of her pocket and popped it in my mouth. I was in heaven—love her. Meanwhile, NeNe Leakes was wavering about walking the runway. "You have the option of pulling out," a handler told her. She ended up walking, and she was fabulous.

Front row at Rebecca Minkoff. (photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

3. Anna Kendrick was surrounded by young reporters at Rebecca Minkoff. “I feel like I’m going to die right now!” she told her friend. To be fair, it can get frenetic in the front row. When a reporter pronounced her name as "Zo-shah," Zosia Mamet snapped back, "Zah-shuh." Then Annasophia Robb told her she hated being called “Anna” instead of “Ahna." Get it right, people!

4. The next morning, backstage at Jill Stuart, Anna Kendrick was totally calm, collected, and friendly. Then at Monique L’Huillier, she took a selfie with Cat Deeley, who later accused Kendrick of photo-bombing her interview with George Whipple. Kendrick ran up and stuck her head in front of the camera as a joke. Could have been an SNL skit—great comedic timing.

Black Sail by Nautica runway model. (photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

5. Talk about contrast. At Black Sail by Nautica, one hirsute model had his sweater open, with a full rug of chest hair peeking out, George Clooney style. Another model was shirtless and shaved clean. Not a hair on him.

6. Vogue international editor at large Hamish Bowles was sandwiched by dudes—Joe Jonas, Bryan Greenberg, Zachary Quinto—in the front row at Richard Chai.

7. Ali and Dina Lohan attend Nicole Miller. For whatever reason, Ali got the front row seat.

8. Charlotte Ronson's show in the basement of the Hudson Hotel was super crowded. And getting down into the bowels of the building felt like The Poseidon Adventure. The clothes were totally worth the climb, though.

Front row at Lacoste. (photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

9. In the front row at Lacoste on Saturday, Joe Jonas was best-dressed in a light blue suit with white Lacoste tennis shoes. Very cool.

10. Talking to Twilight actress Andrea Powell and True Blood's Carrie Preston amid dim lighting at Tadashi Shoji, this reporter had a major vamp moment. (I later spotted Preston at the chandelier-lit Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge.) Backstage, Tadashi had on loud orange pants, which brightened things up considerably.

11. Christian Siriano's front row was young and fun: Lydia Hearst, Natasha Lyonne, and Game of Thrones costars Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams, who did a selfie with Harley Viera Newton just before the show started. Siriano showed some great big beautiful dresses. Atlanta de Cadenet and Leigh Lezark were also in the house.

12. I saw celeb stylist June Ambrose laughing and climbing through a pile of icy snow in 6-inch, expensive-looking heels after the Siriano show. Onlookers were impressed that she made the door of her car without collapsing.

Coco Rocha backstage at Hervé Léger. (photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

13. At Hervé Léger, Coco Rocha told me she was wearing a big hat because she ran out of time to do her hair. Suits star Sarah Rafferty said her hubby likes lingerie, and confirmed that he would have also given the nod for her snug Léger dress.

14. Moncler Grenoble gave a crazy-cool presentation. Male models on stilts tilted in every direction and sang modernist opera while women in ski getups stood behind in a huge matrix of lighted boxes onstage. It felt like it could have worked at BAM, but it took place at the Hammerstein Ballroom. See a video here.

15. Also at Moncler—file this under fashion week etiquette—I noticed an Italian woman with her purse on the chair next to her, while numerous people had to stand through the whole amazing presentation. I hope her purse was comfortable.

Moncler Grenoble presentation. (photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

16. Spotted by the Lincoln Center Plaza fountain, early Saturday morning: A woman wearing a large hat that appeared to have lettuce and veggies on it. I thought, Ruby Tuesday just called, they want their salad bar back.

17. David Beckham and his beautiful brood walked out just before the Victoria Beckham show started. The boys had their hair brushed back and styled with a little product, like Becks. They were all dressed to the nines, and David was carrying the baby. So cute!

18. Katie Cassidy was front row at the Lela Rose show. She told me she had colored her own hair, which was an ombré shade. I asked her what she thought of Jared Leto's similarly graduated hair color (don't call it ombré...) but she said she hadn't seen him in a while.

Source: gotham-magazine.com