Thick curtains guarded audience members from witnessing the madness displayed backstage.

Shoes claimed their place among the cluttered floor of T-shirts and sweatpants strewn across the room.

Streams of mocha-colored foundation poured from toppled bottles as frantic hands searched for the perfect shade. Countertops shimmered from the remains of brightly colored eye shadows, piled high in their tiny containers, escaping the tangled mess of makeup brushes and false eyelashes.

As for the models, they waited anxiously in chairs, their carefully made-up faces buried comfortably into their arms, hiding the work of Bobbi Brown and Maybelline.

This was the real show.

Surrounded by carrots, celery and cantaloupe, models were kept away from the tempting smell of pizza wafting through the corridor. As they munched on the veggies, designers peeked into the rooms checking on their condition. But don’t be fooled ­— these women were nothing like the skeletal figures staggering down runway after runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

These models displayed a wide variety of both physically and racially diverse women, representing a realistic vision of what college women look like.

While some designs accentuated particular areas, others elegantly highlighted the female figure, like the design worn by human biology freshman Katelyn Wormmeester. Backstage, the model sat tucked away in a small room among the maze of hallways, hair still warm from the recent touch of a curling iron.

She prepared to take the stage representing ‘70s musician and fashion icon Stevie Nicks in a sheer, black form-fitting dress covered with strategically placed intricate leaves. Above her smoky eyes and softly curled hair laid a black crown of leaves that shined in an abundance of light. Wormmeester represented one of many models wearing garments created for their bodies by designers.

For both the models and designers, a long day still remained ahead as show time neared and the soon-to-be sold-out audience took their seats.

Fresh off the runway

Just minutes before the show, the tension in the audience was snowballing. But once the overhead lights dimmed and the music intensified, one thing became very clear: the models were ready.

The first half, called FASH Forward, brought a blast from the past with dozens of fashion icons from the past five decades. One model, wearing “Visiting Singsing” by Martin Flores, depicted a young Audrey Hepburn demurely tiptoeing across the stage. Although it was sleek and simple in black, the silhouette said it all.

Another rocked large angular shoulder pads and a billowing black skirt for Niki Sullivan’s “Bridget (sic) Bar-Do-Me,” meant to illustrate ‘60s sex icon Brigitte Bardot. Once at the end of the runway, the black shell of the dress was torn back to reveal a white interior, and although it was a little too high-fashion for Bardot, the design itself was dramatic and beautiful.

The crowd favorite, however, emerged with a little bit of spunk.

Bursting onto the runway clad in a white tutu, hot pink corset and chunky black boots, the model embodied Madonna with Jennifer Lantrip’s “A Material … World.”

Although many models displayed a less-than-enthused demeanor while strutting their stuff, the tattooed model took her role to the next level, singing along with the lyrics and bouncing with each step. It gets boring looking at the same walk over and over, and many of the models could have embraced such sass.

With the historical theme left in the past, the second half of the show exploded with creativity — or, in the case of designer Victoria Wirgau, science. Her geometric creation, “Niacin,” presumably was meant to reflect the anatomic structure of an organic compound. At one point, the model literally dropped down into the dress, transforming it and walking to the other end of the runway. Although the audience went wild, there also seemed to be one collective thought: “What on earth just happened?”

Some designers also decided to put a little more substance into their work. Shannon Gillespie’s “Eat Me” was a simple, flowy dress — created entirely out of popcorn. Gabrielle Aldridge made her dress, called “Worth or Worthless,” out of pennies. Realistically, they might not be the most wearable pieces, but the materials made for a memorable show and outfit.

Amid the winter season, it also was refreshing to see floral designs reminiscent of warmer weather. A multi-piece look called “Dark Paradise,” by Jenessa Eadeh, included a leather bandeau and a black tulle skirt with flowers. Even the model’s hair was perfection, with a middle part and soft curls. It played with the boundaries of spring clothing, combining dark shades with a floral element.

Although all the models’ footsteps might not have brought energy to the pounding bass in the background, the show at-large remained focused on one thing: the culmination of months of hard work performed by dozens of students. When the designers came out one by one, their models in tow, their level of accomplishment was evident, and in the end, that’s more important than any misstep or dress malfunction.