Showing posts with label backstage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label backstage. Show all posts

Euphoria. The inspiration behind Monique Lhuillier's Spring 2011 Collection.

Feminine evening gowns. It's what Monique Lhuillier does best.  What surprises me about this season's collection is the choice of color palette, a departure from what we've come to expect for her.  Nude, white, gold ... yes, very familiar ... poppy red? Really? Ok ... we're willing to take a look. Let it sink in a little bit.  Ummm .... sure, I suppose this could be interesting. In fact, the more I study the collection with its pops of soft seafoam-y teal contrasted with the warmth of the golden red, the more appealing it becomes. 

"Welcome to the Garden of Eden," greets Lhuillier, gesturing around the hotel suite. "We have the angelic side, and the naughty side."

Slender metallics, draped silk sheaths and flamboyant ballgowns — poufed and appliquéd chiffons with plenty of fanfare like bustled, petaled or trumpet skirts. Your choice, ladies.



Lead makeup artist Val Garland for MAC created glowing faces that complimented the elegant feel of the line. The eye was for facial focal point here, using black gel eyeliner for a “sleek Fifties” winged feel. “It’s a bit of a cat eye,” said Garland. “It's a 1950's Audrey Hepburn look with an aerodynamic beautiful eye liner.  Very haute couture and red carpet, slightly debutant with gilded lilacs on the eye lid, liner and a delicate soft pink glossed lip.”

Proving you don't have to match your makeup colors to your clothing, Garland used MAC eye shadows in Digit and Vellum layered onto the lids, Crystal through the crease of the lids and a layer of Idol (one of my fave MAC shadows) applied wet on the top.  Woodwinked was dabbed on the inner corners of the lids for golden highlighting. Eyebrows were slightly extended to frame the face. MAC Face and Body foundation was applied as a base with Bamboo Cream Colour Base blended onto the cheeks and Shell Cream Colour Base to highlight the cheekbones. Garland’s “soft look” for lips was achieved by patting on MAC Viva Glam Gaga Lipglass, a pigmented matte baby pink lip gloss.

Rudi Lewis, lead hairstylist for Bumble and Bumble described the look he created at Monique Lhuillier’s Spring 2011 show as “magical but modern.” Before beginning the updo, Lewis added Spray de Mode to blow-dried hair. He pulled hair up into a “sculpted high ponytail.” A section of hair on the top of the head was left out of the updo and given a softer texture. He then tucked hair up in a roll, using only one long piece of elastic to create the refined look. “This is reminiscent of an Irving Penn woman,” said Lewis. “It’s Fifties without being too retro.” Lewis added that models were styled to look “expensive” and polished. “It’s not about trends,” he said.


Nails, styled by Wanda Ruiz for CND, were gilded — a combination of two coats of Putty nail polish and a top coat of shimmering Perfectly Bare polish, for a “reflective three-dimensional, holographic effect.” Um, gorgeous is what I say!


Watch the video to really get the elegant feel of this collection, the look of beauty and backstage fun!


source: Monique Lhuillier, MAC, wwd, style.com



CHANEL Fall 2010 Haute Couture is all about a new proportion, a modern comfortable femininity.  An exquisite collection, designer Karl Lagerfeld summons 1920's flappers with a mix of 1960's modern flair - a blending of gorgeous beading, sequins, lace (the big trend for Fall), fur and feathers on short dresses (there's not a single long dress in the collection) created to enhance the gentle softness of a woman's silhouette.


Lagerfeld says he wanted something differnt for this collection, a cleaning up so to speak.  No long sleeves, no long dresses, and tired of the movie star red carpet glamour and flouncy Belle Epoque styling he wanted simple elegance.  He created with moving around in mind, like "in the roaring twenties," he says, finally "(I) liked the idea of comfort."


The craftsmanship and sophistication of the designs conjure elements of Metiers d'Art and the Houses of Lesage, Lemarie, Massaro and Montex.  The embroidery and detailing of the collection is absolutely sensuous. One just cannot single out a favorite here, it's just too painful.  The short dresses are balanced by the volume of the sleeves, masterfully created boleros, the chunky bracelets and the sumptuous boots.


Symbolism abounds throughout the collection: the lion (Coco Chanel was a Leo), the sunflower, sunburst, the shining sun, a sign of strength and renewal.  The color palette appropriately autumn with chocolate browns, bronze, taupe, beige blended with midnight blues, cherry reds, cream, white, eggplant and black.



The beauty look for this collection was nothing short of genius as well.  Who better than to perfect the red lip than Chanel.  Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of Chanel Makeup, gave us the most delicious crimson red lip seen in ages. Using deep red lips and simple, nude makeup, the models were given a modern elegance. Here's the scoop on what Philips used to create this look:

(L-R) Backstage swatches, Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Color in Rivoli, Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in Rouge Fatal, Chanel Les Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Enigma

"For the show, Karl Lagerfeld wanted to give a new dimension to Haute Couture makeup. He wanted contemporary hairstyles and makeup and a new sophistication: an everyday, easy to wear look. When Karl showed me his sketches, I realized that all the silhouettes had a touch of red on the mouth. The first suit he showed me was a deep magnificent red which I loved. The tone was given... The mouth and nails were going to be red! The idea was to take two classic makeup elements, a red lipstick and nail polish, and to create a contrast by emphasizing them in an ultra-modern fashion on a nude face." (Teen Vogue)

To create the look: Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Color in Rivoli, Chanel Les Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in Enigma and Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color in Rouge Fatal (launching in October 2010).


Video courtesy of style.com
 
Chanel Fall/Winter 2010 Haute Couture shines bright.  The fashions are absolutely divine, the makeup simple yet gorgeous and new trends have been inspired with the chunky bracelets, quilted ankle boots, hair regrowth (did ya see those roots on the catwalk - yeah, that's apparently the next big thing too - whew), crimson lips, and lace (don't forget the lace - gonna be huge next season).  Many have noted this as Lagerfeld's best collection, a sentiment which he apparently loathes.  Why?
Lagerfeld believes, "Fashion is about going ahead, not about memory. When people want to be liked for what they did, they should stop."
So has all the creative genius that went into the Chanel Fall 2010 Haute Couture collection left him blank of ideas for the moment?
"No," quips Sir Karl, "I will be ready by tomorrow morning."
For more information on this equisitely sumptuous collection as well as backstage commentary, video and more with Karl Lagerfeld, visit Chanel.com.



images/photos: Chanel, Makeup and Beauty Blog (Chanel Quad in Enigma), Lacquer Bourdoir (Rouge Fatal), Style



This collection and the beauty look (hair and makeup) capture my attention in every way. Classic, preppy, stylish and conservative-chic!

With Peter Som collaborating on this collection, Tommy Hilfiger's Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 offerings are being described as lively and stronger than his most current designs have been in some time. Som's involvement is surrounded by a bit of intrigue. On the one hand, he wasn't out front and available for interviews; but on the other, the company isn't hiding the news.

Described as "Preppy With a Pop," the collection channeled a girl the show notes described as a young Katharine Hepburn, someone combining an East Coast pedigree with a touch of sass. As one has come to expect, Hilfiger's classics showed in all their glory: the peacoat, the trench, the pencil skirt, however played up with a youthful twist.


source: Style, Fashionmag



EVERYTHING about this collection and its runway show is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! The outfits, the details, the shoes, the coats (OMG, the coats -- big this season, by the way, for many designers), Tom Pecheux keying makeup ... could hardly get much better. I'm in love with Derek Lam Fall RTW 2010, uh huh, yep, I am!



The collection is being nicknamed Urban Cowgirl or Wild Wild West, however Lam's muse was Julie Christie in the seventies film “McCabe & Mrs. Miller”. She played a British expat in the Robert Altman Western. So what we see is cowgirl style done ultrapolished and with a distinguishable European glaze. The structured outerwear, the coats, jackets and vests, proved a high point. Here, leather inserts added a cool edge while precise lines displayed architectural restraint.



The handbags, shoes, fabrics, and accoutrements ... must be seen! The use of leather, ribbed fabric, fur accents and fringe enhanced the western appeal with a sence of city-chic flair.



Believe it or not, Estee Lauder cosmetics made its New York Fashion Week debut backstage at Derek Lam. Creative Makeup Director Tom Pecheux (and all around cosmetics creative genius), who was named to CMD at EL in November, created a strong, monochrome eye using two metallic blue shades on the top lid and a metallic copper shade on the bottom lid. He chose to debut products from Estee Lauder's Fall 2010 collection for this show. He also applied Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in a shade called Midnight Blue, as well as the brand’s TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Black.

“I’m playing with a dual color, covering the entire [eye] lid, from the lashes to the eye brow,” said Pecheux, noting that he combined a bright blue and a dark blue on the top lids — shades that were being tested backstage prior to their introduction this fall — and added an extra blue arc on the top of the lid to impart a feeling of power. The colors chosen complimented the colors in Lam's collection beautifully.

On the lips, Pecheux applied a product called Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Beige as a primer before the metallic copper shade used on the eyes was added, creating a matte finish. The use of the copper shade on both the eyes and the lips served to “balance out the entire face,” according to Pecheux, who added that he was inspired by an earthy American Indian with a look that was “twisted into a more urban woman.”

“The skin is a pretty, matte finish,” said Pecheux, adding that the idea was to have “respect for [models’] skin tone.” Cheeks were left virtually bare, given just a slight contour, he added.

Nails, which were done by Jin Soon Choi (yes, the same one who just did a collection for MAC) for Estée Lauder, were given a pale, very sheer pink color that was being tested backstage.



On the hair side, stylist Orlando Pita, who was working on behalf of Moroccanoil, said, “The look is more about texture — ethereal, airy [and] wispy.” The down dos featured parts to the side and in the middle of the head. “We talked about how the hair was going to move on the runway,” he said, “rather than any particular inspiration.”

To achieve the look, Pita employed a process of spraying the hair with Moroccanoil hair spray, then drying it and brushing it out. He repeated this process over and over until the hair on each model reached the desired amount of texture. Just before the girls hit the runway, their hair was “fluffed up,” said Pita.



Create the Look


EYES
Apply Double Wear Stay-in-Place EyeShadow Base to lids. Smudge Double Wear Stay-in-Place Eye Pencil in Midnight Blue over eye area. Apply Pure Color EyeShadow in Nautical Matte over lid using a fluffy shadow brush to blend from lash to crease. Apply shade Ivory Box under brow to highlight. Buff out to soften. Then apply shade Amber Metallic along lower lash line in short, firm strokes to create a line of thick definition. Finish with TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Black on upper lashes.

LIPS
Prime lips with your foundation to even out color and create a neutral surface. Apply Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Crystal Beige using a lip brush. Blot lips with tissue and pat Amber Metallic shadow to lips for the same effect from the show or finish with High Gloss in Bronze for a less dramatic look.

images/source: nymag, style.com, wwd, estee lauder