A Beauty Bonanza, Backstage At Dior Couture
July 5, 2011 11:25 am
If the design inspirations at the
Dior Couture show yesterday seemed all over the place—architect Frank Gehry, French interior design star Jean-Michel Frank, the Memphis design group of the 1980’s—the backstage team of Pat McGrath on makeup and Guido Palau on hair took it to another level. “We’re contrasting the sculptural lines of Art Deco,” Pita said, adding to the mix of muses, before he and McGrath both referenced Le Palace, Paris’ after-hours hot spot during the last days of disco. How does this manifest itself into a consistent beauty look that spans the entirety of 37 looks? It doesn’t, really. But it does leave room for at least three distinct caricatures—and a touch of fairy dust for good measure. The dancing queens had the voluminous, teased-up blow-outs made famous by eighties-era glamazons, and the jewel-toned smoky eyes and lacquered red lips to match. The architectural references were complemented by tall, towering coifs that were tilted slightly askew, topped off with geometric hats and accessorized with color-blocking, 3-D eye makeup. And for McGrath and Palau’s nod to one of the City of Light’s famous clubs, hair was pinned into a makeshift bob with wavy tendrils adhered to models faces’ “like she’s dancing and sweating,” Palau offered, with elaborately bejeweled lids. A hodgepodge, to be sure, but like the clothes themselves, the sheer artistry and craftsmanship behind the conceptualization of each look is undeniable.
Photo: Luca Cannonieri / GoRunway.com