Backstage at Chopova Lowena Spring/Summer 2026: The Maximalist Beauty Vision of Lauren Reynolds

Tell us the story behind the makeup for this show
We wanted to bring all the characters in the Chopova Lowena world to life, so we had a lot of different looks going on. Almost like high school gangs, you had the girly princesses with their pink and silver butterfly face jewels, scene girls with full-on distorted black eye makeup, lined lips and skinny brows, all these kinds of punky girls with studs around their eyes, and jocks with pink, shimmery flushed cheeks as if they had just come from football practice but in a magical way.

Which elements of the makeup reflect the collection, and which ones intentionally break from it?
The collection is so maximalist that I think it would be impossible to break from it. There is always a link somewhere. We generally like things to tie in with each other, as it is so character based and we draw a lot from the personality of the model as well. Even though it may seem chaotic, it is actually pretty harmonious, and that is why it works so well.

Is there one particular detail that really carried the look?
My team and I really worked hard to make sure everything was very refined. There is so much delightful detail in the clothes that is so exquisite and clever, and I wanted to carry this through to the makeup. The studs were placed like eyeliner, very neatly and sharply, so even though it looked tough, it was really pretty at the same time. Every angle and size of the pink and silver jewels was considered and adapted for the wearer’s eye shape and so on.

Complete the sentence: “Working at Fashion Week means to me…”
A really nice chance to catch up with everyone and do some fun makeup that you could only really do in a show.

When is someone beautiful to you?
When they are really at ease with themselves.

MAKE-UP: LAUREN REYNOLDS

FOTOS: CARLOS VICTIMO

EDITOR: SAMIR DURATOVIC