Make-up-Artists put their cherry on the fashion cake during New York Fashion Week. Expressive make-up, creative shapes and avantgarde applications are no longer forbidden fruits on the runway – From completely bananas to subtle compositions, make-up artists were able to show a colorful salad of styles.
With fewer big name beauty sponsors (those who stayed fully embraced make-up), it seems creatives could really pour us a really beauty refreshment.
Backstage at Sandy Liang | via Instagram @sandyliang
SANDY LIANG
Marcello Gutierrez, who used Ilia makeup, describes the lunar-lids, cloudy skin and either just hyrdrated or dark berry painted lips as inspired by „Anime, Sailor Moon, and just-saw-my-crush blush energy“ – a look that perfected Sandy Liang’s spooky dollesque yet casual-cool collection. While hair was kept clean and straight, hairstylist Evanie Frausto, added silky bows to the manes.
The designer gave a pleasingly powerful look: with caramelized eyes, expensive skin and exquisite and shiny low buns perfected with Olaplex and wrapped in nets. With choosing Guggenheim as his stage, he gave the modern vision of an uptown woman the perfect surrounding. Whereas the luxurious teint treatment with 111Skin pre makeup application feels pretty posh (not the worst sentiment however), the hair hold a humble detail as hairstylist Jimmy Paul describes: „These hairnets are old-fashioned ones used for restaurant workers in the 20s – 40s“.
The majority of models walked the Latta runway topless meaning without make-up – the fashionlabel partnered with the clean luxe care brand Sunday Riley for a natural, healthy face. “This cast is such a wild group of people who all have gorgeous faces and bods,” says Latta. “To have them be the best versions of themselves naturally, with skin care, was very exciting to us.” Yet, one face stood out: Painted by Fara Homidi, inspired by ink, the colored forehead reminds of a spiritual armor, part protective, part progressive.
We would have been sad if Pat McGrath wouldn’t have had gone into a pastelcore palette for Anna Sui’s 60s inspired collection – but, as usual, Pat spread happiness, from lids to lashes and our faces as well. “The makeup is a reflection of the era’s bold and vivid fashion sense, with an explosion of colour and tantalising textures,” said team Pat McGrath. Hardly visible from a distance, but striking in close ups is the bright mascara, currently available in McGrath’s Starwars collection.
One of our NYFW favorites delivered another wild and wonderful show – By the title „Please don’t eat my friends“, the brand hosted a zoologic happening. The look can’t be called makeup – the prosthetic art of Isamaya Ffrench transformed models into animals. „It took two days of prep before the show to pre-paint all the prosthetics according to the outfit they were going to be worn with, and a very early call time on the show day to glue them on model’s faces,“ reveals Ffrench. Dogs to dolphins, pigs to rhinos: it’s been more than a catwalk.
A touch of black swan, a bit of 80s goth and new wave club plus a good dose of Maleficent: Make-up Artist James Kaliardos drew a picture of independence and rebellion with his Nars eyeliner for the American cult brand Rodarte and their equally frilly and whimsical collection. Graphic, yet whimsical, hyper sharp and still dreamy, nostalgic yet modern – Kaliardos truly mastered connecting two world. To summarize: „They’re goth fairies,” Kaliardos explains.
Blurry brows, ashy lids with a chalky finish and pure skin: makeup for the arty Puppets and Puppets collection felt like a subtle steam of color, more made to sculpt, frame and structure the face – maybe this is the new contouring? As conventional „attractiveness“ is abandoned anyhow, we love the this poetic hint of MAC powders and shadows.
Prabal Gurung | via instagram @silbruinsma1
Parabel Gurung himself was inspired by Nepal for his Fall Winter 23/24 – and make-up artist Sil Bruinsma picked up on the inspiration, merging tribal and punk elements. The textured collection, full of details, found its perfect finish in the three different looks crafted with MAC by Bruinsma and his team: from smokey eyes and red painted partings, slightly dropped, golden „third“ eyes to bold colors unifying eyebrows.
