Let’s not sugarcoat it—Fashion Week is one of the most hectic, frenzied and chaotic weeks for designers, stylists, models, photographers and editors. But, it’s also one of the most exhilarating. Still, things can change at a moment’s notice and throw anyone off their game. At Christian Siriano, Sebastian Professional lead hairstylist Anthony Cole is nothing but calm, cool and collected even though the hair design did a 180-degree earlier in the morning. “We started with a dry, off-the-face wave, but as we were doing it we thought it was getting too literal. We didn’t want it to look like she was dressing up like her mom, but rather she’s inspired by her—something fresher and newer—so we decided to change it last minute and instead do a part in the middle. Christian said to me, ‘Are you going to kill me?’ and I was like ‘We’re fine!’” laughs Cole. “I’m really happy we made that decision!”
Invoking the glamour of Siriano’s muse supermodel Lisa Fonssagrives-Penn in the late ’50s/early ’60s, the sleeked-back middle part and messy heart-shaped chignon set low at the nape give the design just the modern twist it needs. “It’s powerful and soft with a ladylike kind of feel,” says Cole. He works Sebastian Mousse Forte into the model’s tresses before creating the part and pulling the hair back into a low ponytail, which he then lifts onto the model’s head and cinches and pins underneath the ponytail holder to give it that rounded “swoop” shape. Sebastian Shaper (designed by Siriano this season!) is then spritzed for hold and to create lots of shine without the hair looking greasy or wet.
A ’50s-style thick-winged eye is the center of the sophisticated makeup design. “[But] rather than making it very classic, I’ve deconstructed it and made it look like you’ve lived in it for about a week,” laughs MAC lead makeup artist Polly Osmand. She brushes MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder on the waterline then MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack on the lids and smudges the edges and diffuses the hard lines to give the eye that lived-in look. To draw even more attention to the eye area, she curls and then generously applies mascara to both the bottom and top lashes, and uses MAC Eye Brows pencils in Lingering, Spiked and Stud to create a heavy brow. To polish off the look, MAC Lipstick in Blankety is placed over concealer to create a soft, nude lip while MAC Pro Sculpting Powder in Sculpt and MAC Pro Powder Blush in Taupe are used to contour the cheeks. –Molly Church
[Photos courtesy Sebastian Professional]
