Runway Report: Not Too Precious at Zero + Maria Cornejo

Sep 19th, 2017

With 20 years under her label’s belt, designer Maria Cornejo decided a “back to the future” vibe should permeate through the collection. The silhouettes and structure that gave rise to her brand in the ’90s is revisited today, and, of course, her greatest hits still work (after all, there is hardcore nostalgia for the ’90s in fashion at this very moment). For the accompanying hair, Aveda lead Antoinette Beenders blends glossy texture with gentle bends—a beautiful accompaniment to the sporty collection.

Horizontal section by section, she saturates the top of the head with either Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray, explaining, “The reason I’m using this spray instead of gel is that gel would give you a wet look, whereas this [spray] lends a high sheen.” As each section is drenched, she brushes it straight back with a fine-tooth comb, making the silhouette tight to the head. Beenders spritzes the lengths with Aveda Texture Tonic, then creates a relaxed, fat braid. A few passes of a flat-iron over the plait bakes in laid-back bends that she shakes loose after the hair cools. Of the Texture Tonic, she says, “It attracts movement, but it also gives separation.”

For the makeup, MAC lead artist Dick Page is forthright. “We’re not getting in the way of the girls’ natural beauty,” he claims, throwing out the words “simple,” “beautiful,” “fresh.” “Really, it’s barely anything: Just a lightly lined eye and a custom lip color for each girl that we’re dabbing on with our fingers,” he says. When pushed for more info on the lips, Page says, “We’re using MAC’s Necessary Nudes and Modern Brown Lip Palettes and simply customizing the colors to look a little deeper than each girl’s natural skin tone.” And that lightly lined eye? Of course it takes work: Page uses MAC Brushstroke Liner at the lash line, then rubs it away with a cotton swab dipped in MAC Pro Eye Makeup Remover so that what remains lends a “naturally defined eye.”

The same idea that Page uses for the liner flows through to the nails, where Priti NYC nail lead Geraldine Holford crafts a negative space design that looks like remnants of perfected polish job. After swiping Priti NYC Elderberry at the cuticle area in an arc, she floats a coat of Gel Style Top Coat over the entire nail. “This little bit of color gives the nail a graphic, bold look. It’s also a little undone-looking, and not too precious, which I like,” she says. “It’s just simple and not too fussy.”

[Images courtesy of Aveda and Karie L. Frost]