In spite of being set against the backdrop of a cemetery and Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Manhattan, the Summer/Spring 2019 showcase of Rodarte was inspired by the vivacious medieval Picasso portraits. The talented designer duo along with makeup maestro James Kaliardos and hair expert Odile Gilbert recently attended a Picasso exhibition at the Tate Modern which stirred them to the core. The vibrant frills and shapes of the medieval era was thus re-imagined in the sphere of abstract floral makeup and floral encrusted hair.
Models left the crowd gaping in awe as they strutted on the runway in fresh floral arrangements which had been intricately woven into their hair to radiate a rainbow assortment of captivating hues.
Odile Gilbert took inspiration from a rose garden and wanted his models to look both “romantic” and “undone” in an ethereal fashion. This vibe blended in smoothly with the rainy forecast of the New York Fashion Week.
Laura and Kate Mulleavy, the brain behind Rodarte wished to retain the individuality of models and thus kept the hair of some shorter and curled whereas others displayed their natural texture in an afro updo and the remaining showcased wispy waves with intricate rose embellishments. Each of the model’s strands were adorned with colourful roses as well as other metallic accessories shaped like stars, birds and flowers. One thing was common amongst all the models and that is the variety of small and large roses as well as additional headgears and veils to tag along a mystic feel.
Stylists made use of Sultra After Hours 1-inch and 1.5-inch Clipless Curling Wands and kept on twisting hair towards and away from the face alternately for nailing a natural look. The first stage of hair prep consisted of washing it with Tresemmé Fresh & Clean Dry Shampoo which was followed up with Tresemmé Two Extra Hold Hair Spray for keeping the curls from falling off.
James Kaliardos created an equally dreamy makeup look using Nars products which bore significant influence of his visit to the Tate Modern’s Picasso 1932 exhibit in London. He exclaimed that, “It was so inspiring, and then Kate and Laura and I met and we were talking about colourful eye shadows, and then simultaneously Nars re-launched their eye shadows with these colors and it all fell into place.”
Three vibrant shades of Douro (yellow), Baby Jane (turquoise blue) and Domination (hot pink) was picked by the makeup masters for being patted across the lids with softened and graphic brush strokes. Kaliardos wished to nail a rectangular geometric color shape without making it look like taped-on Instagram eyeshadow and adhering to a soft & hazier look.
“I thought it would be great to do [the bright eye shadow] horizontally and [with] a graphic shape to them, but the clothes are so soft and frilly, I didn’t want to do that 2000s makeup look. So, we did a softer version of that,” Kaliardos explained.
Kaliardos opted for Nars Smudgeproof Eyeshadow Base as that can “really make that pigment come out how you want it.” Although the eye shadow colors and roses varied from one model to another, everyone sported the same lip shade of Powermatte Lip Pigment in Don’t Stop.
This “red velvety, gorgeous matte lip” shade was picked out by Kaliardos as it “looks quite graphic, like a Salvador Dalí painting,” and “It really works on everybody—I thought I’d have to use different colors on different skin tones. It goes on liquid and then it dries to a velvety matte and it looks good on every skin tone. It’s such an amazing color.”
Adequate attention was also given to the nail department which were painted in metallic hues and embellished with coloured gems. Eichi Matsunaga, the lead nail artist used three different shades of Could Have Foiled Me (silver), Give Me Gold (gold), and No Way Rosé (rose gold) belonging to Morgan Taylor nail lacquer brand for the bases.
According to Gilbert, the ultimate goal here was to come up with haphazard and somewhat messy look which would resonate the persona of a young child who had “no idea what they’re doing.” Although each model portrayed a unique look in terms of accessories, their intentional dishevelled-ness served as the common thread and translated into a beautiful drama on the runway.
