The Tamesis
This New York Fashion Week is destined to be a big moment for Rachel Scott – well, two big moments, as the designer shared a collection for her Diotima and her first collection for Proenza Schouler. We’ve gotten glimpses of her beauty perspective in past seasons of Diotima, including Unfinished Jamaican Charm , but how will that change with a second show on her schedule?
Proenza Schouler first appeared on the scene on a dreary Wednesday afternoon on the Lower East Side. Scott found inspiration in the women of New York. By all indicators, this woman is great—seemingly juggling a career with a good life, and dressing to match. She has a no-nonsense attitude. “To the uninitiated, she appears to be flawless, precise, and extremely punctual,” Scott wrote in the show notes. “Those who knew her felt there was more to her.” But that doesn’t mean the limit is perfect, Scott said in an interview with my colleague Nicole Phelps. “I wanted to give her more texture and complexity and some hints of erotica, but it’s all my own creation.”
Photo: Courtesy of Proenza Schouler
These imperfections were integrated into the details of the show’s beautiful appearance. “[We took] “It’s makeup as an accessory,” makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver told me backstage. De Kluyver came up with three incongruous looks using Byredo’s assortment of colorful cosmetics. Traditional eyeliner was eschewed—a thick black kajal was drawn across the lid of one eye and then onto the lower lashline of the other eye. Some models’ looks centered around their lips. Ordinary red lipstick (in the shade Red Coma) was reimagined in a similar style: apply Liquid Matte Lipstick in the shade Red Coma half on the upper lip and half on the lower lip for a puzzle-like effect. “These sort of distort the face a little bit,” De Kluver continued. The final look centered around dramatic lashes; a simple coat of mascara was replaced with foil mascara in Byredo’s Astronomical Mascara in Space Black. On top of that, skin remains fresh and radiant, thanks in large part to Furtuna Skin’s range of products.
Hair also embraces imperfection to reflect “a woman who puts herself together and then has to rush out of the house,” says professional makeup artist Holli Smith. The low ponytail she imagined looked simple and effortless, but took time and precision. Oribe products enhance curls, waves and natural texture, then are held in place using T3 thermal tools. The surface is smooth and out of the way, but unfinished.
