Philly Fashion Week: Makeup Trends

I’ve always been a little intrigued at how drastically overdone makeup makes its way down the runway.  I’m all for playing around with color—I’ve been known to sport lilac rimmed eyes before—and purchasing excessive amounts of unnecessary cosmetics at Sephora .  Honestly, I swear that yellow nail polish will come in handy someday.  But when does too much become too much. 

On the runway. 

So instead of waiting patiently for Philly Fashion Week to start tonight, I tracked down Susie Claro of CL Studios, the head makeup artists for the event.  Along with eight other beauticians, Claro will be navigating the chaotic mess that is backstage, eyeliner in hand.

“There will be a lot of 80’s trends.  Bright colors, lots of lip gloss and fluorescent eyes,” said Claro.  Immediately my mind shoots to the time I uncovered my mother’s (horrifyingly bright) collection of makeup and toiletries post- 80’s heyday.  I’m not sure whether I’m excited or dismayed at this potential trend.  For Marina Makaron Moscow, the designer requested something avant-garde prompting Claro to create a bold liner look—directly across the face.  “It’s all about bright colors, but I don’t want to detract from the clothes,” she said.  I love eyeliner as much as the next gal, but I have a feeling I probably won’t be looking at that cute tulip skirt flouncing down the runway if someone’s staring me down with a turquoise uni-brow. 

Fortunately, the neon colors will be balanced out by another, surprisingly winter-y theme: metallics.  Tons of bronzes, and shimmery golds and silvers will be used across the board.  (I’m hoping for something reminiscent of Kate Moss’ appearance at the Met Gala, shown here).  Local designers Sa Va and Kill City will be sporting this neutral palette, which I’m rather excited to see.  Anything gilded cannot possibly look bad.

“It’s very chaotic backstage, and we have to create looks that can be added to and subtracted from between shows,” say Claro.  The event’s roughly 15 female and ten male models only have about 20 minutes between shows to change clothes, hair, and makeup.  This means the shows will most likely get progressively heavier with the makeup, starting with neutrals and making their way to neon.

Each makeup artist also sticks with what their good at.  Claro, for example, does amazing eyes, while others might specialized in false eyelashes (something I secretly wish I was good at until I remember I’m not a fashion model/drag queen/club princess) or foundation.

It will be, as Claro rather appropriately stated, “relatively crazy.”  They start at 1:30.  1:30. The shows start at 5:00, which seems like an awfully long time to put on some primer.  But hey, whatever it takes to make things pretty, right?