(Beauty)
The Surprising Inspiration Behind Rodarte's Fall/Winter 2020 Glam
It always rains at Rodarte, I joked with a publicist before opening my umbrella and stepping into the drizzle — just like I did after leaving the backstage preparations in September 2018. Not that I mind. The gray, moody clouds lend themselves to the romantic feel of the show. And the Rodarte Fall/Winter 2020 presentation, held at the massive limestone and brick St. Bartholomew's Church on Park Avenue on Feb. 11, was well worth the wet commute.
"It's a quite stark look," James Kaliardos (for NARS Cosmetics) tells a group of reporters, referencing Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker's Dracula. His iteration centered around "beautiful, creamy skin," accented with deep, dark lips and fringes of fluttery lashes. To begin, he prepped the skin with the brand's Multi-Action Hydrating Toner, as exfoliation was key to helping the natural radiance shine through, he says. But, to really enhance that glow, he used Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation teamed with Radiant Creamy Concealer for a satin finish. "It stays and is perfect for show week, when you have a lot to do in the day," he notes.
To further enhance the skin, models wore the brand's new Tinted Glow Boosters over the foundation — on the cheek, nose, and forehead, to be exact — in order for a more controlled amount of shine. Tempted and Orgasm X Blushes, applied to the high points of the cheekbone, provided a bit of reflection rather than a blinding effect.
As for that deep, dark lip: Train Bleu Velvet Matte Lip Pencil — one of the artist's favorite colors of all time. "I didn't want round cushy lips. We wanted graphic, straight lines," Kaliardos notes. The trick to getting such a precise shape is all in the liner (Star Rockin' Precision Lip Liner, to be exact). Start with your Cupid's bow, and create a horizontal line on the bottom for balance. "Then you can tell where you're going to meet at the corners," he says. "When you have a dark lip, it's important to go to the full extent of your lip, or else you can look like Edward Scissorhands."
Since Odile Gilbert (for TRESemmé) was working with live flowers and netted veils, she didn't want the waves to look too well-done. "She's a vampire," the hairstylist explains, working through a model's hair with the ghd Curve Classic Wave Wand. Before creating the top knot, Gilbert parted the models' hair in the middle and secured the bun with bobby pins. For the girls who weren't wearing a veil, she opted to make the hair flat as possible... very Wednesday Addams.
And because details are of the utmost importance at this show, Morgan Taylor lead artist Danielle Candido created two options for the girls: a solid square shape, painted with Take The Lead (a deep blood red) and a pointy, flame-painted claws done up in a variety of crimsons and shimmers.
