The Marc Jacobs fall 2012 runway show created a mood that combined Victorian fairytale with cartoonish fun. The mad hatter fashion extravaganza mixed charm, innocence and enchantment as François Nars, founder of NARS Cosmetics said, “only Marc can do.”
The oversized hats worn by every model in the show covered most the hair, giving Guido, Redken creative consultant, a “supporting role” in the overall presentation. While it might not have been the star, it did add to the overall character that took the stage. Not only did Guido need to create something that added exquisite detail to complement the Dr. Seuss-like statement hats, but he also needed a style solid enough to keep them in place as models walked through the forest the designer envisioned. Enter: two simply braided buns, with long tendrils veiled over the face, which only added to the subtle mystery. ”It’s not really a hairstyle, so much as a detail of the character in the fantasy,” Guido admits. “We created a veil of hair, so it moves with them as they walk down the runway. This is a woman lost in thought.” To get the look Redken artists pulled out the first thin layer of hair from the forehead and let it cover the model’s face. If needed, they added hair extensions to girls who didn’t have long enough hair for the cascading effect. Next, they created a clean center part from the forehead to the nape of the neck, sleeking the hair down into taught, low side ponytails. They secured each just under the ear with an elastic band. Braid each pigtail, wrap the braid into a bun, secure with pins and finish with forceful Redken Forceful 23 Super-Strength Finishing Spray and the style is complete.
The makeup made a much more prominent statement than the masked side buns. As with the rest of the show, there was a juxtaposing aspect to the black-and-white drama created on the models’ faces. “To match Marc’s fairytale mysteriousness, I wanted to create sort of romantic decadence with extremely dark, almost aristocratic, eyes, but leave the skin dewy and glossy to keep it dreamy,” Nars said. To do so, he kept the skin very pale, applying no blush and keeping the lip nude, with a heavy-handed smoky eye in a monochromatic black shade. The eyebrows were strong and defined, but still appeared natural; he didn’t want them to look overly aggressive, just full.
The nails, done by Zoya, were as understated as the lip. The designer said he wanted it to appear as though there was a seamless transition from the hand to the fingertip. To achieve that look, the Zoya team used one coat of full coverage nudes. Tailored to complement the models’ skin tone, they used either Cho, a nude with peach undertones, or Farah, featuring gray undertones. —M.R.