Nancy Lichtenstein (ten pretty girls blog ) is giving New York Fashion Week’s Bryant Park another spin for the Spring 2009 Fashion Week. Sounds kind of odd since we are emerging from summer and heading into fall to be thinking Spring already — but that’s the fashion biz for you.
Here’s Nancy’s take on this and you will note my comments in italics!
There was a guy sitting behind me who looked vaguely familiar, but I didn’t actually recognize him until I heard his unmistakable voice–it was none other than Jay McCarroll, Project Runway’s Season One winner!
Getting to hang with Jay made me worry that I’d reached my peak experience too early in the day. That worry turned out to be silly, because when I went to go backstage at Abaeté I got the unique pleasure of being allowed entrance while it was denied to a very angry photographer from Harper’s Bazaar. Yes, folks, among the people who really count, Stevie ranks higher than Harper’s Bazaar!
Ummm I am not sure that I really rank higher than Harper’s Bazaar but I am sure appreciative of the people who help me with my stories– people who are like Nancy and these people LIKE Nancy!!
Abaete strapless layered dress
I was headed to interview top Redken stylist David Cruz, but when I got there he was with some TV people so I was told to talk to the makeup people first. “Makeup people” turned out to be Jeannine Lobell of Stila— one of the most well-known makeup artists in the world and a trendsetter for over a decade now. I played it cool on the outside, but inside I was jumping up and down screaming, “When you get to interview Jeannine Lobell you’ve really made it!”
She showed me the eye look, a heavy, dark eye created with charcoal Smudge Pot gel eyeliner applied on both the upper and lower lids, including the inner rims, and blended out at the corners so it was neither precise nor smoky, but faded out like the end of a song. We laughed together when I kept accidentally saying, “The look for fall,” and Jeannine agreed, “This look is unusual for spring, but that’s what’s in.”
While this video is NOT of the Abaete runway show, Jeannine Lobell talks about the same technique she used for all the shows requesting dark eyes. So check this out and start practicising. It’s going to be a bit tricky. Also check with your opthamologist about the gel liner. Not all liners are the same and you have to be careful!
Now, David Cruz is one of my favorite interview subjects, because he’s fun, nice, and extremely clear about what he’s doing so you can recreate the look at home.
He showed me that he was forming a tight bun but then giving it shine and texture with Electric Wax, applied not all over but just at the temples and the crown, so when the girls walked down the runway it would catch the light and appear dimensional. “This is a look anybody could do at home easily,” he said, and when I asked him if it was his idea or Laura’s (Laura Poretsky is the designer for Abaeté), he told me, “A little of both. It was my idea to do the bun but then Laura wanted me to add the light, and it looks great.”
David agreed with me that the eyes plus the hair plus the shift dresses the models were wearing were very reminiscent of Robert Palmer’s video, “Addicted To Love.” David, I’m looking at the pics from the show now and the hair came out fabulous, you can totally see the effect even in photos!
Next up–hanging out with Marcus Boyer, the Paparazzi, and Nigel Barker.
Thanks to Nancy for a great play by play of the behind the scenes Abaete look. Meeting Jeannine Lobell is great and she’s very clear about what she does. (I have interviewed her about 4 times) and I wish I could say I knew David Cruz but I know a lot of the Redken Stylists but one day I will get to meet the fabulous Mr. Cruz!!
Stevie Wilson
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