hitting the Marc
Marc Jacobs has done it yet again – a theatrical spin on hair and makeup for his Marc Jacobs label at New York Fashion Week.
Continuing with the top knot he started at Louis Vuitton last season (although that one was much looser and messier), the models strutted with buns twirled and tightly pinned to the top of their heads adorned with that dreadful hair accessory once mocked on Sex and The City – the scrunchy. I dread the day we see a sea of scrunchies down the street again.
Claiming dance (with muses Martha Graham, and Liza Minnelli from the film Cabaret) as the inspiration behind the collection, the hair and makeup had to reflect this. So it did. Literally.
Jacobs worked with makeup artist Francois Nars again who created Kabuki styled porcelain complexions with white pressed powder. Eyes were high drama – thick lines of black kohl and strategically placed stripes of white kohl from lid to brow (an old stage trick to make eyes appear much bigger than they are) created a doll-like appearance. Lashes were thickened with falsies and brows bleached (or concealed) and redrawn much higher, again to give the impression of bigger eyes. To finish, lips were drawn into a perfect cupids bow, slightly exaggerated and filled in with a matte red pencil.
They likened the look to a dark ballerina, the type that would push a competitor down the stairs in the hopes of breaking her ankle.
It is completely unwearable in day-to-day life (much like the 80s based collection from last season), yet is still somewhat aspirational. If you’re a doll. It reminds me of my youth and years spent doing ballet competitions. In fact when I was younger I used to think I was the bees knees for wearing makeup similar to that on stage. Of course now you wouldn’t be seen dead like that. Unless you’re on stage, of course.
Translated to everyday, I guess what this look says is to keep your skin out of the sun for that porcelain look, wear a bit of kohl around the eyes and flick it out (a bit), add three coats of mascara, keep cheeks pink and smudge some rouge on the lips. Pared back… it is a very pretty look. Oui?
Tamsin xo
