Back To The Gypsy That I Was — What I Wore to the Korto Momolu Fall 2014 Fashion Show

If you follow my on Instagram and Twitter, you probably saw some of the posts I uploaded on Friday evening, when I was backstage at the Korto Momolu Fall 2014 show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. For several hours before the show commenced, I observed the hustle and bustle backstage, as makeup artists and hair stylists for SheaMoisture prepared the models for the runway, helping to create the striking beauty look, which revolved around an intense, hunter green pout, graphic black eyeliner, and parted hair with soft waves reminiscent of the manes of glamorous 1940s screen sirens. The lovely Jackie Gomez functioned as the lead makeup artist, utilizing SheaMoisture’s new Better Way to Beautiful color cosmetics collection (available this spring at Target stores), which includes richly pigmented eye shadows, CC creams, tinted moisturizers, lip crayons, and more — all formulated with a shea butter base. Diane C. Bailey, meanwhile, spearheaded the hair styling team, creating the vintage-inspired look using SheaMoisture’s Coconut & Hibiscus Frizz-Free Curl Mousse, its Yucca & Baobab Thickening Moisture Mist, and its Raw Shea Butter Reconstructive Finishing Elixir. The beauty look was the perfect complement to Momolu’s Urban Coup collection, a military-inspired collection that celebrated strong, assertive, commanding women. The bold green pout, then, echoed the clothing’s boldness, while the retro-inspired hair look provided a bit of balance, softening the overall look.

I was on the scene reporting for SheaMoisture as their official video correspondent, and so I commented on all the activity backstage, interviewed the various hair and makeup artists, spoke with Korto Momolu about her partnership with the brand, and even interviewed SheaMoisture executives to get their insights on why the collaboration was so exciting for them and to get the scoop on what customers can expect from their soon-to-be-launched makeup line.

For my close-up — literally — I went for an eclectic look with some Art Deco influences, a touch of gypsy flavor, and even some surrealistic and graphic elements. First, I donned a body conscious, long-sleeved dress from Topshop that hits a couple of inches below the knee. The figure-hugging dress has a primarily black-and-white color scheme, with striped sleeves accentuated by thinner vertical lines that create a grid-like effect, and painterly, cube-like shapes all over the front of the dress. But what makes the print so special are the almost surreal elements, the splashes of color that surface in the form of neon pink and green flowers and leaves all along the lower half of the dress and peeking out from behind some of the box-like shapes as if sprouting from therein. Every time I look at the print, I think of a Pleasantville-like movie in which the color is virtually erased from the world, as if we were living within a black-and-white, Leave It To Beaver-esque sitcom, and eventually, at the end of the film, touches of color begin to appear before everything is restored to a state of normalcy. For me, the print captures that moment, right when the first blossoms regain their color.

Since the dress has such a strong graphic print, I wanted earrings that would also have an architectural quality to them. I opted for the Art Deco-inspired Camanchero earrings from Nissa Jewelry in antique silver. Measuring 4″ in total length, these earrings feature two triangular shapes, each with a slightly rounded bottom rim and faceted sides that slope down for a three-dimensional effect. The two triangular pieces are joined together by the same domed, pearl-like shape seen on the ear post.

As for the rest of my jewelry, I opted for a stack of gunmetal bangles from Amrita Singh, some of which features black crystal stones, and paired these with a stack of gunmetal- and black-toned metal mesh bracelets from K2o by Karen Ko. As for my rings, I wore the Kimberly Baker Wolf Ring on one hand, a gorgeous silver ring shaped like a wolf’s head and featuring a magnolia pattern etched all over its surface. On my left hand, I wore another silver-toned ring, this time a hefty piece from H&M featuring clear crystals arranged to resemble an explosion of fireworks.

I’ve been on a turban kick lately, so I donned a bright pink turban I purchased from Patricia Field that added the Bohemian element I desired while keeping the look glamorous and Gloria Swanson-esque.

I finished the look with some black tights (hey, it’s February in New York so bare legs are a no-no) and a pair of black suede ankle boots from Jeffrey Campbell with silver-toned chain mesh accents that create a warrior-meets-cosmic-princess effect.

Check out the look above and stay tuned — I’ll make sure to share the SheaMoisture behind-the-scenes video with you all as soon as it’s available!