Lush Rose Gardens And Picasso’s Artwork Inspired The Beauty Look At Rodarte SS19

Staring at the images of the clothing, hair, and makeup at the Rodarte Spring 2019 show during New York Fashion Week, I’m reminded of why I once loved this zany week in September so very much — and it had been quite a while since any show had managed to elicit that type of nostalgia and awaken that wistfulness in me.

See, for many years, I covered every season of New York Fashion Week zealously, running from one show to the next, often overextending myself by committing to cover entirely too many shows each day — a feat that involved ping-ponging from the east side to the left side of town, from downtown to uptown, and back again. To those who haven’t covered NYFW, the experience sounds like a dream, but it’s actually insanely stressful and decidedly unglamorous: reporters are herded into cramped backstage areas where they awkwardly snap photos and try not to accidentally elbow anyone while doing so, and they wait until the stressed-out and time-crunched lead makeup artist and key hair stylist can spare a few moments to discuss the inspiration behind the looks they created. Once they do, a dozen or more journalists and bloggers whip out their phones or recorders while others jot away furiously in their notebooks. After about 15 minutes backstage, it’s time to slip out and let the next batch of journalists enter the packed space. And then it’s off to the next show to repeat the endeavor. Covering 20-something shows is exhausting — particularly given that, after each day was done, I’d have to return to the office to edit images, upload video footage, and type up post after post. But in the early days, it was at once stressful and exhilarating — I felt like I was experiencing something magical, and many of the shows I attended were transformative. As the years passed and the shows moved from the tents at Bryant Park to Lincoln Center (and now elsewhere), everything began to feel less inspired: models marched down the runway in perfectly wearable clothing that could’ve been plucked from any boutique rack, and the beauty looks became increasingly redundant, with “slick ponytail,” “dewy skin,” “loose waves,” and “slept-in hair” all becoming so common that it was positively yawn-inducing. The pendulum between art and commerce had decidedly swung towards one direction, and each move seemed to be dictated by profitability measures. Without the artistry element, I found myself losing interest in NYFW and, in turn, in subjecting myself to a string of sleepless days only to wind up reporting on how we’d be seeing “strong brows” or “wet-looking hair” in about six months’ time.

But there were always shining moments in every NYFW season, however predictable it shaped up to be — and Rodarte was the purveyor of many of those rays of light. This season, designing sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy have orchestrated the most breathtaking show thus far. Even experiencing the show through photos all the way in Texas, I feel butterflies in my stomach. With the help of hairstylist Odile Gilbert (on behalf of TRESemmé) and makeup artist James Kaliardos (on behalf of NARS Cosmetics), the Mulleavy sisters put on a fashion show that would be stamped in our collective memory because in addition to being beautiful, it allowed us to leave reality and enter the realm of fantasy.

Playing off Rodarte’s collection of voluminous, frilly, tulle-rich designs, Odile Gilbert decided to give the models a romantic hair look but in a delicious, over-the-top, Marie Antoinette sort of way. Inspired by rose gardens, Odile set out to adorn the models’ manes with lush blossoms, in some cases creating elaborate floral crowns and in others having the roses frame models’ faces, cascade down the back of their heads, or peak out in between wavy strands. Because the look had a purposeful messiness to it that gave it an impromptu feel, the models didn’t look overly prim and doll-like, but instead they exuded an ethereal earthiness and a dreamlike quality — almost as if they were the personification of the Greek goddess Gaea.

To create the look, Odile Gilbert teamed up with LA-based flower designer Joseph Free, who Rodarte fans might remember as the force behind the Rodarte Fall/Winter 2016 jewelry collection featuring earrings made with real flowers. True to Rodarte’s emphasis on individuality, each model’s hairstyle was unique in its own way so that no two ladies had the exact same look. Pink, red, sky blue, yellow, white, black, gold, and silver roses were all used to create different looks, and the color of the roses often perfectly mirrored the hue of the ensemble being showcased to create a monochromatic effect. Some models even wore diaphanous veils atop their flower-adorned ‘dos, adding a modesty and innocence that, in turn, clashed perfectly with the more modern and Art Deco elements of the collection such as the earrings, with their strong geometric shapes.

To create the hair look, Gilbert and her team of TRESemmé hairstylists washed models’ hair using the TRESemmé Thick & Full Shampoo and Conditioner, then towel-dried strands and used fingers to evenly distribute the TRESemmé TRES TWO Extra Hold Mousse from root to tip so as to give the hair more body and bounce. Next, the hair team applied the TRESemmé Keratin Smooth Heat Protect Spray to slightly damp strands in order to provide both heat and frizz protection before blow-drying. Once hair was dry, the hairstylists divided it into sections and used a curling iron to create loose and natural waves, then sprayed the TRESemmé Fresh & Clean Dry Shampoo to strands, running their fingers through the models’ hair to give the look more volume and texture. They finished the look with the TRES TWO Extra Hold Hair Spray.

And since the best fashion moments occur when seemingly contradictory notions are juxtaposed to create a visual tension, the softness of the hair look was contrasted by the strength of the makeup look. NARS Cosmetics key makeup artist James Kaliardos was the mastermind behind the makeup look, which he said was inspired by the Tate Modern’s Picasso 1932 exhibit in London and consisted of vibrant and richly pigmented eye colors and a red lip with a velvety matte finish.

To create the monochromatic pink, blue, and yellow eye looks, Kaliardos and his team of NARS makeup artists used the new NARS single eyeshadows Domination, Baby Jane, and Duoro, blending the shadows out with a brush so that there were no hard edges or lines but, instead, the rich pigments were applied in a geometric but soft way. And whereas some models donned blue eyeshadow while others rocked bright yellow lids, all the girls boasted the same powerful red pout. To create the look, the makeup artists lined the lips with the NARS Jungle Red Lip Liner, then filled in the pout with the NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in Don’t Stop. Two highlighters were layered on cheekbones to create and ethereal effect, the shades Capri and Maldives, and blush was applied to the apples of the cheeks (with colors varying according to the models’ skin tones) to add a youthful and playful quality to the look.

Together, the hair and makeup positively sing — and remind us all that art is at the heart of fashion.