Beauty: Fall/Winter 2013

The interplay between a designer's creation and the way which they are presented is a truly significant relationship in the industry.

Notecard written by Antony (of Antony and the Johnsons) left on the seats at Givenchy Fall/Winter 2013 - Image from intothegloss.com

There was a shift in beauty this season.  As many designers chose to keep their beauty looks very much minimal rather than take a dramatic approach, which would ensure that the beauty would not draw attention away from the main focus of the shows; the collections. Although some designers did not take this approach at all, and even implemented two different beauty looks for one show - Oscar de la Renta (which will be discussed later on in this post). 

Makeup was kept to a minimum with most designers (but not all i.e. Vivienne Westwood) preferring the 

'done-undone' look. "I can feel a change... there's been a lightening with the makeup." Pat McGrath explained. Perhaps it is this lightening with the makeup which is a direct correlation with the new wave of designers associated with austere minimalism in the industry and the increase of the focus on the concept of minimalism itself. With designers such as Alexander Wang and Raf Simons having employed as creative directors of Balenciaga and Raf Simons respectively, the industry has shifted its audience from the much wealthier perhaps older elite of the couture members to appeal to a much younger audience as it should to ensure it's economical survival. Gone are the overly theatrical and dramatically enticing shows from designers such as Alexander McQueen or John Galliano, as many shows now are kept bare with the focus being on the collections rather than the presentation of the collection. 

As Eugene Souleiman said, "It's not about major galmour, 'cause it's a bit tacky, and a bit vulgar now. It's about a return to intelligence, for women to be taken seriously and not look like dolls.... I think we're approaching a time of the individual, and things feeling bespoke and character-based - not this man's view of what a woman should look like."

Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2013 Beauty details photographed by Carlotta Manaigo
Images taken from nytimes.com

Looking through the various beauty looks of the season, the skin for almost all of the shows is kept looking as bare and as natural as possible. The foundation is blended so well into the skin that it can only be described as having melted into the skin. Pat McGrath confessed at Prada that they were even wiping off the makeup presumably because they wanted to avoid the caked makeup look as much as possible - it was all about keeping the look natural. While the finishes of the skin ranged from dewy to matte, most of them were in between the two on the scale, with none appearing overly matte or dewy. No more were there flushed cheek stains or the abuse of blush or contouring powder. If blush or contouring powder was used it would be subtle and gently swept onto the face. For some shows it was the eyes which were the focus and others it was the lips. Nevertheless the eyebrows were defined in all of the shows, either bleached or polished off, it helped to establish a clean and simple as well as frame the face and bring the look(s) together.

CHRISTIAN DIOR

Backstage at Dior Fall/Winter 2013

Reminiscent of the beauty look from Dior's fall couture collection, metallic silver liner was used on the eyelids to create the classic cat eye and also on the lower lash line and a small stroke from the corner of the eyes outwards on the crease. The idea behind the beauty look was the notion of the "ultimate Dior woman, seen through a futuristic eye" as Pat McGrath had explained it. Instead of a bold lip, it had been transformed by finger pressing foundation powder towards the outer edges of the mouth - leaving only the center of the lip completely immersed in a deep fuchsia stain.

All images sourced from style.com

PRADA

Prada Fall/Winter 2013

Described by Pat McGrath as being "done, undone beauty," the overall aesthetic of the collection at Prada was raw elegance. This collection was much more dull compared to the previous fall collections. It was a comment to the rich and poor, the dull greys, blacks and browns traditional of fall collections were all present. It was truly a representation of womenswear return to intelligence, no longer was there heavily embellished... Similar to the beauty look at Dior, the lips faded away with a stained red wine hue within the centre. The base was extremely bare, dull and pale. The eyes were highlighted in the inner corners with a grey powder pigment smudged along the bottom last line and in the crease with a generous coating of mascara. The aim of the collection was hardly to be striking in appearance but rather it was a reinterpretation of the average fall wardrobe.

All images sourced from style.com

OSCAR DE LA RENTA

Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2013 photographed by Xavi Menós

Interestingly Oscar de la Renta showcased four beauty looks in the Fall/Winter 2013 collection. While most designers tried to pull away from the glamour of makeup and beauty this season, Oscar de la Renta did the opposite. Some could argue that through the use of two beauty looks in one collection, it would better distinguish pieces e.g. the garments created for the day and ones for the night while others may pose the question that two different beauty looks would in fact pull away attention from the garments and also create an atmosphere of confusion while also ruin the flow of a collection.

The first look at Oscar de la Renta in true tradition of many other shows to follow, was bare and simple with a bold coral lip. In the second look, the cheeks had been accentuated with a generous sweeping of blush and the lips had changed to a matte nude with a brown lip liner. The third look consisted of rosy checks and the iconic bold red lip.

It was the fourth and final look of the show which appear much more radical compared to the much softer looks displayed prior. While the hair had been either tied back with a part in the middle or just left down with a part in the middle as well, the hair for the final look was essentially wet, this matched the dewy base on the skin. While the lip was a dark berry or burgundy colour, fading out towards the edges of the lip, the cheeks also had a generous hint of a much stronger pigmented crimson blush. The eyes were dark and intense with dark brown and red copper hues covering the entirety of the eyelid as well as having been used on the lower lash line as well. This look was one of the much more dramatic and radical looks of the season.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

Backstage at Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2013 photographed by Daniel Picado

The most dramatic and theatrical beauty looks of the season was of course presented by none other than Vivienne Westwood. From plastic braids to an overly pale Victorian-era-esque base to purple cheeks, it truly pushed the conventions conforming with the ideas of the new-wave of austere minimalist designers. The beauty was nostalgic of the Galliano era or the McQueen era, over-the-top, odd and beautifully dramatic as Westwood is renowned for. Her ethos of eco-warriors translated magnificently both throughout the collection and through the use of the plastic braids while the makeup can be described as just simply being matte. It was true a representation of Westwood, of her grandeur and surpassing excellence as a designer.