28 posts tagged "Proenza Schouler"
“A Bit of a More Feminine Approach,” Backstage At Proenza Schouler
The Proenza Schouler woman has such a signature low-key beauty look that we often wonder if Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez even have to instruct hairstylist Paul Hanlon and makeup artist Diane Kendal what to do at this point. Following a few twists and turns at the preshow test for Fall, however, it turns out there was, in fact, a specific directive: “They asked me to do the hair I did for them two seasons ago,” Hanlon revealed backstage.
For those of you who need a refresher course, that was the season Hanlon coined the term “skinny hair,” for which he washed every girl’s locks on site, to start with the most natural texture possible, before removing excess volume and weighing strands down with product. “They’re architectural couture clothes for Fall, but there’s a reality to them, so we don’t want the hair to look too groomed,” he explained, coating strands with Frédéric Fekkai Coiff Perfecteur Anti-Frizz Silkening Crème to create a “lank” effect before applying its Defense Pre-Style Thermal/UV Protectant to add moisture. Then, fashioning side parts that he tucked behind models’ ears, Hanlon applied a liberal amount of its COIFF Oceanique Tousled Wave Spray to add a “roughness, like if the girls had been wearing a beanie.”
Kendal wasn’t so much told to re-create her work from past shows, but she’s become so adept at channeling the design duo’s downtown cool aesthetic that it’s almost second nature at this point. “This season is a riff on classicism, so it’s a bit of a more feminine approach for them,” Kendal pointed out, “but they still wanted their girls to be their girls.” Cue the perfected complexions with MAC’s Studio Fix Powder for a velvety base, the boyish brows that were brushed up with its Clear Brow Finisher Wax, and a fine stroke of black cream shadow drawn against the upper lash line in lieu of mascara. There was one new development here, in the form of MAC’s Red Statement Lipstick from its forthcoming Fall Trend palette, which Kendal applied to cheeks as a transparent blush. “But it’s very sheer, so you can’t really see it,” she assured us.
The Backstage Secret To Big, Bushy Brows
Ever since big, eighties-era brows re-entered the beauty picture during the Fall 2010 season, we’ve been all about arch maintenance. After a few years of regrowth following some trigger-happy tweezing days, we’re proud to report that our brows are in pretty good shape. Still, though, a brow pencil takes them to another level. Whether to use pencils, powders, markers, or waxes to enhance your natural shape is a personal decision that every girl must make on her own, but Diane Kendal demoed something at Proenza Schouler last night that warrants mention here, as it will revolutionize your routine whatever your pigment preference may be. It’s called the Brow Finisher, and it’s one of MAC’s amazing multitasking products that has somehow managed to go under our radar until now. Here’s how it works: The clear, waxy, slim-line tool is basically a pre-pigment step. You scribble it into the root of the brow, then apply your pencil, powder, wax, what-have-you, and it helps emulsify the color so that when you put brush to brows, the blending action is seamless. No errant strokes or an obviously drawn-on look here. Needless to say, we’ll be purchasing one before we leave for Milan next week and we recommend you do the same; if this week’s shows are any indication, bigger will still better come Spring.
Backstage At Proenza, Where Simple Beauty Is Anything But
Paul Hanlon was psyched backstage at Proenza Schouler. “This collection is quite exceptional—it’s beyond,” he effused. “These guys are always ahead of the pack.” This will be the hairstylist’s fifth season with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, and at this point, he’s got the “Proenza girl” pegged—as well he should; Hanlon’s special brand of downtown cool has helped further define the designers’ woman. “She’s not a good girl, she’s a dangerous girl,” he offered—”whose hair looks like it needs a wash.”
With Kurt Cobain’s iconic, languid locks as his guide, Hanlon set to work on building a “vey stringy” texture, misting hair down with water and using his hands to layer Frédéric Fekkai’s Perfectly Luscious Curl Wave Activating Spray through the lengths. Every girl wore a stretchy latex, leather black cuff to elongate her neck, and rather than pull center-parted strands through the accessory, which he felt would look “too conceptual,” Hanlon had other plans. To give a “natural effect,” he braided under sections to remove extra weight and gathered hair into a ponytail, the base of which he spritzed with Fekkai’s Sheer Hold Hairspray. “We’re going to cut it right before they go out,” he explained of the elastic, tying mesh scarves on top of the cuffs and around the ponytail to further set the resulting indentation. Hanlon added a final “electric” element by using his fingers to rub the crown of the head for a frizzy, static effect, which created a further dichotomy between his contribution and the clothes. “You’ve got these incredibly expensive fabrics and hair that’s just whatever,” he said—a directive that came right from McCollough and Hernandez. “They’re really good at describing hair,” Hanlon attests. “I’m sure Lazaro was a hairdresser in a former life.”
Makeup artist Diane Kendal is a similarly longstanding member of team Proenza, and she too is well versed at channeling the house’s “urban feel,” which reliably calls for strong brows, smudged lids, and clean skin. Using MAC Studio Finish Concealer where needed, Kendal applied a nude-pink lipstick on the apples of the cheeks to get a sheer flush with a bit of sheen. Lower lash lines were then lined with its Eye Pencil in Coffee, which was also placed in the crease and blended over lids for a subtle stain. Skipping the mascara, Kendal’s finishing touch came via her signature “boyish” brows, which were filled in and brushed up. Even “real girl”-inspired beauty requires a few extra steps.
Bag Boys
Like us, the Proenza faithful are presumably waiting with bated breath for Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez to branch out into beauty, as has been the practice of many a successful designer before them. Outside of a few unsubstantiated rumors, however—whispers about a signature scent and a makeup collaboration circulate at least once a year when it comes to the New York design duo—no concrete plans have been revealed yet. But in what we’re taking as a sign of good things to come, McCollough and Hernandez have just released a makeup case to add to their collection of accessories. Available in four colors, the buttery soft Italian leather pouches are small enough to fit into almost every incarnation of the brand’s immensely popular PS1 bag, yet big enough to hold a host of face-painting essentials—which will one day (fingers crossed) include an in-house color line emblazoned with the same Proenza Schouler logo.
Chloë Sevigny Does The Shag
Chloë Sevigny will forever be gutsy when it comes to her fashion and beauty choices. After trading in her ultra-dark tresses for a floppy, flaxen bob earlier this year, the actress switched things up yet again at last night’s Jeffrey Fashion Cares show, where she was an honorary chair. Wearing a Proenza Schouler Fall look, the indie star debuted a shorter shag cut with choppy, tousled layers and peroxide highlights. The new ‘do takes us back to her mid-nineties heyday, when Larry Clark’s Kids put her on map. What do you think of the look?