38 posts tagged "Sam McKnight"
“Punky” In Purple, Backstage At Fendi
The mulberry mouth that dominated the Fall 2012 shows is having a bit of a resurgence this season, although it’s popping up in a few unexpected variations. “Kiki de Montparnasse. That was the reference for the lip,” Peter Philips said of the burnt-purple pouts he masterminded backstage at Fendi, explaining that the vampy jazz-age Parisian artist and muse served as a good starting point for the conceptualization of “a retro element that at the same time looked punky.”
Keeping skin matte with Chanel Pro Lumière Professional Finish Makeup and a dusting of its Poudre Universelle Libre, Philips concentrated his attention on an equally powdery pout, which he coated with its Rouge Allure Velvet in La Provocante. “The brows are strong because there is nothing on the lids,” he continued, brushing up arches and grooming them with Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencils before lacquering nails with a complementary shade of Le Vernis de Chanel in Vendetta, a rich blackened aubergine.
Sam McKnight was going for a similar edge. “Punk’s an idea that has been floating around,” the hairstylist confirmed of one of the season’s reigning themes, which led him to prep strands with Pantene Pro-V Deep Moisture Soufflé before weaving a ridged, Mohawk-inspired braid. “Karl [Lagerfeld] loves a graphic shape,” McKnight continued of the creative process that evolved to include spray-painted fox-fur headpieces pinned to the top of models’ coifs to add an embellished element to the silhouette. Finishing the look with a mist of Oribe Superfine Hair Spray, McKnight left the length of his plaits varied—on purpose. “I love all the bobs,” he effused of the bevy of short haircuts models like Daria Strokous, Kel Markey, and Karlie Kloss brought to the casting. “I feel it’s a little old-fashioned to have everyone have the same hair for a show, anyway.”
EXCLUSIVE: Peter Philips on Chanel’s “Dark and Fragile” Couture Beauty Look
Peter Philips has been making a case for the statement eye a lot recently. The Chanel creative director of makeup added “a touch of edginess” to Karl Lagerfeld’s tartan-rich Métiers d’Art pre-fall collection in December, while a “kind of heavy-handed,” black-rimmed silver lid colored the designer’s Spring show. At the house’s couture presentation this afternoon, it was much of the same.
“We created the eye applications specially for this show,” Philips said of the pieces of leaf-shaped tulle that Maison Lemarié cut using the same strips of fragile fabric Lagerfeld employed in a series of delicate hair pieces. “The makeup is almost an extension of the head accessories,” Philips continued, pointing out that each feathered clip-in that Sam McKnight affixed to models’ messy updos covered one eye, revealing only half of the face, the entirety of which still needed to be primped to perfection.
Creating a flawless base with Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15, Philips swept on a touch of its Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Frivole, an extremely flattering peach hue, before building a standard smoky eye around the appliqués with its Stylo Eyeshadow in Black Stream and Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Noir Intense. Natural eyelashes were treated to multiple swipes of Le Volume de Chanel Mascara in Noir to add further intensity. “In close up, you feel the fragility of the textures and materials, and from a distance, the look feels much darker,” Philips points out of the particular paradox he was striving for with the makeup—and the nails. Fingers were treated to two coats of Le Vernis Nail Colour in Emprise, a pale coral, while toes were varnished with its Black Satin for contrast. No detail was overlooked, as per usual.
EXCLUSIVE: “A Soft, Fresh Look With A Subtle Edge,” Backstage At Chanel Métiers D’Art
Temperatures reached a low of 30 degrees Fahrenheit last night at Scotland’s Linlithgow Palace, where the Chanel faithful had gathered to watch Karl Lagerfeld’s latest Métiers d’Art triumph. Brand ambassadors like Caroline Sieber and Poppy Delevingne braved the front row in towering fur hats to fight the chill at the castle’s open-air hall, which left the French house’s creative director of makeup, Peter Philips, in the precarious position of creating a look that could withstand the elements. “When applying makeup in rough weather conditions, it’s important to use a good moisturizer and a bit more coverage in your foundation,” he pointed out backstage, where he was busily sculpting “pure skin” with a “fresh, crisp glow” courtesy of Chanel’s Vitalumière Éclat Compact or Mat Lumière Long Lasting Soft Matte Makeup SPF 15, depending on the girl. “I need to use [something] that can stand in this cold,” he reiterated, adding a deliberate dose of its Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Rose Initial to create a wind-swept flush that, quite frankly, needed little coaxing by way of cosmetics.
But the evening’s beauty focus was on both the skin and the eyes, Philips emphasized. “It’s a soft, fresh look with a subtle edge,” he said, explaining that Lagerfeld wanted a little something extra on lids that would complement Sam McKnight’s elaborate range of braided and back-combed updos, equipped with pieces of Chanel Fine Jewelry, without the whole thing becoming “too costume.” Building a base of soft shading and highlighting with Chanel’s forthcoming Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eyeshadow in Raffinement, Philips added a “touch of edginess” with precise strokes of its Stylo Yeux Long Lasting Waterproof Eyeliner in Noir Intense under the lower lash line and at the upper corners, tracing the inner rims with its Le Crayon Khôl Intense Eyeliner in Clair as he went. “It’s between a dancer’s makeup and a punk look,” he surmised, skipping mascara and brushing on a thin coat of Chanel Glossimer in Plaisir, an innocent pink, on the lips to “keep a fragility.” The punk bit was repurposed on nails that were painted a shimmering shade of dark blue/violet with Chanel Le Vernis in Taboo, which will make its debut next year. If you can’t wait to slick on two coats while layering your best tartans and tweeds, you’re not alone.
A Pearl Per Girl—Plus Makeup That Shines—Backstage At Chanel
Everything that comes out of the house of Chanel starts with Karl Lagerfeld—his sketches, his ideas, even where he walks. “The inspiration was actually the floor in Karl’s new studio, which is a metallic parquet,” Peter Philips explained of the beauty look for the Spring show. “The one key word [Karl] used was shine,” the Chanel creative director of makeup continued, pointing out that the direction got him thinking about skin textures and color consistency, which led him where these conversations often do: to Chanel’s incomparable Illusion d’Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eyeshadow.
The soufflé-like cream pigment that can be worn sheer or built up for more opacity debuted in a brand-new color today, a forthcoming platinum hue that Philips blended all the way up to brows, which were elongated a bit for proportion with its Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencils. “I actually applied the mascara first,” Philips pointed out of Chanel’s Inimitable Intense wand in Noir, which went on in one swipe after skin was prepped with its Vitalumiere Satin Smoothing Fluid Makeup, left to dry, and then reapplied three times for added drama. “It’s kind of heavy-handed but in this kind of big venue, we need to do something that can be seen,” Philips elaborated, duly tracing lids with a thick etching of its Stylo Yeux Waterproof Long-Lasting Eyeliner in Ebene while lining the inner rims with its Le Crayon Kohl in Graphite, a dark gray. The shine theme was revisited on lips, which Philips treated to a quick slick of Chanel Rouge Allure Luminous Satin Lipcolor in Gracile, a soft pink, and then promptly lacquered with its Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in Plaisir, a sheer peach. “We’re going to oil them up a little bit, too,” Philips added of models’ exposed limbs, which his team greased down right before they hit the runway for an extra glisten.
In what was perhaps the greatest testament to Spring’s dominating neutral nail trend, Philips eschewed more statement colors, which are often customary here, in favor of the most classic polish protocol there is: the French manicure. “We’re using Ballerina and Eastern Light,” he explained, big-upping the full-coverage white varnish that will launch as part of his as-yet-unreleased Hong Kong mini collection.
Hairstylist Sam McKnight also takes much of his direction from Lagerfeld—as well as the designer’s go-to accessories maven, Maison Michel creative director Laetitia Crahay. “Laetitia always brings a box [to fittings],” McKnight explained of the CC-logo pearl baubles that he strung up with elastic and tied into models’ low-slung, middle-parted knots. “It started out that all the girls would be wearing these Perspex hats, but they’ve gone less,” the hair hero continued of the oversized toppers that only a few models, Stella Tennant and Kasia Struss among them, ended up carrying, not wearing, on the extra long catwalk in the Grand Palais. As a result, McKnight was charged with creating an easy style, “kind of like the girls did it themselves,” that he prepped with Frédéric Fekkai COIFF Lifting and Texturizing Spray for “a little bite” before fashioning a messy DIY bun. “Even if the story is soft, Karl always likes to add something graphic,” he pointed out of the subtle touch of hair jewelry—”and everyone loves a Chanel pearl.” Truth.
“Fresh” Skin And Smooth Operator-Style Hair, Backstage At Balmain
After three weeks of nonstop shows, we are entering the home stretch of the Spring season—which means excitement and exhaustion are both at a high. “The girls are getting tired, the skin is getting tired. You can start having little damages,” Tom Pecheux said of battle-worn complexions backstage at Balmain. Although you wouldn’t have guessed that models here had been in New York—or London and Milan for that matter. “The key word is fresh,” Pecheux said of the natural look he designed for Olivier Rousteing’s presentation. “And skincare.”
“It’s the only thing we can do—it’s the only thing you have to do with this look,” Pecheux elaborated of what amounted to “50 percent makeup, 50 percent skincare,” in his estimation. Starting with a triple-threat massage using his standard mix of Rodin Olio Lusso, Estée Lauder Daywear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Cream, and its Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator, Pecheux built a base using either KETT Cosmetics Hydro Foundation or Estée Lauder Double Wear Light mixed with MAC Strobe Liquid for a dewy finish. Eyes were given a highlight with a dusting of MAC’s Eyeshadow Quad in Caramel Sundae. “I’m lazy,” Pecheux joked, sweeping his brush across the peach, yellow, champagne, and bronze palette to pick up a little bit of each shade. Brows were groomed individually—”Iselin has bleached brows and we filled them in. [Juliana Schurig] has bleached brows that we left; Mila has a thin line so we’re adding color not to increase darkness but to increase size, and Manon, she’s new so her eyebrows are virgin. We’re not building them up”—and lips and cheeks were treated to a touch of muted color from MAC’s forthcoming spring 2013 Lip Palette. To give lashes definition without leaving behind visible product, Pecheux “tinted” them using an interesting technique in which he dipped an angled brush into his trusty tube of MAC Haute and Naughty Mascara and hand-painted each hair.
For hairstylist Sam McKnight, the key word was Sade. “She was a starting point,” he said of the eighties singing sensation who made hoop earrings and a slicked-back braid part of her R&B act’s signature. Blowing hair dry with hair spray to create texture, McKnight secured lengths in a ponytail, created a simple, three-strand braid, and tied it off with another elastic at the end. “I wanted it to look like I wasn’t there,” he elaborated of the style’s ease, which necessitated some “little bits” around the front to make it appear more lived in. McKnight also threw around the word “grunge,” as most people have this season, but emphasized that it’s a “new grunge” that we’ve been seeing. “It’s a healthier grunge. It’s not dirty; it’s more natural.”