Those who say time travel isn’t real didn’t experience the multitude of historic and futuristic-inspired beauty and hair looks that dominated London Fashion Week―from Di Petsa’s dip into Greek mythology to Richard Quinn’s 1930s Hollywood hairstyles, Chet Lo’s futuristic Crayola-coated tongues and Mowalola’s use of LED lights. BeautyMatter takes a trip through time, exploring the need-to-know beauty and hair looks from London Fashion Week.
Di Petsa
Di Petsa’s AW/23 show was a mythological merriment of femininity in its most raw form. The collection took inspiration from Persephone, the goddess of spring and later queen of the underworld, and her mother Demeter, the goddess of harvest. It was a tale of creation and Perseophone’s evolution from maiden to goddess, with Di Petsa’s typical wet-look gowns clinging to glossy-looking skin, and in some cases oiled pregnant bellies. Hair stylist Efie Davies used Toni&Guy products to create wet-look waves and twisted braids piled on models' heads. When it came to makeup, some had a bare-faced but extremely dewy appearance, almost resembling sweat. Other models had metallic silver lined and bejeweled lips, while makeup artist Crystabel Efemena Riley constructed a crystalized, frost-like effect around the eyes and sides of some faces. The beauty looks represented warmth and coldness, with, the light shifting from a rich, earthy orange to a cool-toned, ocean blue. The garments also changed tones, transitioning from shades of opulent golds and wine-like purples into deep blues and bright whites. The beauty looks were synonymous with the juxtapositions of the opposing themes—Hades and angels, fire and ice, death and creation—throughout the show.
Chet Lo
Arguably becoming one of the most creative and exciting new designers on the London Fashion Week schedule since graduating from Central Saint Martin’s in 2020, Chet Lo continues to explore innovative new ways to create knitwear and apparel. Lo’s AW/23 show was just as fun as expected. Hairstylist Anna Cofone created slick and spiky hair bows, using Oribe hair products, which reflected the soft yet spikey effect of Lo’s signature knit styles. Beauty looks were created by makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench, using key products from her namesake beauty brand. Ffrench cut up fake lashes in various lengths to create a bold, sharp effect that coordinated with both the garments and hairstyles. Models turned to flash their Crayola-colored-tongues (achieved by using bright food dyes) at guests like frogs trying to catch their lunch. Lo even joined in on the revelry, baring a bright blue tongue and matching teeth as he ran down the runway for the show's finale.
Simone Rocha
Much like Sandy Liang's AW/23 NYFW collection, bows were found everywhere and anywhere at Simone Rocha, whether it was on hair, ears, around fingers, or even applied under models’ eyes like cascading tears of ribbon. Makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver played with individual adornment, color, and texture on the face and body using fingers rather than brushes for a more playful effect. Kluyver partially removed the initial makeup application to give the makeup a worn-in quality, which wasn’t centered around perfection but instead the frivolity of youth. Hair stylist Cyndia Harvey also followed the idea of individuality by playing into each model's distinctive look. Those with shorter hair had it styled to look fluffy and naive, while models with longer tendrils had their hair styled in twisted, textured designs that mirrored the collection. For others, the hair was pulled forward onto the face, eyes just peeking through in a symbolic display of innocent curiosity.
Richard Quinn
Richard Quinn, the designer whose aesthetic combines a grandma's garden with BDSM culture, put on a mesmerizing display of florals in his The Secret Garden-inspired show. Fresh off the announcement of the Richard Quinn x MAC Cosmetics collaboration, the brand’s Director of Artistry Terry Barber created the beauty looks for the show. 1920s rounded brows emulated Tim Burton characters, while Barber used a color palette of fresh aquamarine, deep lilac, and sparkling silver to mimic the soothing feminine feeling of The Secret Garden. Hair stylist Sam McKnight created stark side partings with sleek 1930s Hollywood-style waved fringes covering foreheads. The rest of the hair was pulled back into minimalistic updos allowing the details of the clothing to take the spotlight.
Mowalola
In Mowalola’s first full collection since her time at Fashion East, entitled “Dark Web,” the designer explored the turbulent relationship between humans and technology. The clothing was classic Mowalola, full of her celebrated leatherwork and tongue-in-cheek designs such as skirts cut to look like they were caught falling down knees. Maverick makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench used a toothbrush to flick faux freckles in various neutral shades on model’s faces, resembling a speckled egg effect. Shimmery textures were also used to achieve an AI-inspired result. However, the most forward-thinking and futuristic element of the makeup looks was Ffrench’s use of appliquéd LED lights scattered across faces, much like the faux-freckles. Could this be the future of makeup?
