The Zang Toi girl is “both a diva and a bitch today,” exclaims lead makeup artist Rudy Miles, directly quoting the designer’s directive for the overall beauty vibe. Put more eloquently, the Rene Furterer-, BeautybyRudy- and Zoya-sponsored teams set out to achieve “a modern interpretation of a classic Italian look,” Miles adds.
Hairstylist Eiji Yamane, of the eponymously named salon, crafts a modern take on the classic chignon, noting that the update is in the silhouette: “This is not a flat chignon, so it looks young-ish, not old,” he says. First, he preps hair with Rene Furterer Fioravanti Shine Enhancing No Rinse Detangling Spray before pulling it into a side-parted, mid-height ponytail. He then adds a serious amount of shine to the front of the style using Rene Furterer Style & Finish Vegetal Styling Wax. Yamane continues by securing a second elastic three-quarters of the way down the ponytail, which acts as an anchor to the style’s bobby pins. “It’s always better to use a rubber band; it’s so easy to pin it that way,” urges Yamane. To create the perfect pouf for the chignon, he rolls the long ponytails (extensions are employed, naturally!) up over a chunk of sponge for added girth. Locking in the look, Yamane does a final mist of Rene Furterer Style & Finish Vegtal Styling Finishing Spray over the entire style before the girls hit the runway.
A “play on the monochromatic we saw [last] spring, but turned up,” is how makeup artist Rudy Miles describes the somewhat ’90s-inspired, all-brown makeup look. He blends two shades of brown onto the eyes (colors vary based on the models’ skin tones) to create a slightly smoky effect, which he follows up with mascara and just a dab of shimmer on the inner corners for added dimension. Contours are accentuated with brown—yes, brown—blush on the cheekbones and lips are slicked with Inglot Lipstick #271, yet another brown hue. The key to avoiding a lip that’s too ’90s; “Avoid the lip-lined look,” Miles laughs. His suggestion? Apply a colorless lip liner, which he does to keep the mocha hue from bleeding.
Like the makeup, the nails also reflect the monochromatic palette that runs throughout the designer’s collection. Rather than stick to one look, manicurist Cinnamon Bowser creates two: black and bronze. Each mani style is determined off of what the model trots down the runway. For the bronze design, two coats of Zoya Nail Polish in Loren, a custom-blended bronze hue, dress fingers. To give dimension and interest, an accent nail is decked-out in a yet-to-be-named bronzy glitter shade. The black design receives the same treatment: Fingertips are polished in Zoya Willa, a black shade, while an accent nail is topped with Zoya (a noir sparkle). —Kristen Oldham Giordani
[Images courtesy of Zoya]
