At the first IRL Couture week in Paris, the makeup and hair got extreme and crafty – featuring colourful fauxhawks and double cat eyes at Chanel and Iris Van Herpen’s 3D droplet nails
For the first time since the pandemic, couture week fashion shows are live in Paris with IRL audiences and all the fanfare that comes with fashion week in Paris. For the Fall 2021 season, Chanel, Dior, and Jean Paul Gaultier went back to the runway as we knew it, forgoing digital-only catwalks for much more intimate front rows that gave us a new sense of hope for the future of fashion shows. As far as beauty goes, couture week is often one of the best places to spot the up-and-coming beauty trends that we’ll soon see cycle down into everything else – while the clothes take an extreme approach of glamour and craft, the makeup and hair often match. After all, it’s couture. Here, the trends to try now.
UNDER EYE LINER AT DIOR
Dior’s Fall 2021 couture collection took inspiration from the craftsmanship of couture, and the liner was equally artistic. Peter Philips, creative and image director for Dior makeup created an inky blue under eye liner that was both smudge-proof and edgy looking. “The blue gives a bit of a peacock look,” he told Dazed Beauty backstage. “It's more intense than black. I wanted an aspect of punkish, but at the same time, sophistication, so we softened the edge a little bit with the blue shadow powder.” He left the rest of the face minimal. The eye look was created using the Diorshow 24H Stylo 091 Matte Black as the first layer of liner, then adding the midnight blue eye shadow from the 5 Couleurs Couture 279 Denim Palette over it.
3D NAILS AT IRIS VAN HERPEN
At Iris Van Herpen, the designer took inspiration from the otherworldly work of Domitille Kiger, the French female world-champion skydiver, even going so far as to partner with her to have her wear a gown while jumping out of a plane. As such, the nails had a tech-y, futuristic feel, designed by nail artist Eichi Matsunaga who created clear, sculptural 3D droplet nails that look like water suspended in air.
FUTURISTIC TOP KNOTS AT FENDI
Taking place in Rome, the Fendi Fall 2021 couture show had no shortage of glamour. Most of the models wore minimal makeup by Peter Philips. The hair was done by Guido Palau, who slicked most of it back but also executed sculptural top knots on some models. The tightly coiled, smoothed-back look partly resembled a hat, and partly resembled a space age look of the future.
BRAIDED FAUXHAWKS AND DOUBLE CAT EYES AT CHANEL
Chanel looked to 19th century women artists including Marie Laurencin and Berthe Morisot for its Fall 2021 couture collection, mixing tweeds with ultra-feminine feathered skirts and mini dresses. The hair – by Damien Boissinot – consisted of chunky dutch braided fauxhawks, which were accessorized with lush black bows. As for the makeup, we saw some double duty liner, with almost-black navy blue below the waterline and a thick black cat eye topping off the lash line.
WET HAIR AND BUZZCUTS AT JEAN PAUL GAULTIER X SACAI
Perhaps one of the most anticipated shows of all of couture week was Jean Paul Gaultier x Sacai, and the beauty look delivered tons of inspiration too. Guido Palau styled the hair and for the most part created flattened, wet-look hair that was particularly long, thin and tucked behind the ears. There were a couple of really bold buzz cuts too, which may have been a tribute to the DIY sensitivity of hair during the pandemic. Makeup, for the most part, was left minimal with cheekbones that popped.
SCULPTURAL HAIR BOWS AT GIAMBATTISTA VALLI
Remember Lady Gaga’s sculptural bow made out of hair which she wore in the early 2000s? Well it seems that Y2K style continues making a comeback, with a very similar look done at Giambattista Valli Fall 2021 couture. Hair stylist Odile Gilbert also created supersized volume with high ponytails topped off with little bows. Makeup artist Helene Vasnier added high-drama 60s style cat eyes that covered the entire lid in inky black.
GRAPHIC CAT EYES AT BALENCIAGA
Thick, dark liner seems to be the must-have of couture week fall 2021, and Balenciaga was no exception either. With a diverse cast of models, some of the faces were left bare without a trace of makeup, while others had their lids painted in striking, graphic cat eyes, each one customized to their face. One thing is for sure, the longer and darker the liner, the better.