From lipstick smears to foundation beards, making out with someone who is wearing make-up has its risks and by the looks of the models at the Schiaparelli Couture show yesterday, there was some hot and heavy action with a couple of smurfs backstage prior to the runway. 

Schiaparelli is always a highlight of the Couture calendar, thanks to Daniel Roseberry and his expansive, madcap collections. Last season, the designer paid tribute to the beasts of Dante’s The Divine Comedy with intricately crafted, hyper-realistic animal heads and faux fur ensembles. Compared to that, everything was a little more lowkey this season. No Doja Cat covered in 30,000 red Swarovski crystals, no Kylie Jenner wearing a massive lion’s head, no internet storm of unfounded outrage. This time, Roseberry wrote in his show notes that he wanted his collection to be “aggressively, unmistakably human”. 

This human touch was achieved through a collection dedicated to the artists that have orbited the Schiaparelli universe, from Elsa’s time until now. Salvador Dalí and Lucian Freud were both represented, as were Jack Whitten, Les Lalanne and Diego Giacometti. But the nod to Yves Klein caught our attention most, thanks to the Yves Klein Blue body and face-painted looks.

While most of the models walked with absolutely flawless, soft-focused complexions and sultry smokey eyes courtesy of make-up legend Pat McGrath, a few were sent out with the lower half of their faces and upper body covered in blue. The look was created through a custom mix of pigments, paints and shadows combined to give an intensely bold monochromatic effect. First, a base layer of paint was applied using the Pat McGrath Labs foundation brush. Next, came a layer of pure pigment for the velvet look, followed by a setting powder to set and neutralise the colour blend.  

The blue-faced models brought a splash of colour to an otherwise natural and dewy make-up look. Hairstylist Guido Palau, meanwhile, kept things sleek and sophisticated. Hair that was slicked back and held in place with the stretchy black headbands from the AW23 collection – thus fully cementing their position as a sleuth status symbol.