Backstage at Hervé Leger

Anyone who thought that models on the catwalk are always completely caked in makeup is mistaken in the case of Hervé Leger. On Saturday afternoon, the new collection was presented, and I was allowed to sneak a peek at the hustle and bustle backstage before the girls stepped onto the runway and watch the hair & makeup process, and this is how it went.

When I arrive 2 hours before showtime, the backstage area is already filled to the brim with busy people running around and models hiding in corners. The hair that the girls get for this show comes from celebrity hairdresser Orlando Pita for CHI Haircare, and he tells us that for this show the look is inspired by a “powerful Japanese women warrior” but that he wanted to keep it simple and feminine at the same time to not lose sight of the image of the Hervé Leger woman. The sleekly combed back hair in the middle represents strength, while the loose, carefree hair stands for the free-spirited and sexy Leger woman. And, very nice for us simple souls without a personal hair stylist at home, anyone can recreate this hairstyle at home. And, as he says, “if you can’t do this, well then you might as well just give up and go bald.” Clear language.

In another corner of the room is the makeup department, which is taken care of by M.A.C. Cosmetics under the direction of Val Garland. Here too, simplicity and strength are the key concepts. The models are not wearing foundation, only a little bit of powder if absolutely necessary, but otherwise, their skin remains as natural as possible and is slightly highlighted with highlighter. “These girls are fresh back from holiday, their skin looks beautiful. Why would we want to cover that up with a mask?” Val explains. The focus is on the eyelids with a thick eyeliner, “it has to look like black electrical tape across the eyes.” The look is not, I repeat, is NOT finished with mascara. No mascara! I found that quite surprising.

And then it’s showtime. As we could expect from Hervé Leger, we see many bodycon dresses, but there is more. The warrior women are clearly reflected in the collection with strong Asian influences in the form of, for example, kimonos. But instead of many solid colors, there were actually many prints, resulting in an exciting outcome. A high must-have factor but also a high factor of “wow, how impressive that this brand manages to reinvent itself completely every season.”

Finally, what have we learned? Going on vacation a lot and thus getting a beautiful complexion means you never have to cake your face again. Hooray!