OUR BEAUTY EDITOR GOES BACKSTAGE AT LONDON FASHION WEEK

– The wondrous world of Mary Katrantzou –

Mary Katrantzou’s shows are always divine since she always transports you to some mystical fairytale world. Coveting a front row ticket is exceptionally hard, so I was happy I was able to drop by backstage to check out M.A.C’s makeup artists at work. And honestly, backstage is way more fun anyway because you can soak in so much inspiration and the models are always fun to hang out with too. So here it goes, my last backstage report from London Fashion Week.

I’m going to be honest with you though. Preen and Paul Smith had already drained quite a bit of my energy since waking up at 6 AM each morning is challenging. Plus, being surrounded by models while I walk around with massive bags under my eyes isn’t necessarily a confrontation that puts a smile on your face. But luckily Mary Kantrantzou lifted my spirits as soon as I entered the backstage area. Filled with colorful prints and sequins, I was welcomed into a mystical world.

After being backstage from practically a minute, I bumped into runway queen Maartje Verhoef. She had already walked quite a few shows in London, but was still very excited to walk on Mary’s runway. Lucia Peroni, the head of M.A.C Cosmetic’s backstage, was beautifying the already gorgeous Maartje. The look she was going for was flawless, with a little accent on the eyes. Burgundy and cobalt blue were the core colors of the collection which was translated into the models’ eyelashes. A thick layer on each lash, all which were carefully examined by Lucia before the girls got suited up in their outfits. Lucia is a tough cookie, but rightfully so.

L’Oréal Professional was in charge of the hair. Which also had to recreate that flawless touch and feel. They tied the hair back with a ribbon which was tied around the neck like a necklace.

After the hair and makeup were complete, the models rehearsed for the show which I was able to catch a glimpse of. So there I was, front row. Yeah, you read that correctly: front row. Although this wasn’t the official show and there was no one else in sight, I was able to get a preview of what would be taking place later on. Plus they did about three walk throughs so I was able to check out all the details of every outfit and matching beauty look. See, I told you being backstage was much more fun. You get to see the everything before the official show!