We've seen the latter-half of the 20th century reimagined through beauty looks countless times, but it's not often that the early decades of the 20th century get their time in the spotlight.
For his AW22 show, Erdem looked to the past to gain clarity for his upcoming collection. Though his mood-board was punctuated with sepia images of iconic women from the late 1920s and early 1930s, the overarching message he sought to revive couldn't have been more in tune with the current zeitgeist. 'In the early 1930s a new band of female artists and photographers captured the fringe culture in the underbellies of the glittering capitals in mainland Europe,' said Erdem. 'Jeanne Mammen, Madame d’Ora, Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler, Anita Berber and Valeska Gert each pioneered a particular vein of avant-garde expression.'
It was the pushing of expectations, boundaries, and experimentation that Erdem wanted to capture not only in the sartorial element of the collection, but in the beauty looks too. 'The inspiration for hair and makeup came very much from this time,' Erdem explained. 'It was all about beautiful androgyny with clean, minimal skin punctuated with a matte, scarlet lip. Hair took on strict precision with exaggerated side partings that were reminiscent of the era.'
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When the models emerged from the darkness, discernible only by white spotlights which dimly lit their complexions, the effect of the overall look was haunting. Super slicked, high-shine hair reflected the little light present in the room, while the softly-lit skin gave the models a ghostly appearance, as if they'd been plucked straight out of the past.
To achieve his desired vision, Erdem shared his inspiration with NARS Global Artistry Director Jane Richardson. 'With the photography of Madame d’Or as the starting point, Erdem wanted to communicate the type of complexion that was neither masculine nor feminine,' Richardson explained.
To create the base, the skin was prepped with NARS Light Reflecting Multi Action Treatment Lotion and Light Reflecting Moisturiser. Looking at the different shades present in each of models complexions, the Soft Matte Complete Concealer was then buffed in with a brush to reduce any areas of redness. 'This will help you get the best finish and avoid you looking too washed out,' explains Richardson. 'Avoid taking product too far up to the lower lash line and leave the eyelids clear of product, to help you look less made up.' The base was then set with powder using the Precision Powder Brush.
For the rest of the face, the make-up was kept minimal. Brows were groomed with a spoolie or brow gel; 'If there were areas of sparseness we softly filled them in but not enough to shape,' says Richardson. For the defining red lip worn by a handful of models, the make-up artists first lined the lips with the Precision Lip Liner in Holy Red, followed by a coating of Air Matte Lip Colour in Dragon Girl and Ravishing Red Lipstick. 'For a matte finish, Exhibit A blush and Douro Single eyeshadow were dusted on using a blending brush.'
Larry King also drew inspiration from the era when it came to finalising the hair. 'The early 1930s were a period of dissolving boundaries and subverting conventions. It was a time of exploring notions of gender and sexuality, identity and expression. Everyone is welcome, and all participate,' King explains.
The sculpted, smoothly set hair juxtaposed the flowing movement of the clothes for a visual representation of the blending of genders. 'For hair we’ve really followed on from the this avant guard expressionism and that really strong iconic look from the late 1920s and early 1930s. It's that high-shine, deep-parting, androgynous look but brought up to date and worn in a very modern and wearable way.'
After priming the hair with a mousse, King employed the Dyson Supersonic and a round brush to create a smooth and straightened canvas. 'We sectioned out a deep right hand parting and apply a combination of a pomade, clay and an oil spray to give a high shine finish. The hair line is pushed down flat and round, following the hairline tightly behind the ears.'
At the nape of the neck, King secured a low, sleek ponytail, finishing the look with a once over from the Dyson Supersonic and Flyaway attachment to smooth down any flyaways. Precision was the essence of this look, explained King. 'It's something those in that era were obsessed with.'
Every High Fashion Make-Up Look From Backstage At Fashion Week AW22
