Every couture season, we wait with baited breath to witness breathtaking works of art strut down the Parisian runways. It's a week where designers let their imagination run wild and ateliers put in extra hours to deliver intricate masterpieces that serve as a lesson in workmanship in the highest degree.
Hair and make-up play an integral part in couture's storytelling. Under the watchful eye of Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri, the beauty looks at Dior act as an extension of Chiuri's vision, complementing the otherworldly clothes and offering a talking point without overwhelming the designs.
Dior's latest couture outing referenced not only ethereal Greco-Roman goddesses, but also the 're-reading of myths, how the seemingly familiar can be viewed afresh through a contemporary prism,' according to the French fashion house. This meant an understated colour palette of white, beige and black with pops of silvers and pale golds. Metallics shone under the spotlight as models sashayed past the backdrop illustrated by artist Marta Roberti and embroidered into life by the Mumbai-based textile house, Chanakya International.
The hair could've taken the more expected romantic route of pretty curls and loose plaits, but revered hairstylist Guido Palau interpreted the 'goddess updo' through an ultra-modern lens - creating a tightly-wound, intricate braid that began along the temples and cascaded into a low, 'beaver tail' silhouette on the nape of the neck.
The lacquered finish lent an unimpeachable strength to the raffia-like, woven texture, no doubt a nod to the strength portrayed in Chiuri's designs. Braids have been a go-to for Dior in recent seasons, with previous shows featuring brooch embellishments and an homage to artist Frida Kahlo.
To mirror the gleaming embellishments found in the clothes, Creative And Image Director of Dior Makeup, Peter Philips, played with subtle luminosity on key points of the face. Careful placement of natural-looking highlight on the eyelids, inner corners of the eyes, cheekbones and lips gave models an magical, lit-from-within glow that's easily adopted for IRL wear.
Some models were also given a soft, bronzey smoke along the eyes for added drama against an otherwise clean complexion. A dreamy accompaniment to the showstopping hair.
