After a whirlwind month and a half, the dust finally settles from the back-to-back madness of fashion month and Frieze. Now, with the algorithm returned to a slightly more manageable pace, we can reflect on the direction in which the industry’s leaders are headed over the next six months.
From the unbridled creative chaos that reigned at Milan Fashion Week thanks to Prada, Bottega Veneta and Marni to the indulgent luxuriance ushered back in by Alessandro Michele at his Valentino debut, fashion’s design pioneers are done with being demure – but what about beauty?
Similar to the spectacle of Pat McGrath’s haunting porcelain doll skin at Margiela’s Artisanal 2024 show in January, bold beauty with a distinct point of view is back. Some artists blurred the lines between clothing and cosmetics, like Marcelo Gutierrez’s feather work at Palomo Spain or Anna Cofone’s hair prints for Chet Lo. Others – from crystal-encrusted eyes created by Lauren Reynolds at Chopova Lowena to Mei Kawajiri’s bulbous pearl-adorned nails at All-In – simply wanted to have fun.
i-D meets the make-up, hair, and nail artists behind the standout beauty looks from the SS25 shows.
1. Marcelo Gutierrez for Palomo Spain
After a brief hiatus, Alejandro Gómez Palomo’s sexy menswear label Palomo Spain returned to New York Fashion Week this season. An indulgent feast of silk, studs, fringe and print, amid bright feather wigs and slicked styles courtesy of Laurent Philippon, was a look that seamlessly blended fashion and beauty. Conceptualised by make-up artist Marcelo Gutierrez, tufts of white ostrich feathers appeared to sprout from one model’s skin – perfectly matching his plumed trousers. “Fashion shows are the perfect time to play with craft, theatrics, spectacle and sensorial techniques,” Gutierrez says. Created over the course of four hours by a team of four artists, the plumes comprising the invisible shirt were meticulously applied by hand to match the collection’s trousers. “It really took the look to a whole new level and added a dimension of fantasy to the show.”
Photography by Mariah Leonard
2. Anna Cofone for Chet Lo
“It’s always a dream collaborating with Chet,” says hairstylist Anna Cofone, “he loves hair and is passionate about creating something new and different for every show.” For the London-based designer’s SS25 collection – a touching ode to his mother, charting her journey from computer science to artist – hair became an accessory, complimenting the sophisticated knitwear and signature spikes on display. “We wanted the patterns and colour of certain pieces in the collection to be carried through into the hair to almost create one full look from head to toe,” Cofone explains of the flashes of electric blue and charcoal grey tones in the models’ hair – the collection’s prints transposed straight on to the scalp. “The veils were dyed using the key colour of the look and then the patterns were hand-painted ahead of the show using stencils we made. It was a long, but fun process!”
Photography by Jack Eames
3. Clare Hurford for Nuba
Making their Fashion East debut this season, designers Cameron Williams and Jebi Labembika built on their foundation laid at Central Saint Martins. Louche hooded jersey tops slashed open at the chest and sculpted taffeta trousers and coats, were a product of the duo’s heritage – bouncing from Jamaica to Cameroon via south London. “As soon as I saw the moodboard, I was immediately excited,” says hairstylist Clare Hurford on collaborating with the pair on their debut. Matching the rust-coloured garments in the collection, the models’ hair looked like it had been slicked with a radioactive earthen ore. “Jebi and Cam were very specific about the texture they wanted the hair to be coated with, so I experimented by layering different products and colours to create an oxidised, cracked mud effect which could work across all hair textures and be easily removed,” Hurford explains. “We prepped a lot of different options of burnt orange hair, coated braids and various structured pieces.”
Courtesy of Clare Hurford
4. Lauren Reynolds and Kiyoko Odo for Chopova Lowena
Opting for a single show a year, Chopova Lowena designers Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena-Irons leave no holds barred for their solo outing. “It really was chucking everything we liked in the pot and seeing what happened,” says make-up artist Lauren Reynolds on the approach this season. “We had a huge creative document on the go with hundreds of references, sectioned into different characters relating to the world they were building. We sent ideas back and forth, then tested for two days in their studio trying everything out and whittling it down.” What was left was a buffet of striped neon liner, clusters of kaleidoscopic crystals circling the eyes, constellations of star-shaped stickers and gothic black lips. A mix of can-can dancers, saloon girls and cowboys, the ‘feral gymnast’ characters were a cornerstone of the collection. A mass of bouncing ringlets was created by hairstylist Kiyoko Odo. She “combined classic hair styles with punk to create the Chopova Lowena style”, Reynolds adds, “they’re tearaways, so they’re messy and unruly and their make-up isn’t regulation but more individually expressive. It’s bold and rough, but that gives it a lot of energy – a certain innocence and playfulness that ties in well with the show.”
Photography by Jackson Bowley
5. Ama Quashie for Simone Rocha
“Simone [Rocha]’s explanation of the collection was about undressing, movement and rawness. In regards to nails, she wanted a nod of embellishment incorporated somehow,” explains the brand’s longtime nail artist Ama Quashie. Collaborating with the label’s embellishment team, they handcrafted tasselled talons in black and red, dripping with crystals that swished and sparkled as the models traipsed around the Old Bailey. Working with Rocha for the past ten seasons, the process has become intuitive, a culmination of the styling, hair and make-up working in harmony. “Robbie [Spencer], Thomas [de Kluyver] and Cyndia [Harvey] have been working as a collective with Simone and are very used to working with each other – we understand each other’s opinion and respect it,” Quashie says. “I love the fact that Simone gives each of us our moments to have space in the show.”
Courtesy of Ama Quashie
6. Lynski for Mainline:RUS/Fr.CA/DE
SS25 marked the runway debut for Alexandra Vincent and Zarina Bekerova’s London-based brand Mainline:RUS/Fr.CA/DE. Tapping make-up artist Lynski, the collection’s deconstructed jersey looks and relaxed tailoring were paired with glossy smokey eyes in brown and black that varied from subtle to panda-like. “I told the brand ‘smokey eye, but burn my eyes out’, in reference to being very exhausted to look at the world at the moment,” she says. “I love earthy tones, I can look at them forever and working with them feels very meditative and peaceful. It’s so close to skin tone, you’re not really applying it, it’s just you and the colour working in synergy.” Grounded in a feeling of being “easy, tactile and very real”, you too can achieve the Mainline look. Simply grab your black kohl pencil, brown eyeshadow and vaseline, blend it all with your fingers and you’re set.
Photography by Olivia Ezechukwu/Anna Zina
7. Michele Magnani for Avavav
Beate Karlsson is Milan Fashion Week’s resident prankster. Her models at Avavav have survived their clothes falling apart at the seams and trash being thrown at them. This season, they were marched off to the Forza e Coraggio arena to participate in a mandatory sports day. “The collection challenges traditional fashion norms by blending irony, technical precision and dramatic flair,” explains make-up artist Michele Magnani. Sweating while running laps in frog-toed heels, models wore smudged smokey eyes, smeared lipstick and impractical nails that fused sets on both hands together. Nodding to the collection’s adidas Originals collaboration, topless models were painted in bootleg knock-off jackets. “The collaboration celebrates Avavav’s playful and experimental spirit and adidas’ sporty, functional edge,” explains Magnani. “The two body-paint designs blend the body with the deconstructed garments, blurring the line between fashion and art. Integrating the human form with the designs creates a cohesive high-fashion visual narrative that elevates the artistic value of the collection.”
Courtesy of MAC Cosmetics Italia
8. Zhou Xue Ming for Mugler
Wig wizard Zhou Xue Ming unexpectedly found himself at Paris Fashion Week for the first time this season after Mugler’s creative director Casey Cadwallader came across his work. “A photo assistant cut some discarded background paper during a shoot and the shape gave me some inspiration,” he explains. “I made it into hair and my idea spread through the internet before Casey discovered it. Most of my creative inspirations come from points in my life that touch me and start endless associations that transform into my creation of wigs.” Echoing Cadwallader’s return to sharp tailoring favoured by founder Thierry Mugler, Ming’s severe face-obscuring bangs too were cut with razor-sharp precision. “Sharp cuts, structured lines with a small slit to reveal the texture of the skin,” he says.
Courtesy of Zhou Xue Ming
9. Mei Kawajiri for ALL-IN
“This was my first season working with ALL-IN and I was so excited when they shared the show concept, ‘Uptown Girl,’” says nail artist Mei Kawajiri, “I love the 80s mood and feel.” Collaborating with design duo Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø and stylist Lotta Volkova, the looks constantly evolved in the two weeks leading up to the show. “We probably created 300 nail tips for this show,” Kawajiri explains on how she pushed the glamour to the nth degree. “Larger, brighter sequins. Pearls as big as could possibly fit on the nail tip.” The cherry on top of an opulent reimagining of a New York City girl trying to find her way in the world. “To me, nails have always been an accessory that is just as important as shoes or jewellery,” Kawajiri adds. “The nails were such an important part of the character this season and I’m so happy to have collaborated with like-minded creatives on bringing their vision to life.”
Courtesy of Mei Kawajiri
10. Siddhartha Simone for Kiko Kostadinov
“Our first chat together was really about 60s science fiction movies and futuristic flight attendants,” says make-up artist Siddhartha Simone on conceiving the accompanying beauty looks for Laura and Deanna Fanning’s SS25 collection for Kiko Kostadinov. “When I saw the colours of the collection, I knew I wanted to create something feminine nodding to that era, but with a modern approach.” Describing the look as “quite minimalistic and bold at the same time,” Simone repurposed an assortment of colourful lashes and used them in place of liner – complimenting the retrofuturistic up-dos courtesy of hairstylist Olivier Schawalder. “I wanted to place them differently, so they felt ‘off’ and it made them look like they’ve just got off a red-eye and accidentally glued two different colours on themselves,” she says. Adding a touch of shimmer on the inner corner and bottom lip for added dazzle, these ladies were ready for liftoff.
Photography by Jamie-maree Shipton