This season, backstage at Tory Burch’s Fall Winter 2009 presentation, I caught a glimpse of the designer as she was getting her hair done and was immediately struck by her stripped blue-and-white shirt over which she wore a covetable brick-like necklace and a black sequin jacket. The designer looked impossibly chic, as always, but in a more rock-dinged way which got me excited for her collection.
Fittingly, this season mixed in with Burch’s signature Park Avenue-Fifth looks (polka dot blouses, gray wool coats, a-line dresses), there were sequin tops, Rachel Zoe-esque fur vests, biker boots, military-style leather jackets and trim camouflage pants, and even, leather leggings.
As usual I was drawn to her accessories which included bold, oversized black and gold baubles, structured black bags and clutches, and a shapka-like hat.
When it came to hair and makeup, both did a wonderful job at complementing the looks Burch created. I had the chance to speak with Yannick d’Is who was leading the hair team and he told me that this season they went for young, fresh curled hair, but that while it was still feminine, it wasn’t as finished as the classic curls. The goal was to create a lived-in look – i.e. the naturally gorgeous girl who falls asleep in her styled hair after a fabulous night out, only to awake with effortlessly perfect tousled hair. Most of the models had a central part with loose locks starting around the cheek-area.
The key product used was Redken’s Fabricate 03 because it doesn’t weight down the hair or make it stiff – it locks in texture and protects the hair from heat styling tools. In fact from having gone backstage at a number of shows this season if there’s one product I’ve seen used the most, it would have to be this particular spray.
As a final touch, when the hair was styled, the stylists wrapped the models hair into a bun with pins then, about an hour before the show, they took the pins out to make the curls look fresh.
For makeup the MAC team, let by freelance makeup artist Diane Kendal, focused on a sexy-cool smoky eye with a touch of gilt on the face– i.e. a hint of sparkle for a dewy feel to the models skin. No mascara was used because they didn’t want the girls to look perfectly polished, but rather have a rawness to them.
It all came together for one of the designer’s best collections to date.
