Fashion Notes: Best in Show, S/S 09 (Part II)

As much as I enjoyed the spring collections, so many beautiful clothes blend together. The following are a compilation of the specific S/S 09 looks that resonated with me.

BEST WEARABLE MAKEUP


It's actually very rare that I notice the makeup at fashion shows. I take a cursory glance while looking over the clothes, but I'm mainly interested in seeing the designs rather than taking in the show as a whole. In the case of the Yves Saint Laurent show, though, I was equally excited by the clothes and makeup. From a distance, it looks as though the models are wearing the perfect dash of eyeliner, just thin enough to define the eyes without overwhelming while adding the end flip to widen and further open them up. The rest of the face is an emphasis on natural beauty - defined eyebrows, cheekbones with just a dusting of light blush, and nude lips, the definition of picking one feature to concentrate on. It's only up close that you realize the "eyeliner" is actually a row of false lashes glued to the upper eyelid. Though the particulars aren't to be copied, it's a look that could feasibly be worn.

BEST THEATRICAL MAKEUP


Anne Valerie Hash's makeup echoed the themes at YSL, with an emphasis on the eyes, defined brows, and light blush and lips. Hash's look replaced eyeliner with iridescence, placing a frosty green pigment over reddened brown. I was surprised by how beautifully the colors complement each other, almost like a NARS duo, leaving the look light and ethereal. Certainly not a daytime look, but it could be fun for night, leaving out the shadow to the temples.

SEXIEST DRESS


This Roberto Cavalli dress is a sartorial paradox, being trashy and elegant, beautifully cut and poorly constructed all at once. This is a direct throwback the Tom Ford era of Gucci, with his slashed evening dresses and camp sex appeal, and the part of me that so loves minimalism heartily responds to this aesthetic. This dress is slightly more subdued than that, with its delicate, sheer layers softening the hardened exposure of skin. Despite the aggressive slashes, this is actually a more demure look than the servings of legs and breasts we usually see, and the shape more closely resembles an early Chanel dress than sex kitten evening dress.

BEST AD CAMPAIGN


Probably the most stunning fashion images I've seen for the season have been part of the YSL campaign. Set against the Hollywood sign, these images evoke the power and simplicity of previous fashion eras. I was so pleased to see moving, stunning fashion photography. That used to be the norm in the era of Peter Lindbergh. Now everything is very fast, disposable, and cool only until replaced. Were it not for the current pace of fashion, I could easily see these images becoming iconic. A sidenote: the photography of this campaign is so stunning, it took almost two months and an explicit mention of the fact before I realized the model is Claudia Schiffer.