In a nod to the designer’s first foray into white (Akira usually designs in ivory) and his Japanese roots, the Bobbi Brown makeup team added a graphic horizontal line across models’ lids.
Nude androgyny was part of designer, Akira Isogawa brief for the makeup in his Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia Resort 2017 Collection – and the Bobbi Brown team, headed by makeup director, Izumi Onuma, delivered. (Seemingly) nude skin, brushed-up brows and a graphic horizontal white line adorning the lids, and not much more made this look mesmerisingly beautiful.
“This look was influenced by the white fabric in the collection,” says Onuma. “This is the first time that Akira has used white in his fabric; the closest he has come is ivory.”
Akira’s Japanese heritage also played a part in the makeup design. “Japanese calligraphy was also an influence,” says Onuma. “We change it up and added it to the eye. Akira really wanted that difference in the eye.”
When it came to the skin, hydration was key. “Skin is beautiful, velvet skin,” says Onuma. “We’ve used a Hydrating Face Cream, Hydrating Eye Cream and the Nude Finish Tinted Moisturiser, which is a hydrating product; when making it look nude, it is all about hydration, because if you want to have nude skin you have to have perfect skin underneath.”
If there were any imperfections, they were simply “touched up a little bit”.
Brows were brushed up as far as they would go – “we’re taking it that little bit further than you would see in an everyday woman” – and to add another dimension to the show itself, four model’s lips were given “pops of colour” with a bright red lip using Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Sunset Orange, while the rest wore a muted lip of Bobbi Brown Lip Color in Uber Beige
Nails by Faby were clean, modern, matte – and white. “It’s a new direction for the designer – introducing white into his collection” says Karon McKendric, nail director for the show. “So it’s all white on fingers and toes and we’re using Optical White and Faby’s Matte Topcoat to mute it down slightly.”