Ahead of next week’s kick off of the Haute Couture Spring 2016 shows, Khaoula Ghanem highlights some of the groundbreaking beauty moments from the Couture archives.
John Galliano’s Dior couture show was inspired by an aerial tour (via a hot-air balloon) of Cairo, Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, and Aswan during one of his trips to Egypt. The British designer, who is known to draw inspiration from ethnic influences, transformed models that included Erin O’Connor, Somalian-born Yasmin Warsame, and Karolina Kurkova into Egyptian Queens.
Models strutted down the runway in front of the likes of Gwen Stefani and Sarah Jessica Parker (who claimed she’d never seen anything like it before in her life)—outfitted in gilded corsets, leopard-print fur stoles, and billowing skirts printed with hieroglyphics that were accentuated with metallic head dresses; sphinx masks; crystal-encrusted jewelry in the shape of scarabs and eagles; Nefertiti cap crowns; elongated postiche goatees; and striking, theatrical makeup.
The exquisite makeup for the 2004 extravaganza was painted by famed makeup artist Pat McGrath—who has been conjuring astounding runway looks for a plethora of fashion shows and campaigns since the ‘90’s. One half of the models at the 2004 spectacle sported metallic gold and silver lips that matched their dazzling, gem-encrusted eye makeup; while the other half of the models toted turquoise, lavender and coral eyeshadow that extended past their brows and was paired with a coat of orange lipstick. McGrath painted two thin arches in lieu of eyebrows, and completed the sublime look with dramatic eyebrow-skimming false lashes.
Though the collection was far from wearable, the extraordinary spectacle showcased Galliano’s vivid imagination and ability to bring a 5000-year-old culture to life, marking it as one of the best shows for the prestigious fashion house in its own right.
