“It’s a story of my native land, Kazakhstan, and the main character is a femme fatale who is traveling through all the former Soviet republics on the Orient Express, picking up things along the way. She’s very chic, she’s looking for adventure, and of course she’s looking for love,” said designer Ulyana Sergeenko backstage before her show. “As usual, I can only tell a personal tale.”
Pat McGrath and Orlando Pita spun that backstory into dramatic looks that touched on the past, like thirties-inspired smoky shadow and finger waves—and expounded on a multicultural aesthetic via dramatic, winged eyes and folkloric braids coiled at the nape of the neck. Pita said of the shellacked look: “We’re using lots of strong gel—we ran out of the Kiehl’s already. We’re also using L’Oréal Professionnel Homme Strong Hold Gel to make sure the waves really shine and stay put.”