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It’s like the old “tree in the woods” adage: if a runway show takes place with no front row to Instagram the occasion, did the runway show even happen at all? This sentiment has reverberated throughout the past month, where traditional couture week was redistributed as a somewhat digital offering, designers going their own way in terms of format in a mid-pandemic world. There has been short films, simple shoots, conceptual presentations, shows with small, socially-distanced crowds (talk about exclusive). But for Maria Grazia Churi at Dior, her sartorial tree was loud and clear. The Resort 2021 show went on, by way of a wonderful, carnival-like display in Lecce, a region in Puglia, Southern Italy. There were models, dancers, photographers, designs… just no spectators. But did it happen? Did it echo loudly through the fashion industry? Absolutely.
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“This is my first zoom interview! I feel like I’m talking to myself! I hope you are all listening,” exclaimed Peter Philips through Zoom a few hours before showtime. Philips is the Creative and Image Director at Christian Dior Makeup, and GRAZIA had the pleasure of phoning through pre-show to talk all things beauty. These interviews traditionally occur backstage where journalists crowd around the makeup director, iPhones outstretched, looking for the perfect sound bite. But the pandemic means the cramped, crowded backstage energy has been traded in for a quieter, cleaner version: “My backstage is always very organised…but now even more so. We wear masks, shields… each model has her own products, there’s no food laying around. It’s just about teamwork, really,” Philips explains when asked what it’s like backstage in the throes of a pandemic. “It doesn’t have an impact on the look, just the mechanics of how we get there, I suppose.”
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The look itself is pure and simple. Inspired by luminous women, it’s a heavenly pairing of ethereal skin and full, fluffy lashes, thanks to lashings of the newly relaunched Diorshow Overcurl Mascara. Skin was prepped with the Capture Totale range before the Dior Backstage Primer and Foundation were layered to create a smooth, glowing, supremely hydrated base. Powder was dusted to the sides of the nose only, and Forever Skin Correct Concealer was added as necessary. Lashes were curled and coated in the new Overcurl Mascara, brows were filled and lips scrubbed with the Dior Sugar Lip Scrub. The finishing touch was a coat of Dior Lip Maximizer blotted down with a tissue. The finished look was “hydrated, open and soft” to put it as Philips did.
It was a different kind of “backstage interview”. No frantic energy, no elbows in your side as you contort your body in order to get a clear photo on your phone… just peace and quiet and time to chat. It’s nice… but it’s also a little weird. But on the plus side, there’s no need to leave the couch.
Finally, Philips touched on the idea of beauty during a pandemic, specifically for those who want to wear makeup and a mask simultaneously: “Lightweight beauty products that are easy to retouch are best. If you wear a mask all the time, focus on the eyes! You might discover a new part of yourself. The truth is though, we will learn to live with it.”
