Credit: Getty Images

Only Tom Ford would shut down a NYC subway to fill it with models showing his Spring 2020 collection. It was dark, gritty, and perfectly engineered for the internet. The fact the It girls like Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber and Lineisy Montero walked only amped up the spectacle ten-fold. There was electric pink lighting, real MTA workers – even portable air conditioners to protect the ready-to-wear from the heat.  It was Ford’s first runway show after his appointment as CFDA Chairman, and it was perfect.

Backstage was just as intense, with models, hair and makeup artists crammed into a tiny space on the corner of Bowery and Grand. The makeup look was quintessentially Ford: Fresh, natural skin, sculpted cheek bones and nude lips that were rouged up with a smudged eye. For our backstage makeup notes, see below.

Image credit: Emily Algar

Skin was kept simple with a little Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation buffed in where needed (an artist tip is to use a small blush to apply to targeted areas – you’ll likely use much less product and get a clear but natural finish). Cheeks were sculpted with Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate, the Skin Illuminating Powder Duo, and Cheek Colour in Inhibition. Eyes were a mix of nude and mauve shadows to complement skin tone. If you’re new to eyeshadow though, get a similar look on the fly with a neutral shade all over the lid, and a darker one smudged into the lash line. Unlike some of the more outlandish looks we’ve seen so far this week, Ford’s face was something you could try for real. To shop a selection of the products used backstage, see below.

Image credit: Emily Algar

Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation, $125. SHOP NOW

Tom Ford Cheek Colour in Inhibition, $90. SHOP NOW

Tom Ford Eye Colour Quad in Pretty Baby, $122. SHOP NOW