Dior's Latest Runway Show Had Its Biggest Mens' Makeup Moment Ever
Complete with an upbeat bassline blaring, an extensive celebrity guest list, and a vibrant yellow-and-green backdrop slathered with logos in swirly fonts, the Dior Men's Fall 2020 runway show delivered something rather unexpected: bold makeup. Sure, male models are seen in makeup all the time, but few designer brands have dared to send men down the runway in a beauty look as bright as the one seen at the show in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday.
The sheer, dewy complexions that have come to be expected of menswear shows were present on all 46 models. However, 13 of them brought an acidic shock of color in the form of a fluorescent, lime-green stripe of eye makeup that can only be described as Blade Runner meets DayGlow — all ideated and executed by Dior Makeup's creative director, Peter Philips.
Crediting graffiti and cybersurfers as inspiration, the makeup artist laid down a base of Dior's Backstage Face & Body Primer and Foundation before airbrushing the chartreuse pigment across the cheekbones, eyes, and nose with a device many makeup obsessives are rather familiar with. "We use the Temptu Perfect Canvas Airbrush because it's not a big surface we have to cover; it's just the eyes," says Philips. With liquid airbrushing pigments normally used for temporary tattoos and body painting, he mixed "a little bit of blue, a little bit of green, and yellow, and white" to achieve the neon shade.
Philips started applying all of this makeup, by the way, around 9 a.m. that day — roughly 10 hours before the runway show even began. To ensure none of the models' looks faded, caked, or creased, he relied on a tried-and-true setting spray — the Ben Nye Final Seal Matte Makeup Sealer — followed by setting powder "just to get the shine off," Philips explains.
Just like the Blade Runner movies that partially inspired this men's makeup moment, the look itself offers us a small glimpse into future Dior runway looks. "For the January show, we have plans for extreme makeup," Philips teases. Though he says can't predict whether such vibrant makeup will become the norm for menswear shows, he's sure people of all genders will take note of the creative choice. "I think guys and girls might be inspired by doing it," he says. "They might apply it as a way of having fun with makeup and expressing yourself."
Clothing designs, mind you, aren't the only parts of the runway that trickle down to mainstream retailers, ad campaigns, and Instagram feeds — makeup does, too. The beauty look at the Dior Men's Fall 2020 will hopefully show more men that playing with color, emphasizing facial features, and simply having fun with makeup can be for everyone.
More on runway beauty:
Maybelline New York Is Launching Two New Products Backstage at Fashion Week
The Best Hair, Makeup, and Nails From Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020
Now, see how eye makeup has evolved within the past century:
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Originally Appeared on Allure
