The aesthetic influence of California subculture—from the long, lank hair of West Coast skate kids to the bleached-out blonde of L.A. surf punks—was a recurring beauty reference at the New York shows this season. And from a quick survey of the backstage scene at Versace in Milan tonight, its gravitational force may be growing.
“It’s girl-boyish, that L.A. androgeny thing. Donatella was inspired by Stephanie Seymour and Axl Rose,” said hairstylist Guido Palau, referencing the notorious early-nineties couple, who embodied the hard-partying lifestyle of the Sunset Strip metal scene.
Still, it wasn’t Seymour—the famously bodacious model who appeared in more than a few house campaigns—that Palau was thinking of when prepping models for the runway.
“Remember how Axl had that long, straight, clean-ish kind of texture?” he said, referencing the Guns N’ Roses singer’s famously good hair, which he was loosely recreating by parting models’ freshly washed lengths down the middle, then drying it with his hands. Afterward, he blasted it with Redken Powder Refresh dry shampoo for a natural, lived in feeling. “It’s actually quite minimal for Versace, but it still relates back to the house codes in terms of rock ’n’ roll sexiness,” he explained.
Of course, what better way to channel the gritty, tough-edged cool of the Sunset Strip than with loads of black eye pencil? “We’re using it inside the eyes and then going back and tracing it along the upper and lower lashlines,” said Pat McGrath, who went back over it with a grayish brown shadow “for a more smoked out” finish. Of course, this being Donatella’s house, it still needed a dose of high-octane glamour. “We’re using false lashes—one set and a corner,” said McGrath of doubling up on the outer edges for extra impact. With a swirl of blush and a dab of lip balm, she sent models on their way to first looks, where racks of slim-fitted denim jackets, mid-riff baring leather crop tops, and tongue-in-cheek concert tees awaited their turn on the runway. “It’s cool, but still healthy,” she said of the look. “And very, very Versace.”
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