With so much of the world going about life with the lower halves of their faces covered, it's no surprise, then, that the eyes have it
A year into living differently, sometimes it's hard to remember the last time I wore lipstick. With so much of the world going about their lives stuck at home and with half their faces shrouded from view, it's no surprise that cosmetics sales have plummeted across the board (with lip colour being one of the hardest-hit categories) as customers turn towards skincare, self-care and wellness products instead.
And while this season's fashion weeks in New York and London (so far—Milan and Paris are just around the corner, about to begin) have largely been relegated to digital showcases and distributed lookbooks, still some shows went ahead, with makeup artists focusing their attentions and artistry on the eye.
At the Bora Aksu show, makeup artist Janeen Witherspoon decorated models' undereyes with Astrantia flowers (above), achieving a delicate, yet dramatic, effect.
Here are three more inspiring eye makeup looks from backstage at this season's London Fashion Week shows.
Labrum London
Foday Dumbuya, the founder and creative director of menswear line Labrum London, dedicated his London Fashion Week collection to "the heroes of St. Giles Blackbirds. Celebrating a section of the black community comprising of; sailors, soldiers and former slaves that settled in England in the late 1700s who soon found themselves poor, dispossessed and living within the St Giles-in-the-fields area of London. Dubbed the ‘black poor’ they were dispassionately transported to Sierra Leone following difficulty finding the solace that London once promised. The group are symbolic of a familiar history and repeated tale: black people who are discarded as soon as they no longer prove useful. St. Giles Blackbirds, defying the attempts of silence and being cast away, are highlighted here by Labrum. Their story depicted as one of migration and great resilience."
The show was held in "the names of all those free slaves who were taken back on a settlement journey to Sierra Leone and died along the way. It was also for the ones who were left behind," he writes. "Your resilience is what paved the way for us to be free in London today." The Labrum London line was founded in 2015; its brand mission is to tell the stories of West Africa and to "help bridge the gap between western and West African culture."
Makeup artist Riona O'Sullivan created a dramatic yellow painted eye for select models walking the runway.
