WHAT MAKES A GREAT NEW FACE OF FASHION WEEK? WE ASKED A FEW MODELS – HAILING FROM KENYA TO DENMARK TO OKLAHOMA – TO STOP BY THE BEAUTY IS BORING STUDIO. By Faran Krentcil
It happens every Fashion Week: a handful of ambitious new models flock to Manhattan and are chosen—or maybe invoked, spirit-at-a-séance-style—to represent the season’s best looks. They open and close the city’s biggest, buzziest runway shows. They Snap, still in their latest show makeup, at the celebrity-filled after-parties. They get called “muses” and “rising stars”. They get ad campaigns, a street style following, and perhaps a charity spokesperson role. They’re coming soon to a fashion show near you… and they’re ready to (literally) face the world.
Check out the women who graced our BEAUTY IS BORING studio in between designer castings this week. Each model has her own unique, individual street style – a striking originality that defines a modern, global beauty. For their portraits, they chose their own clothes, hair and makeup looks. We chatted with them to get a sense of the real women behind the pretty faces – their backgrounds, their career aspirations, and, of course, their beauty obsessions.
NICOLE, 18
Agent: Wilhelmina
IG: @nicoleatieno
Home: Germany, by way of Kenya.
Big Break: Last season, she was a Gucci exclusive handpicked by Alessandro Michele. Now Nicole is walking her first full “fashion month” this season.
MVP Beauty Product: NARS and Estee Lauder Foundations
Backstage Pet Peeve: “I wish more makeup artists backstage knew how to mix foundation shades for women of color! Sometimes we look gray after they’re done with us. We all have different undertones. Some of us have red undertones. Some of us have orange… and so if you don’t pay attention to our unique coloring, we look dead.”
Reality Obsession: “If I could be on any TV show, I would go on Ru Paul’s Drag Race. If I met Ru Paul, I think I would honestly die. Like, oh my god. I wouldn’t even be able to talk!”
Future Goal: “I think Angela Merkel, the president of my country, is doing a lot of things right. I love that she’s letting refugees in from Syria. I love that she’s down to earth. I think it’s great that she’s allowing other people to come in, and she’s setting a good example. Eventually, I want to go back to Kenya and build something there, a school or a home for kids who live on the streets. THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE EXPOSURE YOU GET FROM MODELING IS IT GIVES YOU A PLATFORM TO USE FOR BIGGER ISSUES.”
Products: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color in Amethyst, NARS Velvet Eyeliner in Black Moon, Sisley Mascara So Intense, Clarins HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm, Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 303
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
CHRISTINA, 20
Agent: Wilhelmina
Home: Copenhagen, Denmark
MVP Beauty Product: “I always keep Bioderma face cream in my bag. My skin is so sensitive that it reacts to products really easily. This helps calm it down. I also love a sparkle eye shadow, at least at night.”
Skin Lesson: “I’m very pale. It’s part of my look, I guess. But this summer, I was at St Tropez for a few days. I came back to my agency and they gasped and said, ‘Agh! You got tanned!’ Like I did something wrong! So now I apply sunscreen all the time. I thought I was good about it before but now I’m obsessive.”
Future Goal: “I WANT TO GO INTO ECONOMICS. I do love the subject – I love everything to do with math! But for work, management, how companies are structured—EVENTUALLY, I WANT TO RUN A COMPANY MYSELF.“
Products: Tarte Tarteist Metallic Shadow in Shake Down, Tata Harper Very Bronzing, Tata Harper Very Illuminating, Tom Ford Lip Color in Nude Vanille, Tom Ford Traceless Stick Foundation in Cream
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
PRITIKA, 19
Agent: Women 360 Management
IG: @pritikaswarup
Home: Virginia, USA
MVP Beauty Product: “Giorgio Armani concealer is the best concealer I’ve ever had. It’s perfect for my skin tone. It does what it needs to do. There’s a Tom Ford highlighter that I always use, too, and I love Dior Brow Pencil in brown.”
DIY Skin Secret: “I put Vitamin E in my eye cream. My mom does that too because she’s very into Aryuvedic medicine. So she’s taught me a lot. There’s one face mask she makes with chickpea flour. It’s really hard to do, but it works, so we make it at home in Virginia together. It’s like our bonding time.”
Family Matters: “My dad and I were really excited for me to model. My mom’s more conservative, and it took her a while to support me. She has nine brothers and sisters in her family, and they’re so traditional. Everyone in India, where she’s from, becomes doctors or lawyers. And so I’m doing things a little differently. But I’m simultaneously getting my undergrad degree at Columbia University, so she’s happy.”
Shopping Spree: “The last things I bought were school books and Yves Saint Laurent block heels. I’m obsessed with them.”
Life Changer: “Since childhood I’ve been involved in Operation Smile, it was founded at my school – North Academy – and I went on a bunch of mission trips. It’s amazing to be there with the children before their surgeries, to play with them, help them relax, and then to see the transformation….it’s so huge because it’s not just superficial, it really impacts their lives. It impacts their confidence to realize their full potential. If you can feel good about yourself – anything is possible.”
Products: NARS Velvet Eyeliner in Kaliste, Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Lip Stain in Cashmere, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Glistening Illuminator, Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 123
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
AVIE, 19
Agent: Wilhelmina
IG: @avie.acosta
Home: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
Hello, My Name Is… “My name is Ay-vie. Sometimes people call me “Ahh-vie” and that’s fine; I don’t care. But I guess I care a little bit! It’s Ay-vie.”
MVP Makeup Product: Aesop Leaf tea tree exfoliator.
Change Is Good: “When I started hormone therapy [for gender transition], my skin changed for the better. It got so clear, so beautiful, and so soft. It’s very flushy. My goal now is a skincare campaign. [Laughing.] It’s true!”
Style Secrets of the Panhandle: “Actually, I miss the Oklahoma Good Will. All of the t-shirts are 99 cents and the denim is great… and I left this one pair of Marc Jacobs trousers in Oklahoma and I miss them. I want them back so badly.”
Avie Ink: “I have three tattoos. I have “Allison,” which is the name I would have been assigned female at birth. This heart on my thigh, it’s where I injected my first [hormone]. And right above my pubic region, it says “sorry” with a frown. It’s a joke, like, a pre-apology for anything I do, but also, like, I have a dick, so… but it’s my last apology. I don’t have any more ‘sorries’ to give.”
Wonder Woman: “Besides modeling, I write as well. I didn’t go to school or anything after high school, but I went to a summer camp through the Oklahoma Arts Institute. They select 15 people for creative writing, and my senior year, I got picked. It’s a really big deal in Oklahoma; everyone knows about it. And it’s a two-week extensive course. I WRITE MOSTLY POETRY BUT I WANT TO WRITE A SCREENPLAY AND MAYBE A TV SHOW. I WANT TO ACT AS WELL. I WANT TO DO IT ALL!”
Products: NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Infatuated Red (on eyes and lips!), Marc Jacobs Brow Tamer Grooming Gel, Dior Glow Maximizer Primer, Dior Capture Totale Dreamskin Perfect Skin Cushion Broad Spectrum SPF 50, Dior Fix It Colour in #400 Green
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
ALICE, 19
Agent: Trump Models
IG: @alicegilbert
Home: Kent, England, UK
MVP Beauty Product: “I hate the feeling of makeup on my skin. I always take it off as soon as I can! And my mom always told me not to bother with lots of cleansing—natural soap and water works fine. So that’s what I use. That and Moroccan Oil, which I use every day because it makes my hair really shiny.”
Wanderlust: “I think I would go on any reality show that would take me around the world. Any of those travel programs where you go exploring. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do, and getting to explore an island somewhere—sign me up!”
What About Brexit? “We need to stay in the EU, not leave. I’m devastated and of course I voted to stay … I don’t know how it’ll affect my career, or anyone’s career, because its effects haven’t been felt yet, but I’m so sad. We need to stay.”
Baking With Alice: “My favorite TV show ever is The Great British Bake Off. If I went on it, well… I don’t know how I’d do. I’m good at baking, but I think a lot of the French dishes and the biscuits, those recipes I’d need to practice a lot. I’ve got cakes down. And my favorite thing to bake is brownies. I can do those no problem.”
Products: Sisley Paris Phyto-Eye Twist in #7 Havana, Sisley Mascara So Intense, Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Light Ash, Clarins Daily Energizer Lovely Lip Balm, Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
KYLE, 20
Agent: Muse
IG: @kkelloggxo
Home: Matteson, Illinois, USA
Big Break: “Everyone always thought I played basketball or modeled. I’m not coordinated, so I was like, ‘Guess I’ll try modeling!’ So I sent my pictures to agencies in New York, and [my agent] called me the next day.”
MVP Makeup Product: “Skincare products! I bought Kiehls, which is my favorite skincare brand. I was on Glossier for a while, but I just bought more Kiehls cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and under-eye cream.”
Mom’s Big Advice: “My mom looks a lot younger than she is, and she always told me, ‘There’s nothing wrong with makeup, but healthy skin is the most important thing to have when you’re older. You don’t want to be scared to leave the house without makeup. Don’t get trapped in that.” And I did. I used to take 30 minutes a day for makeup, and wouldn’t even go to the gas station without powder and foundation. But who wants to live like that?”
Memo to Obama: “Racial tension is really high right now. Things need to simmer down. I don’t think Donald Trump can do anything positive for our country, but if Hillary Clinton gets elected—and I hope she does—I hope she pays special attention to race relations in our country. WE NEED MORE UNDERSTANDING AND EMPATHY, ALL AROUND. AND LESS GUNS.”
Products: BITE Beauty The Multishtick in Almond (on eyes, cheeks and lips), Hourglass Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara (only on the top lashes), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel, Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick (used as concealer), Tata Harper Very Illuminating
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
MAGGIE, 20
Agent: Wilhelmina
IG: @maggierosemizner
Home: Chicago, Illinois, USA
MVP Beauty Product: “I love a red lip. I wear it with a completely bare face. It’s so easy. It’s like, you’re not wearing makeup, but you are.”
Second Job: “I work in an ‘80s theme bar on the Upper East Side. It’s called Ethyl’s Alcohol and Food. We play punk rock with a DJ and we have go-go dancers. It’s actually really fun!”
Baby Bangs: “When Wilhelmina showed me pictures of the haircut I have now, I was like, ‘No. That’s awful. I’m going to look awful. Why would you want to do this to me?’ But it’s my job to be flexible. And then it turns out, I was wrong! It’s a great haircut! It’s a little edgy for back home, but I love it. My best friends haven’t said anything about it, which is shocking. I’m waiting for them to say something. My family—if they don’t like it, they won’t tell me. They’re so supportive.”
Coolest Job: “My last photo shoot was on an island near Bali. I was surrounded by a whole herd of Water Buffalo, about 30 of them. I was super excited about them, but the first herd was a bit, uh, aggressive so I couldn’t interact with them as much. The second ones were much nicer.”
Products: Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in Flame, Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso, Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate in Intensity Two, Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation in 112, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC-3
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
XIARA, 19
Agent: Fusion Models
IG: @xiarawaller
Home: Miami, Florida, USA
MVP Beauty Product: “Those oil blotting sheets save my life on the subway. They stop me from looking sweaty and shiny. Right now, I have the ones from Neutrogena.”
Keeping Up With the Wallises: “I grew up in a household of nine. I have five siblings. I have three dogs. I’m the oldest. And now another grandmother moved in with us. I have a very high tolerance for lots of people around. Literally, my family could have its own reality show.”
Captain Planet: “If I can raise awareness for something through my modeling, it’s that I want to see our wildlife protected. I WANT TO HAVE AN ELEPHANT SANCTUARY ONE DAY. I love them. I want to go to Thailand for my 21st birthday and be with baby elephants on a sanctuary.”
Products: Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Heroine, Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Urban Decay Brow Tamer in Clear, Urban Decay All Nighter Liquid Foundation in 9.0, Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light-Filtering Contour Powder in Hi-Fi 60
Photographer+Makeup// Robin Black
Hair// Kiyo Garashi
Wardrobe// Model’s own.
