Stacey Bendet’s collection for Spring and Summer 2016 is all about the desert.
She creates Bhemian details on modern cuts and silhouettes for her desert goddess inspiration. The collection showed florals and paisley patterns reminiscent of traditional gypsy rugs, but in brighter, fun colors for spring. In addition, Bendet took the same gypsy prints and embellished them in golds and silvers to give the collection a touch of opulence.
The presentation was divided into four sections, The each with its own unique characteristic while the desert backdrop kept the themes cohesive throughout. The first section featured bold evening wear looks, themed in bright sunshine yellow mixed in with black and white to really make the color pop. Though the styled looks are themed for evening, the pieces are able to be dressed down when paired with other pieces from different sections of the collection. The next section features a desert traveller vibe, with embroidered flowers on chambray and muted tones. The models looked like glamorous desert travelers straight out of Mad Max: Fury Road. Another section features black and white patterned outfits with some multicolored, Latin inspired floral prints. The final section features effortless evening wear that bohemian chic. The dresses are cut siply, but the layers are so light, it would have no problem catching the desert wind. A standout piece from the collection would be the pair of crystal encrusted white trousers. These wide leg trousers are completely saturated in pearls and gens, but since the embellishments create a white-on-white look, the pants are subtle enough to wear as a statement piece with a casual tee.
THE LOOK:
Skincare:
In order to prep the models for the show, Skin Inc. teamed up with Alice and Olivia to transform the models into flawless desert goddesses. The first step is to apply the Pure Revival Peel and massage it gently into the skin to exfoliate. The peel is a quick 30 second treatment that is gentle enough for all skin types. The skin is then nourished with the My Daily Dose Customized Serum which contains a blend of enzymes to deeply hydrate the skin. The moisture is then sealed in with the Pure Deep Sea Hydrating Mask for the perfect dewy skin.
Make Up:
Stila’s Global director of creative artistry, Sara Lucero created the concept of a desert goddess for the show. The brand’s famous Mag Metals Eyeshadows were used to create the illusion of the desert sun gleaming off of the skin. The eye is encrusted with gold and slowly blended out towards the eyebrow. To acieve the look, Mag Metals in Comex Gold and Gilded Gold are mixed with the primers the shadows come with to create a universally flattering shade of gold. Once the pigment and primer are mixed, the liquid color is applied to the eye to create a melted gold look on the eyes. The eyes are then finished off with Stila’s Huge Extreme Lash Mascara for some bold lashes.
The face is then lightly contoured with the brand’s Shape and Shade Custom Contour Duo. The high points of the face are then highlighted with All Over Shimmer in the universally flattering shade, Kitten, to give the skin a natural, beautiful glow. The look is finished off with a swipe of a natural, neutral shade from the Stay All Day line in Dolce.
Hair:
The hair is done in a very windblown and dusty fashion, a la the princesses in Mad Max: Fury Road to complete the desert goddess look. The front portion is kept sleek with a middle part while the back is messy and windblown with a variety of braids to give it more texture. To create the look, smooth the hair framing the face with a clean middle part and sweep the hair close to the hairline behind the ears. Apply the Fekkai Full Blown Volume Lightweight Styling Whip to the hair section by section to create volume. Then layer with Fekkai Blowout Refresher Dry Shampoo to the sections to create more texture. Take the face framing sleek sections and braid them starting from the region behind the ear and secure the braids around the hair bands holding the ponytail up. Then, just run the fingers through the ponytail to create the gritty, dusty, windblown look. Finish off the look with a spray of Fekkai Sheer Hold Hairspray to keep the style in place. If the hair is short, wrapping the hair and the braids into a bun is an option, but if the hair is long, you can weave some braid into the ends of the ponytail as well.
Nails:
Nails Inc. invited us backstage to see the magic happen behind the scenes.
The nails are super simple this season, to compliment the eye look but also play a part in bringing out the subtle jewel details in the clothes. All it took was a coat of the Nails Inc. Kale Superfood Base Coat, and layered the brand’s Buckingham Square gold glitter nail polish on top. The glitter is thinner than traditional sequins as it is made out of paper, and is easily applied with a dabbing motion until the desired glitter density is achieved. Once the glitter is to your liking, just swipe on Nails Inc. Caviar Top Coat to keep the glitters on.
Eyes:
Air Optix joined in the fun this season by providing all the models with colored contacts from their Air Optix Colors line to help them change up their look. The line features bright subtle lines of color, but the models for the show needed to be bold, so they all wore a variety of colors from the Vibrant Colors line. The contacts will come in plano for those blessed with perfect vision, and also a multitude of prescriptions for those who need it.
