Truly Inspirational - Alex Box

Q: Which make-up artist do you find the most inspiring? 

A: mmm, there are many inspirational make-up artists out there, but, for me, it would have to be Alex Box -creative director of Illamasque.

Alex Box is considered by most a ground breaking artist with a strong alternative voice. 

Above: Alex Box, Make-up artist
and creative director of Illamasque

Alex Box explores the relationship between the body and the environment, art, nature, science and the magical through her work. Alex has since become one of the most influential make-up artists of our time. She works alongside designers such as Karl Lagerfield, Stella McCartney, McQueen, Peter Johnson and Gareth Pugh. Her work is also regularly seen in the titles including Numero, W, Another Magazine, Dazed and 10. 

Out of the many beautiful images that Alex creates, this is one look that has a very dear place in my heart. I adore the dewiness of the skin combined with bold, striking statement lines. 

The lines create a two dimensional look, she looks like a character from an 80s comic book or a girl who has just jumped out of a Roy Lichtenstein poster. The structure of the lines also remind me of the MAC face-charts and plastic surgery outlines. 

There is a very limited colour palette, the pale skin and bright fushia lips contrast greatly and thus creates impact by emphasising the lips and the cheeks, giving the look more dimension and shape. 

If I was to wear this look out, it would be to beauty con as I feel that the look symbolises idealistic beauty: artificial beauty. 

I find that this look is reflective of my personality and aspirations; I wear makeup to emphasise my features or to create features that I am not naturally blessed with, such as long eyelashes, a larger double eyelid crease and higher cheekbones. I also think that the boldness of this look reflects my efforts to stand out and make a statement regarding my image and presentations. 

Here is my re-creation

 When reproducing this look, I encountered a number of difficulties. First of all, COVERING EYEBROWS is a nightmare, it look me a couple of tries to get a smooth surface and full coverage, especially as my brows are very dark. If you are curious, I used the glue stick method. I found this youtube video by Skarlet Starlet particularly helpful, as it is a step by step guide to covering your brows: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxGzhrCrWDc

The second obstacle that I encountered was creating the brows. The brows in the original look are very straight with a soft curve, but I found that that shape was not as compatible for my face structure; instead I followed the natural curve of my eyebrow and brow bone to create a more arched shape. 

To begin with I outlined the lips following the natural contours and edge of my lip, but standing back and looking into the mirror again, I realised that the lips looked way too big and clown like. As a result I slimmed down my lips using concealer and drew on a smaller lip. 

For the hair I simply pulled it all away from the face into a low side bun and created volume at the top of the head to create a sort of romantic quiff. The makeup is outrageous and bold, and requires a softer, elegant updo. 

As for styling, I laced up into a black fluffy bralet and I chose to expose the neck and shoulders because I think that it keeps everything clean and crisp and helps to achieve a sexier more feminine silhouette.

This look took me approximately two hours to achieve. I hope I can adapt this style with looks that I create in the future. 

Photographer: Rhys Holmes 

Elsa Schiaparelli's Fashion Legacy - 'The Lobster Dress'

Coco Chanel
The introduction to androgyny. (1926) 

“Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.” 

-Salvador Dali 

Surrealism, defined as the '20th century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind' plays an important role in the fashion industry today. 

The surrealist movement brought out strong discussions and a world of judgement, conflict and outrage. In 1926, Coco Chanel introduced the garconne look, putting women in mens clothes and going against the orders of society. To some it seemed repulsive and perverse, to others it was a breath of fresh air, a break in fashion, and an introduction to androgyny. 

Not only was surrealism used to shock and surprise, it was also used to amuse and delight: Elsa Schiaparelli stepped into the spotlight of the 1930s with her infamous lobster dress. 

Wallis Simpson photographed by Cecile Beaton
in Elsa Schiaparelli's lobster dress. 

Wallis Simpson was a frequent subject of Cecil Beaton’s photographs during the 1930s. The photo was taken at the Chât

eau de Cande garden, Beaton suggested it to be a romantic shoot.  This is therefore a professional portrait. According to historical context, this infamous silk dress was worn shortly before her  marriage to Edward VIII, this suggests that this image is quite personal.

When I first laid my eyes on this photograph, I had a fairly neutral reaction. I feel that there is a lack of structure within this image, the model’s pose seems awkward and I feel that she is not aware that her photograph is being taken, as she is facing away from the camera. However, the photographer may be trying to capture a more natural setting by not displaying the entire dress, this captures a more mysterious mood as I had to examine the image more closely to see the lobster print on the dress. The lobster print shocks me: I consider it a huge juxtaposition, the setting and design of the dress itself is very elegant, almost romantic-looking but the print adds an aspect of surrealism. According to context, ‘this infamous lobster dress had sexual connotations and his placement of the lobster charged the design with erotic tension’. However, Wallis’s poise or placement is not erotic or provocative in any way. 

The subjected is depicted at a distance, which makes it difficult to see the emotion worn by the model. The subject appears to be in control of the environment as she dominates the frame. I feel that the background is supportive of the subject; she does not create a huge contrast to the setting, but enough to stand out. I feel that she depicts a little sense of loss as she is not holding the bouquet upright but instead having it face downwards, she seems to be looking for some support or recognition that she is doing the right thing.

When creating this image, I feel that the photographer may be trying to manipulate the model depicted, and casting her in a more negative light. As mentioned before the dress contains sexual connotations, and the placement of the lobster may be sensitive to the public. This throws Wallis into a world of judgment and conflict.

The image makes use of the ideas of ‘frivolity’ by combining fashion and art. A beautiful dress and backdrop is captured with a trait of frivolity; showing that fashion does not have to be sensible or necessarily required to be accepted by all.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsa_Schiaparelli#Lobster_Dress

http://www.vandoak.com/2012/07/19/icons/the-success-of-surrealism-elsa-schiaparellis-fashion-legacy/attachment/lobster-dress5/