The edgy fashion brand Emerson was on the New York Fashion Week Runway, with their designer Jackie Fraser – Swan finding her inspiration in the dark horror movies of the 70s. On her inspiration board were some haunting images from Carrie (1976) and Amity Ville Horror (1979)
The theme stated “a walking dead” makeup would follow. The audience including Paula Abdul must have grown nervous anticipating if the inspiration would be taken too literally, by a designer as young as her. But the collection was something to be marveled at with the models sporting a good girl gone bad look, which was sexy and not horrifying in the least.
Jackie Fraser-Swan Spring Summer 2013 Messy Milkmaid Braid Bold Smokey Eyes
The outfits were monochromatic at first but followed with electric blue and tangerine too. The prints were abstract on only pointed vaguely towards the starting point. The varsity jacket, peplum blouses and flowy fabrics ensured the collection was still feminine. What complemented all the outfits perfectly was the rock meets romantic hair and makeup.
Zahir Ziani, the creative director and master stylist at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa was the one behind the messy milkmaid braids on the models. It was a show stopper look and is a highly talked about hair trend for the coming spring. The neat ponytails and bangs are for fall/winter, while spring will see a messier and funky side of tresses.
Ziani interpreted the milkmaid braid like a crown, with one fluffy braid wrapped around the perimeter of the forehead, which met a second side braid at the back to finally form a bun at the nape of the neck. The thickness of the braids varied too, with some being closer to head scarves. The flyaways were intentional depicting a free-spirited modern Emerson woman beautifully.
Spring Summer 2013 Messy Milkmaid Braid Bold Smokey Eyes Jackie Fraser-Swan
The ends of hair on some models were dip-dyed black which created a unique visual reference when the hair were braided. It looked like a zig-zag leading to the bun at the neck. It is a visionary idea which could very well form a great trend after the fascination with ombre hair this year.
The eyes were dramatic with a smokey look. Strokes of bold black eyeliner, with smudged eye shadow both on the eye lid and lower lash line made a strong statement. The hues of the eye shadow varied from black, charcoal grey to deep violet. Essentially the outer and inner corners of the eye were concentrated with more color than the centre of the eye lid.
Spring Summer 2013 Bold Smokey Eyes Messy Milkmaid Braid Jackie Fraser-Swan
The lips were nude and so was the face, though the complexions were evened out and bronzers applied to sculpt the cheek bones well. This look was created by Janell Geason for Aveda. She made sure that moisturized lips, with dewy lip colors and natural looking eyebrows formed the backdrop for bold eyes.
Spring Summer 2013 Smokey Eyes Messy Milkmaid Braid Jackie Fraser-Swan
Jackie, known for using contrasting elements and her inspirations from the counter-culture movements pleased us aesthetically. The sweetness with an edge could be seen in the garments and was translated aptly into the hair and make-up, staying true to the designer’s inspiration.
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