Runway art

With its penchant for the avant-garde, no one could present makeup as performance art as exquisitely as Shu Uemura at the Singapore Fashion Festival.   

Fusing elements from art, nature and science, and drawing inspiration from the The Pillow Book — a record of observations, thoughts and poetic verses by Japanese author Sei Shonagon, a court lady from the late 10th century — Shu Uemura created an ode to nature and the sense of light. The main attraction of the show was the play of light, evoking different shades and moods from dawn to dusk. The range of moods and the metamorphosis from day to night was highlighted so striking colors and textures of heavy eye makeup. The shadows painstakingly whipped up by the artists with mode makeup from the autumn/winter 2007 collection delves into an art that is worthy of being mounted permanently on a canvas. 

Twenty-five models under international chief makeup artist Kakuyasu Uchiide and Atelier makeup artist Yuli Asano’s direction showcased Shu Uemura’s intense artistic heritage and infinite creative skills. To execute this vision were Shu Uemura ASEAN country chief makeup artists and most notably our very own homegrown artist, Xeng Zulueta, who flew off to Singapore for her international debut as part of the backstage team for the Shu Uemura Make-Up Show. “I see how her work allows people to trust her completely: with their faces, artistically and aesthetically,” says Uchiide of Zulueta.

With an all-access backstage pass we witnessed the creativity and chaos that goes along with putting on a major production. Models and makeup artists running to and fro were some of the scenes evident before the mannequins strutted their stuff on the catwalk.  Live makeup demonstrations were performed on the runway in the blink of an eye — Uciide executed the sunrise look with pale tones of blue and white while Asano implemented sunset via iridescent black, violet and gray.

For mere mortals, Zulueta translated the runway looks to what we call real life. Taking it down a notch but without skimping on creative artistry, everyday looks can be derived from the glam maquillage models donned on the catwalk. Replicate the look on the eyelid without applying shadow to the upper half of your face.  According to Uchiide, women should not be afraid to incorporate reddish and yellow tones as they suit Asian skin and warm the complexion for day looks. At night, experiment with false lashes to instantly transform your look.

Less is more when it applies to eye makeup so that the real windows to your soul shine through. Makeup is an art so be free to convey your message through your choice of color and application. When pared down, the concepts stemming from the show are sure to turn heads without causing people to gawk at you like runway meat.