Direct from the Runway: DKNY

Gals, it was a busy day at the Tents. Never have I done so much in one day at Fashion Week before! I packed in five shows and a M.A.C dinner. But most importantly right now? The looks at DKNY. I have been dying to check out this show for at least six years, so I felt truly fortunate to get backstage for Spring 2009 Fashion Week. Here's what I found out!

Brows, brows, brows. The look created by the fabulous Charlotte Tilbury for M.A.C was all about a strong brow, as you can see in the model at left. This was accomplished with super-thin eyeliner pencils that were drawn very precisely across the browline from inner corner to outer corner. This was complemented by cream blush on the apples of the cheeks and clean, dewy skin, creating a polished yet strong look. Check out my video of Charlotte finishing up a model's brows!



Hair was just the way this beauty chick hopes hers will look every day ... straight, sleek and shiny but with just enough texture to keep things interesting. Hairstylist Eugene Soleimani wanted to create a very young, very fresh look to contrast the bright colors and textures coming down the runway. "There's a lot of design and color," he told me. "I want them to look like they're wearing the clothes, I don't want it to look like the clothes are wearing them."

This look is actually fairly simple to recreate. Eugene began by flat ironing the models' hair in sections, and after it was sleek and straight, he then applied a bit of surf spray to the hair to take some of the extra shine out. "It's very straight hair, but really textured," he said. "It's all about the hands. Just messing the hair up, getting it looking like the girls have been outside. I don't want the girls to look like they just stepped out of the salon -- I want them to look like they stepped out of the salon three hours ago and then went outside again. Just really natural."

As for the nails, nail technician Angi Wingel told me that since they were going for a clean, young, fresh look, there was actually no color used on the nails here. Instead, technicians applied one coat of Creative Nail Design Super Shiny to the whopping 670 nails coming down the runway. (That's a grand total of 67 models, for those people doing the math!) They also worked to really condition the models' nails so they would stay in tip-top shape throughout the rest of the week, even taking care of torn cuticles and hangnails.

All in all? Such a pretty, fresh, fun look for spring. Not reinventing the wheel at all, but it's a look that we can all agree is well worth the effort!

*All photos and videos are the property of The Beauty of Life.