There Was Nothing Sleeker Than the Hair at Luar
If you’ve been feeling increasingly nostalgic lately, the good news is that you’re not alone—Luar’s Spring/Summer 2024 show is right there with you. On the final day of New York Fashion Week, the models embodied a cool that was reminiscent of ’90s supermodel favorites, such as Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, and Cindy Crawford.
The beauty looks, which included long embellished nails and lined glossy lips, were innovative and forward-thinking while paying homage to staple ’90s beauty trends popularized by communities of color. The makeup look for the show required a strategic balancing of key sculptural elements from the past, with the soft contemporary details that we often see today.
Starting with a soft matte base using the MAC Cosmetics Golden Matte Skinfinish Sunstruck Bronzers, the goal was to create a subtle, softly contoured look. The eye makeup consisted of a nude eyeshadow that was illuminated by a distinctly highlighted brow bone using MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Paint Pots. Lead makeup artist Raoúl Alejandre used fabrics from the runway pieces to inspire the “buttermilk” color of the final eye look. Makeup artist Fatima Thomas recalled when she wore similar beauty motifs in the ’90s and early aughts. “We would take these cooler golden, ‘buttermilk,’ taupe-y nudes and sculpt our faces with them,” she says. Additionally, some models wore extra-long spiked lashes that gave an intense depth to the overall finish. The lips were lined ever so slightly with lip liner in the shades Chestnut and Cork, and then topped with the Squirt Plumping Gloss Stick.
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If “classic” and “nostalgic” are the best words to describe the makeup, the hair was the complete antithesis. The look was futuristic and intricate. In fact, lead stylist and Bumble and bumble ambassador Evanie Frausto described it as “severe.”
There were a variety of hairstyles, including cornrows braided straight to the back and ultra-slicked looks for shorter hair lengths. The two most intriguing sculptural looks brought the Luar codes to life in a whole new way. One used hair extensions coated in resin to create sharp spikes that were placed in all different directions for an edgy and exciting finish. The other was a modernized 1920s style, a sculpted wet set, created using a combination of Bumble and bumble’s Holding Spray and Sumogel. The hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail before getting wrapped into a bun with exposed ends to create curved accents. Using the Bumble and bumble Gel, the ends were coated liberally before being molded into pin-curled shapes. The style was locked in place using one last coat of holding spray.
You couldn’t help but stop and stare at the artistry as the models walked the runway. It was bold, captivating, and powerful, fitting traits for the Luar person, who is described as someone who commands a room and is a forcible presence in any space. This keen understanding of the brand and its consumer is what allowed Frausto and Luar founder Raul Lopez to create a style that was equal parts identifiable and shocking to lovers of the brand.
For the final touch, the models wore long nails coated in shades of silver and gold which were embellished with metallic appliqués and pearl and crystal accents, adding a shining glimmer against the clothes.
Though the many people who participated in this season’s New York Fashion Week braved rainstorms, endless traffic, and sleepless nights, and were a bit stir crazy by the end of the week, Luar’s SS’24 show was a fit of excitement that proved to be well worth the wait.
Beauty Assistant
Tasha Nicole Smith is ELLE Magazine’s beauty assistant. She loves all things hair, makeup, and skincare so you’ll find her talking about it here. She enjoys Marvel movies, a good pair of heels, and lemon drop martinis and also shares a birthday with Beyoncé, which is her go to fun fact.