SHOW: Marc Jacobs
MAKEUP: François Nars, Founder and Creative Director of NARS Cosmetics
BEAUTY SNAPSHOT: Nightclubbing, circa 1984



THE SCOOP: After a 10 year hiatus, NARS creator François Nars made a triumphant return to mastermind the makeup at Marc Jacob's Fall 2009 Fashion Show. And what a show it was. Far and away the most colorful show so far this season, the makeup played off the broad shoulders and neon hues in Marc Jacob's 80's nightclub inspired collection with bold, bright makeup that channeled everything 80's, from The Palmer Girls to Girls Just Want Have Fun-era Cyndi Lauper to the cover of Duran Duran's Rio album. It was no easy undertaking: Sixty-five different models walked on the MJ runway (the usual is around 20!), and François Nars created custom looks for each girl, considering each model's individual beauty before creating and edgy look that conjured up the 80's in a modern way. "We are doing quite an eclectic look," he said. The inspiration for diversity came from Nars' book XRAY. "[Marc] wanted to keep that feeling," said Nars, "the variety of looks, the same way we do the campaigns for NARS." Like many of the other shows this week, the underlying message was optimism - using fashion and beauty to have fun despite the economy. And unlike a Marc Jacobs mesh bodysuit, a red NARS lipstick is a whimsy we can actually afford.



GET THE LOOK: Strong eyes and bold color were a major theme, while skin was contoured and theatrical. Black shadow laid the foundation for creating the dramatic eye, to which the artists added a rainbows of Nars Eye Shadows in cobalt blues, deep greens, bright purples, reds, fuchsias, and glitter. "There is a wide variety of color," said Nars, "it's whatever looks good on the girl." For many of the models, porcelain skin was a key component, allowing the black eyes and bright colors to pop. "You want to play with makeup," says Nars, "makeup is a great accessory - that is the message."