When it came to SS24 haute couture week, runway beauty reached new heights. Here’s a list of the best hair and makeup looks that set the standard for all catwalks in 2024
Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 was a veritable feast for the eyes. It may be over, but we’re still reeling over everything we’ve seen. SS24 haute couture week was a history-making celebration of the avant-garde, with houses the likes of Alaïa, Maison Margiela, and Schiaparelli leading the charge. Hand in hand with sartorial artistry is the practice of runway beauty, where hair and makeup are held to the same standard for storytelling. Considering the wide variety of art directions, from elevated classics to surrealism, we put together all our favorite hair and makeup looks. Here, see our pick of the standout beauty details from the couture catwalks that we look forward to seeing more of on future runways and red carpets.
Porcelain skin
Makeup icon Pat McGrath adds a totally new dimension to the idea of “glass skin”. But at the Maison Margiela Artisanal Show, there is no pretense or play at being all-natural. Here, skin is radiant to the point of surrealism, eyebrows are bleached, shaved, or pencil-thin, and colors are seemingly painted onto porcelain. To create these runway looks, McGrath used her own products, namely Mothership I: Subliminal and Divine Skin: Rose 001™ The Essence. The porcelain-like effect also, as expected, takes skill and precision equipment, as a mix of clear peel-off face mask and water is airbrushed in layers over the makeup base. The Maison Margiela SS24 Couture collection marks the comeback of the partnership between Pat McGrath and John Galliano, with the designer’s Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear fashion show as a past example of the creative duo’s play on eccentrics making headlines.
Embellishments galore
Another beauty detail we loved to see at haute couture week was the renewed love for rhinestones. One of the collections that stood out to us was Schiaparelli’s for the debut of the instantly iconic crystal ear, courtesy of Pat McGrath and her team. You see the makeup artist’s influence as well in the bleached brow look and sparkling skin. Notably, she used Sublime Skin Highlighter in Nude Opal, a new limited-edition shade.
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When it comes to embellishments, Schiaparelli is not where it ends. Robert Wun also made heads turn at his couture SS24 show, aptly titled “For Love”. Topping off the mesmerizing phantasmagoria of horror-inspired imagery was the work of makeup artist Valentina Li. She and her team embellished the models’ faces using crystal gems to create illusory blood splatters, heart-shaped lips, and more.
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Worth mentioning as well was the use of crystal face gems at the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture SS24 fashion show. Here, makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver used gems in place of product on the lips, brow bone, and eye area, making the models look like walking pieces of art.
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Flora and feathers
At haute couture week, Giambattista Valli gave another noteworthy display of artistry, where beauty and fashion are melded together. This collection experimented with volumes, dedicating itself to the infinite beauty of the unfinished. To complement this vision, makeup artist Karin Westerlund and hairstylist Pier Paolo Lai created beauty details that are larger than life, with black feathers standing in for black eyeliner and large velvet bows and fresh bouquets decorating the models’ hair.
Feathers were also a common element at the Alexis Mabille haute couture show. Feather eyeliner brings a whole new meaning to the classic winged eye, with makeup artists like Lloyd Simmonds leading the charge for this avant-garde movement.
Romantic accessories
If there’s anything to take away from haute couture week 2024, it’s that hairbows and ribbons are still in style. At the forefront of this enduring trend are major houses like Viktor & Rolf, Chanel, and Dior, for instance. Besides Giambattista Valli, the other couture house to utilize wide black bows in its show was Chanel, but where they differ is in the length and material of the bows. And while Chanel used satin ribbons classically, Dior took the route of “fearless femininity” by juxtaposing smudged black eyeliner with delicate black ribbons tied to the back of a braided bun.
RELATED: Virginie Viard Celebrates Stories in the Chanel Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture Collection
Finishing off our list of best beauty details is none other than Viktor & Rolf. The couture house also utilized ribbons at their show entitled “Scissorhands,” which contained designs adorned with decorative slashes and holes. Structural updos complemented these designs; slicked back, swooped, and joined by small black ribbons. All in all, the creative team elevated an undeniable classic.
Photos: PAT MCGRATH, SCHIAPARELLI, JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, GIAMBATTISTA VALLI, CHANEL, DIOR, VIKTOR & ROLF (via Instagram)
Featured Image: ROBERT MERCIER (via Instagram)
