Couture week is always a great source for ultra-unique, ultra-exclusive, ultra one-of-a-kind fashion, but this year, the theme crossed over into beauty more than ever. A great number of shows had models rocking individualized looks, rather than the usual one-show, one-look mainstay. And, along with pushing the “rock what you’ve got” agenda, these looks offered a heavy dose of foreshadowing, showing us exactly which boundaries we’re going to be pushing, crossing, and breaking for fall. Click through for 8 statement-making looks that exemplify the steadily shifting paradigm of beauty.
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At Atelier Versace, Pat McGrath took the bold lip trend to new levels, by dousing pouts with glitter. The sharply lined shape kept the look chic, and sophisticated—which is no small feat when we add glitter to the equation. Photography by Victor Virgile (Getty Images)
With curls piled high atop the head, velvety black bows, and larger-than-life eyes, models at Chanel’s FW16 Haute Couture show looked positively doll-like. A graphic approach to eyeliner application added edge, and kept things from getting too sweet. Photography by Francois Guillot (Getty Images)
When Jean Galliano isn’t pushing boundaries, we’re pretty sure it’s because he’s sleeping. The art-y Couture at Maison Margiela looked more like multi-medium art installations than clothes, so the painterly approach to beauty is a fitting pairing, and reminds us to play a little bit with beauty. Photography by Estrop (Getty Images)
Washes of orange were splashed across models’ lids at Schiaparelli—a standout pop of colour against an otherwise bare face. We’ll bet that this atypical-for-eyes hue foreshadows a total breakdown of traditional colour-cosmetics barriers. “We see your orange lids, and we raise you one bold blue lip.” Photography by Victor Virgile (Getty Images)
Though it’s not a look we’ll likely be playing with this fall, the snow-kissed faces at Ulyana Sergeenko give us reason to re-think the snowy weather of a Canadian winter. (Though we’re not holding our breath for this trend to really take off.) Photography by Kristy Sparow (Getty Images)
Dior’s Peter Philips did something truly unique this year, giving the Couture Treatment to models’ makeup. Every one of the show’s 46 models sported a completely customized eyeliner look, inspired by their own eye shape. We’re taking this as confirmation that the “rock what you’ve got” trend is growing stronger, and stronger. Photography by Viktor Boyko (Getty Images)
With a romantic, “Into the Woods” air, with a romantic, fairy tale-like feeling, most models sported smouldering siren-like eyes in peat green or woody burnt orange, and mysterious, dark lips. But in a sea of mysteriously magical characters, Soo-Joo Park’s ice-queen look was a standout. We take this as further evidence that for fall, breaking trends might just be the biggest trend. Photography by Estrop (Getty Images)
While it was not technically an Haute Couture collection, the noteworthy Vetements, kept models’ faces clean and bare for their presentation. A clean and healthy glow will never go out of style. Photography by Richard Bord (Getty Images)
