Beauty Hacker Of The Week: Nika Kislyak - What's Going On Behind The Scenes Of World Fashion Weeks

How is catwalk makeup created? How many people collect models on the backstage? Top makeup artist Nika Kislyak talks about the backstage of the World Fashion Weeks.

Nika Kislyak

Top makeup artist

In the process of work, each makeup artist determines his favorite directions for himself - what is most interesting for him to develop, what inspires him the most. I have an art education, which gradually developed into the profession of a make-up artist, I have been doing makeup for about 12 years. During this time, I realized that most of all I love working for photography, whether it be magazine, creative shooting or advertising campaigns. When you can capture the result of your efforts and inspiration, when you can then see the result of your work, this is real magic! Working on the set with a good team, where everyone is professional, is a great pleasure!

I also really love working at Fashion Weeks. This contact with an incredibly inspiring atmosphere, you find yourself in the heart of the world of the fashion industry. I have always been attracted to the idea of ​​working at World Fashion Weeks. I wanted to see how shows are created in Europe, America, Asia. My first interesting experience abroad was in China at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week - there I was the main make-up artist at the show, where various Russian designers were gathered. The next experience was in Milan, where, thanks to the Inglot cosmetics brand, I had a great chance to work with the Val Garland team. I saw how different this level is!

When you get to your first European show, you get dizzy from the amount of emotion. Because everything is completely different: organization, people, atmosphere. You see collections that have not been shown anywhere else, and you can already touch them. You see designers and supermodels doing the best shows and gracing the covers of the most famous magazines. And, of course, you learn from legendary makeup artists - the best in their field!

Makeup artists

At the highest level shows, teams of the same makeup artists often work. There are few of them, and their names are known - these are Pat McGrath, Val Garland, Tom Pesho. Some shows are done by Peter Philips, Lucia Pieroni, Dick Page, Lottie and other makeup artists.

How images are created

At foreign shows, there are usually different makeup options. If we most often have a single image for all models within the framework of one show, then in Europe and America they sometimes create 6-8 different “bows”.

How are images born? The main makeup artist of the show meets with the designer, sees the collection and proposes his own makeup options. There can be a lot of test make-ups - sometimes their number reaches 50-60. From these options, the best are chosen, which are then photographed and printed for each makeup artist in the team.

When I worked with Val Garland, we had three "bows" - photographs hung on the mirrors in front of which the makeup artists worked. Sometimes at shows they make a demo of makeup - when the main make-up artist (or his assistant) demonstrates step by step how to create the desired image, which means are best to use. If there is a color in the makeup, for example, coral lips, the makeup artist cannot take any coral lipstick, everyone is given one desired color in small glasses.

All the details in the images are pre-marked on a special large board. It has photos of each model attached - you can see her name, how she looks, what her clothes, makeup and hairstyle are.

Backstage

At Russian Fashion Weeks, models are prepared from early morning until evening - the girls are usually very tired for the show itself. At foreign screenings, preparation for the show takes about 5 hours, sometimes even less. All details are taken very seriously. For each model, a responsible person is assigned who follows her, helps her dress. In Russia, one makeup artist can sometimes make 10 models, in Europe - a maximum of 2, of course, and the quality is completely different. If there are 60 models at the show, there are about 40 hairdressers and 40 makeup artists at the backstage. If a celebrity participates in the show, she can be cooked in 4 hands at once - they simultaneously do makeup, styling, manicure, and apply a moisturizing lotion to the body.

Atmosphere

Every time I come to Milan or Paris Fashion Week, for me it is a powerful impetus for further development. When you see the world of fashion from the inside, work with new trends that the broad masses do not yet know about, you have the opportunity to touch the "source", it charges you with strong creative energy. You seem to have been rebooted, you breathe and live it for several more months.

Of course, the journey itself, the city in which you find yourself, its atmosphere inspires. All the brightest fashionistas, freaks, people associated with the fashion industry gather at Fashion Weeks. You see them everywhere - in shops, on the streets, in cafes. Not to mention the shows and backstages themselves, where there are so many interesting people! They are remembered like bright postcards, like photos from the most stylish sites. Each of these people is a bright personality! Men in skirts, with some kind of colored hair, women with incredible tattoos, piercings - bold, unique. You enjoy the diversity and uniqueness of people, their identity. And this cannot but affect you.

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Interview and text: Olga Kulygina