Whilst makeup maestro Tom Pecheux (MAC) drew inspiration from the German Expressionists' cinematic movement when creating the Max Mara makeup palette for Autumn/Winter 2012, Luigi Murenu (John Frieda) wanted to create a strong, masculine hairstyle in the front, but leave things feminine in the back. See how their visions were translated on the runway now.
Moving to Milan for our Fashion Week coverage now, Gucci was the first big show of the day with Pat McGrath (CoverGirl) and Luigi Murenu (John Frieda) working backstage to bring the beauty look to life. McGrath cited Dante Gabriel Rossetti as a gentle influence for the season ahead creating a deep red lip which was paired with long locks that hung loose, parted in the centre, with two sections being twisted back and secured with a jewelled bow at the back.
Last week in Milan both Prada and DSquared2 had an air of androgynous glamour about them, and in Paris, Givenchy clearly took it upon itself to continue with the trend. The models walked the Spring 2011 runway with one of three different hairstyles: a mod-style, Paul Weller look where the hair was fashioned into "sideburns" and short bangs; a centre-parted slicked-down chignon; and a fuzzy fairy floss style that featured braided pigtails and cowlicks at the part. Huh. Luigi Murenu was the man behind the manes, but Christophe Robin was the name on everybody's lips as the colourist turned Natasha Poly's (right) blonde locks dark for the show. We much prefer her blonde, do you? Oh and before you think it's all hair, hair, hair, the models' faces were kept bare, a deep wine lip being the focal point of the makeup palette. You like?
Luigi Murenu is one of the biggest names in the hairstyling biz. The Sardinian luminary has worked with everyone from Viktor & Rolf to Prada, Armani and Gucci. He also has a loyal celeb following, having tended the locks of Madonna on her 2001 Drowned Tour and subsequently worked with Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Charlize Theron and Jennifer Lopez.
It's easy to see why he's so popular. He's flamboyant, hilarious and extremely good natured. What's more, he's incredibly talented. We managed to catch up with Luigi after the latest round of shows to chat fashion and hair.
Which shows did you work on this season? "I worked on Hakaan, Gucci, Pucci, Maxmara, Gianfranco Ferre, Ferragamo, Rick Owens, Viktor & Rolf, Celine, Givenchy and Valentino."
Having worked on the Autumn shows, what hair trends do you see emerging? "This Autumn we are going to see lots of texture in styling. For instance, at Viktor and Rolf's show in Paris, the hair I created was all about pushing the texture of the hair to look beyond natural. At Givenchy it was about a soft, delicate, touchable texture, too. I get my inspiration from many things; books, movies, people, things I see in the street, right through to conversations. It can all trigger a reaction. Even when I’m on holiday I will see the things around me and they create inspiration. Creating beautiful healthy hair is always paramount to me, though. Looks can be influenced by many things but most importantly it’s got to be about creating beautiful hair rather, than trendy hair."
