London Fashion Week
So back around this time last year I got a very exciting phone call from a wonderful designer Albert Martinch after a mutual friend of ours linked me to Albert’s post of ‘Searching for a Theatrical Makeup Artist’ I linked my website with my portfolio for Albert to take a butchers and he chose me!!!!
We had a great chat and got on straight away, at the time I couldn’t speak a word of what Albert had in mind as it was all hush hush which was hard in itself but with a low budget and powerful message I was super excited and honored to be apart of it, and oh did I mention it was London Fashion Week 2014 ooosh!!!
Albert’s message was something that is very close to my heart as it would be for many others, anti-poaching! A South African man Albert knew his statistics on the subject, South Africa being one of the mainland of poaching he wanted to send a powerful message through fashion and what better time to do it than at LFW!
Albert sent over two gorgeous sketches of an idea of what he would like but would like four models to have the SFX pieces but left it up to me on what I can come up with. Researching the horrific subject I dipped my toe into some of the most tragic pictures, now I have a pretty strong stomach when it comes to gore but this made me feel sickened and angry making me want to honor these animals by working with Albert on jigging peoples awareness, for we all know it goes on but as its not on our doorstep most turn a blind eye.
So after a brainstorm of ideas I wanted to focus on the four main poached victims, Rhino, Elephant, Tiger and Whale.
For the Rhino I wanted to create a ripped nose to simulate the open wound of where the Rhino Horn once grew. Now making a piece for the nostril area I have to remember something very important to allow the model to BREATH haha! Plus I wont have any castings before the actual day, hmmmmm bit of arts and crafts is in order I think! Using foam I chopped out a rough Rhino
nose shape, whilst cutting a hole in the back where the nose can slide into place, whatever size and the model would still be able to breath, tested on myself it worked, happy days, but now I needed to make it look more like a wounds nose. Rhinos skin texture from what I can see looks leathery, so with a hot glue gun I mounted on the faux leather may I add, the leather on the outside of the nose then painted the inner foam of where the wound would be a wounded collaboration of reds, yellows, whites and blacks,
followed by a healthy bit of blood. I noticed Rhinos have one big horn and sometimes a smaller one just above therefore I made a smaller version to be placed just above the bigger wound.
Next on prep I wanted to make elephant tusks, these proved very difficult but through the same materials the foam for its lightweight and faux leather texture I created two ripped tusks to be place on the contour of the models face.
Through the couple of months of prep I kept in touch with Albert with my progress and took on any feed back but I felt Albert trusted me and was very supportive with the theatrical look of the pieces.
Saturday 13th September 2014 London Fashion Week had begun and I was gonna be apart of it today ahhhhhh I was super excited and nervous, catching the train from Ebbsfleet, (as from Faversham I would have to get a mortgage to pay for my ticket) I safely touched ground at The Hilton by 9.30am. Chaos, I walked through the double doors to find this beautiful grand stairway and which a porter directed me where to go. Dragging my bags up the stairs, yeah no one helped
me probably as I looked terrible but I was up at 5am, I walked through more double doors to the back stage area, I needed to find Albert. I popped my bags down and was shown to where my makeup station would be, leaving a few bits there, a little weary to say the least I went to find Albert and allow and behold I heard his voice, kiss, hug introduction to team Albert filled me in on what was happening. Albert’s show wasn’t till later that evening so I had a very chilled morning and early afternoon in comparison to the chaos of boobs, bums and what can I say lots of half naked gorgeous guys around, I wasn’t complaining! Once the afternoon show was finished I wanted to started to get to work on my skinned alive tiger, after having a quick check Albert wanted two of the skinned ladies, bullet wound and Rhino, no problemo but thank goodness I double checked!
My models were Dani Kerr and Sarah Cee, using Sculpt Gel I marked out the area I wanted to look skinned, one dried with my Illustrator Palette I began to build on the muscle texture, creating highlights and lowlights to show depth in the piece, these took me around and hour each maybe less but I wasn’t rushing and was very chilled, but I do think I did them too early as by around six where the piece was on the neck, shoulder area the wound started to come apart due to movement, I kept fixing it with more silicone but noted to myself the flexibility and hold of the piece.
Next was my bullet wound model Zara Marie, one in the head and one on the chest, with my wax I molded a shape and gently affixed it onto the models body, followed by coloring and blood, this was done around sixish so I had
no issues in the piece staying on but kept an eye on the wax as with heat and oils the wax will just slide off.
Lastly I had my Rhino, model Amaris Raveneau was very understanding fixing on with spirit gum I applied the two Rhino pieces followed by blood.
As Albert’s models were lining up I had a quick makeup check, extra blood then action!!!
Success the girls looked fab and was very proud and honored to be apart of such a great project oh there was one thing I didn’t like, I had to get up on the catwalk nooooo!
Also quick shout out to the team, the amazing Lindsey Sarah Tait, Kany Dao and Albert Martinch!!!