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Tools of the Trade: Fashion Week


No matter what your style is as a Makeup Artist, there is a semi annual event all over the world that has a ripple effect on the beauty industry - Fashion Week. It is the holy grail of fashion, beauty, and pop culture. Fashion Week is held all over the world but the four fashion capitals of the world are Paris, New York, Milan, and London.  There are also other cities that are important such as: Bangalore, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Dubai, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Madrid, Miami, Sao Paulo, Shangai, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.



Why is Fashion Week important to you as a Makeup Artist? Just like fashion, trends in makeup are constantly changing from colors to products to brands. Designers all over the world use the best in the beauty industry. Companies like RevlonMaybellineMAC, NARS, and the best freelance MUA's in the industry are behind the scenes creating the face of the collection. Many of these companies use this platform to release new products, give away special edition colors, and release BTS tutorials. Makeup can make or break a designer collection, a photo shoot look, or your favorite clients look. So it's essential to know what's in and what's out, on every face you work on.

Badgley Mischka AW 2013 Makeup by MAC
Fashion Week is obviously also an amazing opportunity to work or even assist an expert MUA. Most jobs are taken by the bigger cosmetic companies that I previously stated but there are also designers that seek freelance MUA's. Often times designers work with MUA's throughout the year on photo shoots or other events and have a list of go to artist. Sometimes I have seen ads for artist via Craigslist or Facebook asking friends to recommend artist. If there is a designer you're interested in working with make sure to be connected to their work. Make sure to "Like" them on FB, follow their social media accounts, check out their website, attend events if possible, connect with their staff, and models to stay up to date. When fashion week comes to your city ALWAYS have your kit ready. Designers have alot at stake and they only get two opportunities a year to show the world their work. A fashion show is not complete without makeup and hair. Often times a MUA will call out sick, have an emergency, or just not show up. A designers team will go to the end of the world to ensure a MUA is present. This creates the opportunity for a last minute MUA to be added to the behind the scenes team. So always make sure your kit is ready to go and answer unknown numbers especially this week.


The biggest opportunity for a makeup artist during fashion week is all the networking events. You can run into anyone from designers, models, creative directors, celebrities, editors, and the list can go on and on. The biggest events are obviously the actual shows but they aren't always the easiest events to get into. Often times social events even out the playing field. Most fashion weeks have their own websites, facebook pages, and other social media outlets so you can find out the who, what, when and how of these events. At minimum go out to the most popular bars, lounges, and restaurants this week. You never know who might be a few feet away from you.


Fashion Week Cities & Dates


London:

Spring 2014:
Sept. 13-17th

Runway & Galleries Oct. 11-18th, 2013
Market Showroom Oct. 13-16th, 2013


Milan:

Spring 2014:
Sept. 18-23rd

New York:
http://www.mbfashionweek.com/




Spring 2014:

Sept. 5-12th, 2013


Paris:





Spring 2014:

Sept. 24th-Oct.2nd, 2013

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