Sport-Inspired Beauty Set The Tone For Dior's SS25 Show
There was a strong narrative that played out at Dior’s SS25 show this season during Paris Fashion Week, with art and athleticism setting the tone for every detail of Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest collection.
The words 'may the building of a strong mind and a strong body be the greatest work I have ever made' were emblazoned on the set as competitive archer, artist and Olympian, Sagg Napoli, swung her bow and arrow to reach a bull’s eye target and models clad in Amazone dresses and athleisure - complete with sporty skin and 'logoed' workout hair - lined the runway.
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Chiuri’s sartorial nod to sport trickled down into a beauty palette that centred around ‘leftover make-up’, sporty skin and undone buns, which were adorned with ribboned 'Christian Dior' logo headbands. 'The aim was to create a woman with a post-workout glow,’ make-up artist Peter Philips tells ELLE UK backstage at Dior’s SS25 show.
'I wanted to create the make-up look of an active and dynamic woman, on the move, who has just completed some intense physical activity. Her skin is bright and dewy, and her gaze is intense, highlighted by the remnants of a stroke of khôl liner,' he continued.
Drawing inspiration from the collection's distinct sporty references, which served as proof that the worlds of fashion and sport are further entwining, the make-up was a far cry away from the maximalist backstage beauty often present during ready-to-wear shows. ‘It's a very glowy, sporty look as the collection has a lot of active elements in it,' he shared.
As to how the sport-inspired make-up came to life, eyeliner was a key focal point. 'To create the effect of make-up displaced by physical exertion, I drew a strong line along the lower lash line using the Diorshow On Stage Crayon 099 Black, which I smudged and blended under the eyes. This messy and intense look was completed by eyebrows structured with Diorshow On Set Brow and Diorshow Brow Styler,' Philips explained.
A dewy, health-looking glow also beamed on the runway, and was created using the Dior Forever Skin Glow as a base. As opposed to copious highlighter, moments before models walked onto the set, Philips applied a dab of Dior's Capture Totale Le Sérum. 'I took a little bit of the serum and placed it just on top of the skin just to give an extra shine,' he told us.
Philips also applied a novel blush application technique - in a downward placement as opposed to the apple of the cheeks or cheekbones - to lend skin a 'post-workout flush', a finish which Philips describes as 'athletic'. That did mean applying the blush himself - on 82 models, no less - to ensure consistency. Elsewhere, brows were kept fluffy and natural and mascara was absent altogether (to keep the look fierce and strong).
The process from ideation to runway, he noted, is usually more straightforward. 'First we spoke about a bold red lipstick and then we changed it,' Philips recalled, before agreeing on a beauty lens that spoke to the new collection and Chiuri's ever-growing fascination with sport (it was, after all, not long ago when the designer's couture collection came inspired by the Olympics).
Leaning into a sportier aesthetic might be a foreign concept where Fashion Week is usually concerned but it taps into a collective feeling where prioritising an active lifestyle is becoming ingrained in us all - no wonder then, that lived-in make-up, sporty skin and a post-gym flush are coming to the fore for our SS25 beauty mood board.
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