Shanghai Fashion Week 2015

Shanghai Fashion Week 2015 ended on April 15th with a week of runway shows, many by up-and-coming Chinese designers but there were also designers from all over the world showcasing their creations. Shanghai Fashion Week is of course a lot bigger than our KL Fashion Week. MAC Malaysia’s Event Artists, Reyo Lim and Ash Chong were specially selected for their artistry skills to join MAC China & Hong Kong Artists to do the make-up backstage at this prestigious event. Reyo was the lead Artist for 4-5 shows. I had a chat with both of them on their experience.

How many designers showcased their collection at Shanghai Fashion Week this year?

47 designers from China, Germany, Vietnam, USA and England.

Over how many days?

8 days.

Which countries did the MAC Artists come from?

Malaysia and Hong Kong and 40 from MAC China.

What were the make-up trends for SFW?

It’s all about Spring/Summer. It depends on what each designer wants and we put in elements of the Spring/Summer trend.

What’s the process of creating the looks?

The MAC China team discussed with each designer and on the final day before the start of SFW, discussed again. We did a demo on the models and double checked with the designers on whether they wanted any changes.

What were your working hours?

It depends on which shows we were involved in. We could be there as early as 10am, we’d have a break in the afternoon and do make-up for 2-3 shows daily. The last show would be at 7pm in which case we’d be doing the make-up for that show at 4pm.

Who were some of your favourite designers?

Kelly Bui of Vietnam – her design is rather vintage and we did Gothic inspired make-up for her. The models had a gorgeous vampire look. Also, W by Wen Jun where the make-up was sweet and fantasy-like with a focus on lips.

Did you bring your own make-up kit?

Yes, we brought our entire make-up kit. Aimee Frost, MAC’s Global Fashion Director manages and co-ordinates all the Fashion Weeks worldwide (Paris, Milan, London) and prepares a list of what we have to bring along.

What was Day 1 and 2 like?

We attended a workshop at the MAC China office. Aimee briefed us on the “do’s and don’t’s” (backstage etiquette) e.g. don’t drink coffee or tea as our hands may shake, grooming image of MAC, don’t take selfies unless it’s during break time. After the workshop, the Senior Artist of MAC China will brief us on which team each Artist is in, which show/designer we are working on.

Day 2, we work on the models and each Artist does make-up for at least 2 models per show. We take 30 minutes to do the make-up for each model.

Any difference between working on fashion shows in China and here?

The MAC DNA is there, it’s the same way or working. The only difference is the culture, Chinese designers are very concerned about the cutting of the clothes and materials. They put in a lot of effort and are of international standard.

What’s the relationship like between the Artist and the designers in Shanghai?

The designers are in close contact with the Artists so they have a look of say in the look whereas in Malaysia, the modeling agencies are generally in charge of the models’ looks.