FASHION WEEK 2024

A Recap of Fashion Weeks’ Most Iconic Beauty Looks

Saudi-Moroccan makeup artist Aya Tariq started doing makeup almost 10 years ago, initially focusing on the commercial side before stepping into the fashion world around 2018 by assisting renowned artists. She worked on makeup guru Pat McGrath’s team, assisting backstage at shows like Valentino and Marc Jacobs. Building her assisting roster slowly led Aya to gain her own clients.

During Paris Fashion Week SS25, Aya didn’t work on any shows but was present to give fashion show attendees flying in from all over the world distinctive makeup looks. American model and actress Meadow Walker was one of her clients there, and Aya kept the look natural. She did the same with social media icon Nojoud Al Rumaihi. “I think the clean skin look’s always going to be a staple in the fashion industry,” she says. “I think I learnt that being backstage, that really nice skin that has a nice glow to it is one thing that would never go out of style.”

And it wasn’t just any ‘backstage’ that Aya was referring to; ot was the legendary McGrath’s. “My experience with her backstage was always about good skin. You must have good skin, even in the men’s fashion shows. Like we did Valentino; the men must have perfect skin,” she says. “Even the lashes, I remember the first time I worked with her, one of her assistants came up to me and said: when you curl the lash, you have to go through it with your finger before you put mascara on, and make sure that you caught all the lashes.”

Aya’s training gave her an eye for details, so specific makeup looks stood out for her this season.

But what stood out the most were the looks crafted by global makeup artist Yadim for different fashion houses during Paris, Milan, and New York Fashion Weeks. “What he did for fashion weeks I think was iconic,” she says. “We’ve all been craving makeup moments, and that’s what he gave us. It was playful.”

Yadim—who gave Rihanna her bold and radiant look on the cover of Perfect Magazine just a couple of months ago—managed to turn all eyes toward eyebrows across fashion weeks, as he artfully obliterated the brows for Maison Valentino’s SS25 Paris show, then dramatically sculpted them for Luar’s New York show. Also in New York Fashion Week, Yadim managed to revive the spirit of the nineties in the makeup he did for AREA.

The '90s made a comeback in Kim Shui’s show as well, while there was a modern take on the '50s looks on Alice + Olivia’s runway.

Another distinct trend from the season’s fashion weeks focused on the eyes. Dries Van Noten’s and Ganni’s collections revealed in Paris featured luxuriously long, colored eyelashes. For Ganni, the eyelashes featured a playful, bold effect, possibly accentuated with mascara that added volume and definition, perfectly complementing the brand's vibrant aesthetic. In contrast, Dries Van Noten's show showcased more artistic flair, with lashes that were either softly defined for an ethereal look or layered to create a striking contrast against the rich, textured makeup, contributing to an overall sense of sophistication and creativity.

But would such looks make it from the runway onto the streets? “I could definitely see it,” says Aya. “I think it depends on how bold you want to be. I’m always trying to push people to be more fun, and it’s all about the character you want to project into the world.”

To achieve such looks, Aya recommends Christian Dior Makeup’s colored mascaras—which she believes Peter Philips, the brand’s Creative and Image Director, always makes the most of in creating bold eye looks. Philips’ long eyeliner at Dior’s Milan Fashion Week show was certainly as bold as it gets. “I think it’s part of really extending the eyes, playing with the shape of the eye rather than keeping it right by the lash line. It just makes it more fierce and powerful in my opinion,” says Aya. “It reminds me of the moment (Alexander) McQueen had back in the fall of 1997 at his ‘It’s a Jungle Out There’ show, where he extended the eyeliner all the way to the inner corner of the eye, and then pulled it all the way out. I don’t think that’s what Philips did, but he did work with McQueen, and I can feel a reference here.”

From bold eyebrows, eyelashes, and eyeliners to dropping the eye makeup altogether and using hair as a prop to cover the eyes—that’s what Mugler showcased in Milan, in a brilliant collaboration between makeup artist Lucy Bridge and hair artist Zhou Xue Ming. “I love it. I’m a person who loves a story, so if the hair is taking over, then let it be,” Aya observes. “If it helps with the storytelling; if the makeup needs to take a step back, then so be it. It’s still an iconic moment.”

Less makeup was certainly the way to go on Erdem’s runway in London, just like the faces in Salvatore Ferragamo’s Milan show leaned towards fresh, glowing skin. “Sometimes it makes more sense to give the models a natural look, from a time consumption perspective. Other times, it’s to keep the focus on the pieces on display. But to me, bare faces that show healthy skin are always a good choice,” says Aya.

At the end of the season—makeup or no makeup—the verdict’s out. “I feel like it’s not about the trends anymore; it’s about hyper-individuality. The trend is: You do what you want to do,” Aya concludes.