Running down Vine Street, way too many hours late – I count the houses in a flustered attempt at finding Garage Studios. Right in the middle of Brighton’s busiest area and sharing the vicinity with some of the country’s quirkiest shops, it made perfect sense to choose this creative hub as the host of BFW’s 2010 Promotional Shoot – all I needed to do now was get there before I missed the magic happen!
Bursting through the door I spot breathtaking Storm Model – Georgina. Tapping pump-clad toes, with face perfectly poised for the sixth hour, she sits patiently as Make-Up Co-ordinator Jez sweeps washes of colour over her brow with effortless perfection.
Photgrapher: Emily Hecht
The huge dressing room mirror is home to a treasure trove of make-up tools and the air has a strong smell of fresh paint, mixed with the cosmetic fragrance of a thousand prettifying powders. It reminds me of being a child, and the distinct aroma of the pantomime auditorium. Smoke machines, four thousand watt spotlights, fantastical costumes, and men and women painted to the brink of Gaga-ism.
I talk to Jez about her career with BFW and beyond. A make-up artist of twenty years and now BFW’s Chief Make-Up Co-ordinator – she is a beautifying oracle. Tall red and flawless she paints and talks – turning Doc Martin loving Georgina into ‘Alice in Brighton-land’, complete with a sharp, piercing, perfectly plum pout. Jez gives kudos to Mac, Dior and Lancôme but states confidently that she couldn’t live without MaxFactor LipFinity. I smile, and find refuge in her recommendation –pleased that her golden tip won’t lure me onto the train back to Selfridges, I mentally plan my next trip to Boots…
I spend the next five minutes fixating on 19yr old Georgina’s long blonde, effortlessly thick locks, sitting nonchalantly on her shoulders. She talks to me about the highs and lows of having your hair done, and re done, and re-re done. I subsequently compare my wind swept ‘flick-fringe’ in the mirror and self-preservation leads me away from the dressing room to take a wander around the set…
Photographer: Eddie Hecht
Shoes. Tall, shiny, incredible, impossible shoes are everywhere. I smile and imagine my average pins dragging those magical contraptions around a photo shoot like some kind of Foot vs. Leg tug of war. Everything in the room is comically oversized. Gigantic paper scissors lean intriguingly against the wall, while a towering cardboard book stands proudly in the centre of the room. I imagine Georgina standing here, with her couture eyebrows, perfect pout and long luminous locks – embodying the artistic essence of BFW.
Model Co-ordinator Megan passes me the concept sheet and advises me that BFW are so excited about the release of the shoot that they don’t want to give too much away. I read the brief and am intrigued about the mention of bubble wrap, oversized cotton reels, gigantic hair bows and mannequins. I begin to get excited. I want to write about everything I see, I want to write about Georgina navigating her way around those huge heart handled scissors in the majestic red platforms. I want to describe the incredible spotlights illuminating Jez’s razor sharp cheekbone creations. I want to quote Kevin Mason’s artistic direction, I want to paint a picture of a thousand camera shutter clicks…and above all, I want to reveal what happened with all those many many umbrellas…
But rules are rules, and I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise… Watch out for the final masterpiece – unveiled right here very soon!
I like the new look BFW, see you in June
K x
Kayleigh Ann Style Blog