Dior’s fall video Disturbing Beauty, a kind of macabre fable in which models walk over the holy, mirrored walls of the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, was unveiled today by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Taking a scathing look at the darker side of the romanticized tales that shaped our thinking as children, Chiuri reimagined the young female heroes who appeared in them — characters such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, and Little Red Riding Hood — and gave them a grittier attitude to match. While each of these three concepts was represented differently in the clothes, there was one obvious through-line above the neck: a sooty black smokey eye that was meant to rebel, full stop, was visible above the neckline.
According to makeup artist Peter Philips, the inspiration for this season’s idea was “[Maria] didn’t want an eye that seduced.” “She wanted a strong eye [that was] black but not gothic,” says the author. What were the intricate details that enabled this to be accomplished? Heavy-handed tightlining with a dark black Diorshow 24H Stylo pencil along the lashlines, as well as an intense cut-crease, which was created by smudging matte onyx pigment from the Diorshow Mono Couleur Couture palette in the negative space between the inner and outer corners of the eye, “creating a highlight with the natural skin tone,” according to Philips. Using Q-tips, the lines were smoothed out to create a blunt, horizontal shape with a soft-focus finish, which was then painted. In this case, the lashes were left bare on purpose. According to him, “when you add mascara, it becomes more sensual.” With mascara removed, “it becomes more of a conceptual eye…more creative,” says the author.
According to Philips, the presentation’s mise en scène enhanced the dramatic impact of the eye statement, underscoring the fact that lighting and surroundings can have a major impact on how people see things in their environment. ‘The backdrop of the ladies walking next to mirrors in dark midnight light with a spotlight,’ he says, “accentuated the punk element of the cosmetics appearance,’ he adds. When viewing this look by candlelight, the sheen in the cheeks and the delicate corners of the eyes are noticeably more visible, giving the appearance of being much more romantic. It is a gloomy and adaptable eye statement that is equally suitable for our times, regardless of the deep emotions you are experiencing or the four walls that surround you.