Mad Men Create Capsule Collection for Banana Republic

Whether you're a die hard Mad Men fan or just a fan of the 60's inspired style you'll appreciate this bit of fashion news.  Now, you can embrace you're inner "Betty" or "Joan" and your man can even pull off a tailored "Don" by shopping their new Fall 2011 capsule collection for Banana Republic. Mad Men costume designer, Janie Bryant and the Creative Director of Banana Republic, Simon Kneen, joined forces to make the collection come to life.  I had the opportunity to preview the collection and try on some of my favorite pieces in store.

Nymph-like Dolls, Backstage Elie Tahari

The hair and makeup for the Elie Tahari fall 2011 show was soft and innocent, and I couldn’t help but want to emulate it myself! Esther Langham was the lead for Moroccan Oil, and she set out to create a clean and sleek ponytail. She began by dabbing the hair with a cocktail of Moroccanoil treatments mixed in with about a quarter size amount of Hydrating Style Cream, and rubbing into hair from roots to ends. Then, she blow dried with a paddle brush to get hair nice and flat, and used a large, round brush to smooth the ends.

All of the models wore a center part, hair was finger combed down so that it wouldn’t be too severe, and finally secured with a hair tie as low as possible. Some of the models had hair wrapped around the face of their ponytails, and others wore leather hair bands or pretty lace and feather hair accessories. Before they went out on the runway, hair was spritzed with Glimmer Shine Spray.

Kimberly Soane from Bobbi Brown was the lead on makeup, and she wanted to create a very wide-eyed, pretty girl look that was almost “youthful Victorian nymph-like.”

Lots of Lash Glamour Lengthening mascara was used and warm, pink shimmer to highlight the inner corner of the eye (Champagne Quartz Metallic Eye Shadow).  She made a cupid’s bow by taking the burnt red color “Slopes” and pressing it in the center of the lip to give a doll-like effect. A very sheer blush “Pale Pink” was put on cheeks for a matte finish—and this shade works great on all skin tones. She wanted that “no brows” look as well.

Dashing Diva did the nails in an orangey nude hue called “Trust Fund.” A matte topcoat went over the color called “Make-It Matte.” Most of the models wore gloves so very few actually wore polish.

Breakfast at Tiffanys, Backstage at Monique Lhuillier

Backstage at the Monique Lhuillier fall 2011 show Val Garland for MAC and Jan Arnold for Creative Nail Design were joined by Odile Gilbert for Kerastase to create a glamourous yet edgy look. "The gowns are cleam, long and slender," commented Arnold. "Think Angelina Jolie in The Tourist."

The nail color was made of a combination of two shades layered on top of each other: Silver Chrome, Desert Suede and lined them with Dark Ameythest (which will debut in Fall 2011).

Gilbert created a twist of ponytils that were strategically placed and pinned around the head to resemble ribbons and added a black velvet bow into each of the models hair for a girly, Breakfast at Tiffanys effect.

Garland made the eyes the focal point of the face using a combination of blacks with deep plum for a smokey effect.

How to Style a Chic Braid, Backstage Carlos Miele

Backstage at the Carlos Miele fall 2011 show I caught Rodney Cutler of Cutler for a quick video on how to perfect a chunky, sleek braid.  I was so excited to see the models rocking a look that girls like us are able to do everyday.  If I normally pull back my hair and braid it, I'd look like I was going to the gym!  From now on, I'll be following Mr. Cutler's advice on how to make the style look clean and chic.  Check it out:

Sexy Siren Meets Old Hollywood, Backstage Lela Rose

I absolutely loved the look at the Lela Rose Fall 2011 show. Sarah Lucero from Stila was the lead on makeup, and she said the look was a “sultry, sexy siren with a vintage, old Hollywood feeling.” She used Stila’s Long Wear Lip Color in “daring” to get a powerful lip. She applied “gladiola,” a bright coral hue on the high plane of cheeks, to create an art deco feeling. The eyes were meant to be “really dreamy and hazy” with lots of beiges and a rosy shade in a heavy contour underneath. She wanted the lashes to be long and fluttery. The key element for this look was the skin—to even out under eye circles and redness, all the models used Clarisonic’s sonic skin cleansing system, which cleanses the skin 2 times better than manual cleansing. The brush oscillates against the skin to remove dirt from pores, and it lets all products that go on skin absorb more evenly. Models also used Clarisonic Opal Serum around the eyes to brighten and hydrate that area. I want to go out and buy these treatments pronto!

Deborah Lippmann provided the nails, and the color that all the models sported was a deep green shade called “billionaire.” Since the hair and makeup was so glam, this very wearable and earthy color was a nice contrast.

Devin Toth of the Ted Gibson Salon was the lead on hair, and in keeping with the old Hollywood theme, he created a strong side part with Tame It Shine Lotion. He then curled the right side of hair, freshened the wave out, and shaped it into a strong “s” wave. He used Beautiful Hold Hair Spray to help set the wave. The look is slightly different from regular Hollywood glam because the s wave is not as soft; it’s more severe and large, exaggerated French bobby pins were left in the models’ hair for the runway. To complete the look, he pulled hair into a low ponytail.

Vibrant Color and Bird Inspiration, Backstage Toni Francesc

The Toni Francesc fall 2011 collection was inspired by the GARUDÀ bird-- a mystic creature that plummets to its death in fire and then comes back to life after 500 years, bringing back with it all this energy and color. All of the clothes from the collection had such vibrant color, mostly rich shades of red, orange, and gold, so the makeup concentrated on perfecting the skin. Mehron Celebre Foundation, which has a lot of moisture in it, was used. Jackie Mgido from Mehron was the lead on makeup, and she told me that the models’ eyes were supposed to mimic the bird. She darkened the eyes and put on amazing lashes to create a wing-like effect. A rich red shade from Mehron was also applied on the lips, and nothing was used for the eyebrows or cheeks.

Clyde from Salerm Cosmetics was the lead on hair, and he explained to me the two different looks that were being executed. He created big curls for the opening model, to reflect the bird inspiration of the whole collection (and it didn’t hurt that the model had stunning, fiery red locks)! To achieve this look, he used a volumizing mousse to give it hold and a 1 ½ inch curling iron. And for every other look after the opening, all the models wore their hair in the same “deconstructed updo.” The innovative style included a fringe pushed to the face, to again evoke the feeling of a bird. All products used were unique to each model, depending on her natural hair texture. A key product that was used before applying hot tools to the hair was the Keratin Shot, which is designed to help straighten the hair while rejuvenating and softening it. Just like the clothes, the makeup and hair at Toni Francesc was truly a work of art.

An Ethereal Winter Playground at Elise Overland

The Fall 2011 Elise Overland collection was presented on an ice rink at the Standard Hotel. To create this Icelandic “winter playground,” the models had an ethereal look. David Cruz for Tresemmé was the lead on hair, and he pulled all the models’ hair back into a ponytail from the roots, then made a fishtail braid and used the braid to form a kind of deconstructed bun. Since the designer’s collection was pretty big on texture, he didn’t want the models to look like animals and give them a lot of hair! The fishtail braid bun is simple and tightly frames the face, but still adds that extra pizzazz for the runway. Napoleon Perdis did the makeup, and the look was all about luminous skin. He avoided using creams and gels, and used minimal foundation so that more light would reflect off the models. To prep the skin, he applied Napoleon Complex Skin Renewal Serum and Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer.

He used cool undertones to make sure that the models had a glow on the ice rink. The eyes were very non fussy, with just a few coats of chocolate brown mascara and some Créme De La Cremé Eyeshadow in QuickSilver.  On the cheeks, he used a little bit of Cheek to Chic Blush Duo #6 and Light Patrol Luminizer Palette in Silver. And on the lips, just a light pink shade called “Electra.” The end result was clean and fresh, perfect for a night out on the ice!

Chinese Opera Beauties, Backstage Vivienne Tam

Vivienne Tam seemed like a theater production.  The theme was Chinese Oprah with a modern, edgy twist.

Leon Gorman, the lead stylist with Cutler and Redken created edgy updos that paired nicely with this seasons collection.  To create the look, he started by blow drying the hair straight with a round brush. Once dry, each girls hair was put into a pony tail and scrunched up into a bun by using a hair net (yes the ones you see women wearing in a cafeteria). Gorman used a hair dryer as he sprayed each girl’s hair to keep all the stray fly aways down. “The more we think about it the messier it gets,” he commented. The looked finished by having a Vivienne Tam hair piece sewn into under the updo.

Makeup was led by Maybelline's Andy Koh who commented, the idea behind the look is to “not have too much or too little anywhere,” but it was all about the eyes. He started the eyes with Maybelline Eye Studio in Pink Persuasion, a beige color all over the eyelid. Then, he added a thick layer of Maybelline Gel Liner in Blackest Black across the top of the lid with an eyeliner brush. Individual false eyelashes were added just to the outer corner of the eye to add a touch of drama in a modern way. For checks he used Maybelline Blush in FIT Deep Rose and Coral depending on the model’s skin tone where he applied it under the eyes and on the check bone to temple where he blended upwards. For lips, Maybelline Lipcolor in Born With It was his go-to.

Katherine Kim of Imcoo & Coco applied stick on nail color to just the tips of each nail to give the nails a luxury, glittery look. They looked like an old school French manicure with a twist.  The color was Imcoo & Coco Dry Nail Applique in Ruby Shoes.