NEW YORK — Island "salonista" Deborah Koepper becomes a Manhattan "fashionista" twice a year, when she heads north for the seasonal series of New York runway shows.
Koepper, who spent a week in the city for the recent spring collection presentations in Bryant Park and other venues throughout Gotham, was able to take in 21 designer shows.
The makeup artist, who operates the full-service Deborah Koepper salon on Sunset Avenue, has made a point of being in New York for fashion week in February and September for the past six years. She's only missed a couple of weeks in September because of hurricane threats that required her to tend to her business here.
"I love the whole spectacle of fashion week, the energy, the clothes and t he ability to preview what the leading cosmetics companies and international artists are proposing for next season," she said. "What I see assists me in working with my Palm Beach clients.
"They all want to look current and look to me for advice on how to translate the latest makeup looks on the runway for their daily lives."
For next spring, a clean and clear skin is key, said Koepper, explaining that a healthy, consistent and dewy base is the overriding trend.
It will be important to get regular facials and follow a good skin-care regimen, she said.
Koepper saw a more natural tone to the skin, not the overly bronzed look in favor last season. "The effect is more subtle," she said. "It's a more outdoorsy look, not like you've been baking out in the sun."
Eye treatments went from a heavy smoky-look influenced by the aesthetic of punk and rock musicians (at Costello Tagliapietra) to eyes shadowed in pastels (at Jill Stuart) to what Koepper notes is a very wearable, clean eye with just a touch of black mascara and liner under the lid to elongate lashes (at Twinkle by Wenlan).
The most popular runway palette for spring featured softer, more neutral shadow tones, such a browns, taupes, beiges and a touch of gold, Koepper said. "All were worn with a clean-looking black liner."
Koepper saw this kind of eye on the runways at Carolina Herrera, Naeem Khan, Cynthia Steffe, Nanette Lepore, Monique Lhuillier, Michael Kors, Richard Chai, Carlos Miele, Pamella Roland, Milly, Rebecca Taylor and Tommy Hilfiger.
"An exception to this was the full-on smoky eye at Carmen Marc Valvo," she said. "It was appropriate and quite right for his show because he's primarily a cocktail and evening wear designer."
Peach, pink, coral and almost "nude" or "natural" lips were the overwhelming direction for spring, Koepper reported. "There were some exceptions, like the full red lips on models at Betsy Johnson, Michael Kors and Tibi. "The overall Tibi look was not so sheer, with a 'hot' red lip and teal or blue shadow on the eyes," she said.
"Joanna Mastroianni used yellow and purple shadows, which was striking and unusual," Koepper said. "But these 'peacock' colors seemed in tune with the palette of the clothes she showed."
Koepper saw the makeup as less "in-your-face" than in past seasons.
"Models were pretty and generally not overdone when it came to their faces," she said.
MAC Cosmetics artists created many of the makeup looks at the shows Koepper attended.
The company, which is a sponsor of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, worked with designers at more than 80 catwalk and showroom presentations, including those of Costello Tagliapietra, Twinkle by Wenlan, Herrera, Cynthia Steffe, Matthew Williamson, Monique Lhuillier, Behnaz Sarafpour, Nanette Lepore, Richard Chai, Carlos Miele, Milly, Naeem Khan, Rebecca Taylor, Tommy Hilfiger and Carmen Marc Valvo.
Bianca Alexander, MAC's director of makeup artistry, agreed with Koepper's assessment of the directional look for spring.
"Shimmering peaches and transparent taupes are very key in creating the understated beauty look for the season," Alexander said.
"Time was spent on making skin look well hydrated and perfected.
"It was not about a bronzer, but more about a warm peachy glow, with taupes in powder or cream form used to contour cheekbones, temples and eyes," she said.
"Nude lip pencils were used to add fullness to the mouth without creating a strong contour of color," Alexander said. "A note of pale pink or peach kept the lips from looking too underdone, though lip shades in varying degrees of red, from poppy to deep cherry, were present."
