Nail tales from Ralph & Russo’s SS19 Paris showcase
By Scratch Staff | 06 March 2019 | Events, News
Scratch Stars Session Stylist of the Year 2018, Nickie Rhodes-Hill, reveals the nail antics at Ralph & Russo’s Paris Haute Couture show for spring/summer 2019…
My team and I were asked to provide a nail look for Ralph & Russo’s haute couture show, and met at 5am on the day of the show at the freezing cold Ebbsfleet station in Kent. We caught the first Eurostar to Paris with some strong coffee in hand and boarded the train. The journey flew by with plenty of nail talk – and soon we were in Paris and heading for the Metro.
As there were a few hours before show time, we had a late breakfast at a little café a short walk from the show venue at Carreau du Temple. Call time was 12.30pm, and after settling into the Glam area, we all got down to manicuring the models as they arrived.
THE NAIL TEAM: Nickie Rhodes-Hill (lead), Sherrie Farris, Marie-Louise Coster, Emma Thorne, Jasmin Samavati & Sylvie Vacca Puzin
The nail look for the show was a pristine manicure, and the sponsor was Sweet Squared/CND. We used one coat of CND Vinylux in Satin Slippers with Weekly Top Coat. Satin Slippers has a nude, sheer, gossamer look that enhanced the colour of the natural nail plate, creating a chic, understated yet super shiny nail look to complement the beautiful fabrics of the collection. The ‘bride’ walking the runway this year was Elsa Hosk, a Swedish supermodel and Victoria’s Secret Angel.
The Ralph & Russo couture collection for spring/summer 2019, was a celebration of Latin American femininity in tribute to the style legacy of La Doña, Maria Felix. She had an empowered persona, a daring sensuality and was totally fearless in the spirit of fashion.
Wide brimmed hats, a samba of Mexican colours, tassels and pom-poms offered a playful, yet alluring throwback to the unparalleled glamour that she portrayed during the golden age of Hollywood cinema. Embroidered, coiled serpents, reptilian scales, beaded bananas and bejewelled cut out hearts featured in tribute to cinema icons, Josephine Baker and Carmen Miranda.
The whole collection exuded the ideas and memories of warm and sultry, yet chic South American summers and la Vida Bonita.
As the guests arrived to take their seats, they were serenaded by a wonderful Mariachi band. The lights dimmed at 5.30pm and after 15 minutes of the spectacular ‘défilé de mode; of the new season’s collection, the show was over to rapturous applause for Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo for their couture vision.
Once we were packed up, said our goodbyes to the hair and make-up teams and headed back out into the freezing cold and three stops on the Metro back to the Gare du Nord. The team and I indulged in lovely dinner at our favourite French restaurant next to the station, at which the owners remembered us from last season. It was then time to check in for our train back to the UK.
Team Nickie Rhodes-Hill worked its socks off with calmness and delivered exceptional results. The show is always a very, very long day but the dedication, professionalism and amazing work ethic of the team was second to none.
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