Get to Know Lily's Glam Group: Hairstylist Gregory Russell and Make-up Artist Fiona Stiles

Historically, the “B-side” refers back to the flip-side of a file. The A-side comprises the extra front-facing hits; the singles—however on the B-side, you will get in a bit deeper with the artist. And fairly actually, there is no higher metaphor I can consider for the inventive workforce behind a magnificence look. They pull the references, scour the archives, and paint the image you see on the massive display screen. The movie star, mannequin, or actor is the one with essentially the most air time. However the glam workforce? They’re the producers, conductors, associates, and household. For lack of a much less ubiquitous phrase, they make it work.

It has all the time been our mission to shine a light-weight on the BTS of magnificence, because the artistry of hair and make-up is an intricate, detailed exploration on the cross-section of aesthetics and tradition. Why? As a result of the origin of a glance is simply as essential because the look itself. The backstory deserves its personal hard-earned glory.

This time round, we’re introducing you to Fiona Stiles and Gregory Russell—the masterminds behind the hair and make-up appears to be like for Byrdie’s sophomore situation, Dualities, that includes Lily Collins. Beneath, be part of us in taking a peek behind the scenes with Stiles and Russell, as their recommendation and sweetness musings are fantastical and humbling in equal measure.

Make-up: Fiona Stiles

“[Lily] is a dream to work with,” Stiles says, “she’s sort hearted, humorous, and so open to collaboration.” Stiles describes the belief between herself and Collins, swooning over her facial construction and skill to belief her workforce to run wild with a glance. “Her options are so delicate and I like working with the contours of her face. However largely, I like the connection and time we spend collectively, in addition to working together with her and Gregory as a workforce. The inventive connection I’ve with these two is one thing I cherish,” Stiles says beaming.

The shoot’s first make-up look is an ideal instance of Stiles’ genius and Collins’ outstanding potential to do each; she can look prim and doe-eyed—after which she works a glance so exceptionally rad it is virtually chilling. Stiles painted her face pink and secured a jeweled fishnet on prime, the dichotomy of which spurred the theme for our situation, Dualities. The inspiration for Stiles, although, was a number of totally different photos, each by Annie Leibovitz. One, a photograph of Meryl Steep the place her face was painted white, and the opposite, a portrait of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd with blue face paint because the Blues Brothers. “I like how including colour right here and there adjustments the face fully,” Stiles says, including, “Lily is commonly photographed very romantically, and I used to be seeking to discover different methods of decoding her options.”

The re-assessment, the powder blue shadow and black brows which ended up making the duvet, was a nod to the tip of the ’90s. I would be remiss to not point out Lily Collins’ brows, as I am fairly positive they’ve their very own Twitter web page. She’s identified for them, they’re lusted after by tens of millions, and Stiles felt this was an apt alternative to intensify them. “I started my profession as a make-up artist within the ’90s—and although many are at the moment referencing the sculpted nude appears to be like of Kevyn Aucoin—for me, the ’90s have been about minimalist make-up with daring decisions from the later a part of the last decade.” Stiles coos over the appears to be like from David Sims shoots and Pat McGrath for Italian Vogue or i-D. “Dick Web page would take a naked face, use a slash of black eyeliner, and relish in its imperfection,” Stiles says. “We’re in a time of such hyper-perfection that I wished to discover the sensation of tough hewn work, of blurry traces and swaths of colour.”

In that very same vein, Stiles wished the ultimate look to really feel powerful and never remotely ethereal. She selected incongruent shades for the attention, excited in regards to the color-clash. “Different colour decisions may have felt comfortable and romantic, however I wished to stay away from overly polished,” she explains.

“Magnificence may be something, which is why it is so fantastic. It may be sensual, stunning, repulsive, and empowering,” Stiles says. She was a goth as a youngster, which “served as safety for a really delicate individual navigating the world,” she tells me. She characterizes her 20s and 30s as a softer, extra historically female time in her make-up exploration. “It was about discovering my place on this planet and seeing the place I slot in,” she explains. As she acquired older, although, Stiles discovered make-up, for her, was about working together with her options and adapting to the various adjustments a face goes by because it ages. “The one time I put on make-up today is for a Zoom assembly,” she says with amusing.

That stated, Stiles remains to be impressed to interrupt with conference. Her references really feel punk in a world of purple carpets and painstaking perfection. “I just like the weirdos and misfits,” she says. “The dangerous youngsters who performed costume up every single day like their lives relied on it.” As a lot as she relishes glamour, Stiles can be drawn to the morning after; the deconstructed work of Isamaya Ffrench is as interesting to her because the ultra-glam make-up of Tyen and Approach Bandy. She names heavy-hitters like Pat McGrath, Val Garland, Diane Kendal, Francois Nars, Peter Philips, and Lucia Pieroni as mentors. “I spent numerous hours pouring over the make-up appears to be like they created for magazines, marveling on the magnificence,” she says in a haze of nostalgia. “These photos are seared into my thoughts ceaselessly.”

I just like the weirdos and misfits—the dangerous youngsters who performed costume up every single day like their lives relied on it.

She did not simply work together with icons from afar, although. Stiles labored as David Bowie’s make-up artist for years within the early aughts. “Daily with him was a present in itself, however when he would casually sing whereas we have been working it was electrifying. These days have been, and can all the time be, the highlights of my profession,” she says. After I ask about her favourite on-set reminiscence, she takes me to church. “It’s not one second, it’s the second,” Stiles solutions, her eyes virtually dancing. “When all the things comes collectively and the mannequin or actress is on set and the pose, hair, lighting, and styling is all on level—there’s a second of actual fantasy, there’s nothing prefer it. That feeling is so satisfying. At any time when that second occurs, my inventive bucket is stuffed and I’m satiated.”

Stiles leaves me with one final piece of knowledge, a morsel I’ve considered because it got here out of her mouth: “Work exhausting. Be on time. Be sort. Know your references. Have a perspective.” So, there you go.

The merchandise all the time in her equipment:

Store The Look

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  Magnificence Pie

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  Pat McGrath Labs

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  Lancôme

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  Lisa Eldridge

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  Dior

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  Guerlain

Hair: Gregory Russell

The primary time Gregory Russell labored with Collins was for the Met Gala in 2013—the theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture. She wore Moschino and Russell pulled blue and gray streaks by her hair. In line with him, it has been a dream ever since. “Lily is so open our imaginative and prescient and inspirations; she’s so collaborative. What extra are you able to ask for? She’s beautiful and she or he needs to push a glance—she’s such a muse to me. I am so grateful to work with somebody like her.”

The primary hair look on set was a simple one to conceptualize. “She was carrying a veil, what was I going to do?” Russell jokes. “I pulled it again,” he says with amusing. The second—comfortable whimsical curls round Collins’ hairline—was meant to juxtapose the severity of the side-knot and high-gloss end Russell created across the again. “I used to be impressed by Fiona’s make-up—the sturdy forehead—and Lily, in fact,” he says with a smile. “The third look was this actually structured, dramatized pompadour with a pointy angle on the entrance—it actually served the make-up.”

I requested Russell to take us again to the start of his profession when he set his sights on hair. He had determined to get into magnificence early on, by the use of his sister, who he calls as his first-ever muse. “[She] was actually into hair, make-up, and garments,” he tells me, “and it actually opened my eyes to how inventive I could possibly be with these parts.” For Russell, expressing himself by all artwork kinds—whether or not or not it’s hair, clothes, music, sculpting, or portray—is therapeutic. And it has been an outlet for him all his life. “It is such a launch,” he says. “Magnificence, to me, is expressing your creativity and particular person fashion.”

Russell’s magnificence icons are many and widespread. He lists Cher on the prime (do not all of us), persevering with with Debbie Harry for her iconic “cool hair,” Barbara Boucher, Sylvie Vartan, Donna Jordan, Jean Shrimpton, Françoise Hardy, Sharon Tate, Diana Ross, and The Halstonettes, simply to call a number of. For mentors within the enterprise, he lists the greats: Ara Gallant, John Sahag, Vidal Sassoon, Orlando Pita, Garren, and Sam McKnight. 

He tells me a narrative a couple of stand-out profession spotlight, one I can see nonetheless lingers within him every time he is on set. He idealized a sure photographer for his whole profession and at last had the possibility to work with them. When the photographer instructed Russell, “The hair is gorgeous,” it was monumental. “Having felt like an outsider my whole youth, validation from somebody I really revered and admired actually meant the world to me,” he explains.

Earlier than the interview is over, Russell breaks to chuckle and chat with Lily. Their friendship is admittedly beautiful to see. “I am modeling,” he yells to her earlier than she leaves. She solutions, “You higher work, honey.” And that was a wrap.

The merchandise all the time in his equipment:

Store The Look

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  Kérastase

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  L’Oréal Paris

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  Hair By Sam McKnight

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