Runway the "Real" Way: Rag & Bone Fall 2012

1. India Calling

"The boys were really inspired by India and the strong contrast between poverty and the wealthy maharajas," Revlon Global Artistic Director (and wife to designer David Neville) Gucci Westman explained. "You see the richness in the fabric, the textures and the silhouettes. She's a quite sophisticated girl, so we had to bring her downtown."

2. Thrice as Nice

To imbue the models with some street-wise sensibility, Westman used three different eyeliners but only on the lower lash line, decreeing it more interesting than the regular upper-lid placement. She layered Revlon's liquid liner in Blackest Black, eye pencil, and crème gel liner, keeping it thin and then ending past the eye in a blunt point. "It's like Patti Smith if she lived in Africa."

3. Skin Story

Since the focus was on the eyes, the skin was kept simple and luminous with primer. At the start of every model's makeup application, their skin was sprayed with water. Rather than using the spritz as a finishing touch, Westman did it early to sink in instead of sitting on top of product. Highlighter was used in lieu of blush and contoured to show off cheekbones. "I was thinking porcelain...like Cate Blanchett in Lord of the Rings.

4. Hip Hair

Like Westman, Redken stylist Guido Palau was tasked with making sure the girls felt grungy-cool, rather than uptown-polished. "There's a real rock and roll feeling, and I wanted the hair to feel heavy and more product-y than usual," said Palau, who likened the messy style to dreadlocks. He started with Redken Full Frame Volumizing Mousse in damp hair, created a rough middle-part and then finger-dried strands. "If a girl's hair is dead straight, we can use a curling iron to get a little bend," Palau said. Otherwise, it was natural texture all the way.

5. Dreadlock Divas

Once hair was dry, Palau used a sculptural paste like this one to help make the messy locks more defined (and more dreadlock-like). As a finishing touch, he roughed up the crown of the head "for a sexy bedhead feel. It's a type of look you see a lot, but the combination of the mousse and paste make it tougher."

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