Creating the trends: Fall '06

What happens behind the scenes to create the trends that are unveiled on the runway, make the pages of fashion and beauty magazines, to be worn by beautiful women worldwide?

Creative collaboration between fashion and beauty's image-makers has become increasingly important to crafting the total looks that mark contemporary fashion. In the process, every aspect of the look is recognized, considered, combined and contrasted to create the season's trends.

For MODERN's exclusive Fall '06 portfolio, we assembled a unique beauty team of professionals who have dedicated their creative lives to fashion. For nails, we enlisted Roxanne Valinoti, Education Ambassador for Creative Nail Design. For hair, we tapped Lisa Labosco, creative designer for Ecru New York. Victoria Rowe, a celebrity make-up artist for Too Faced Cosmetics, joined us to create the face designs. LA-based editorial wardrobe stylist Lexie Rouse rounded out the team.

In a free-flowing, collaborative process, the quartet took inspiration from Creative Nail Design's experience at the Bryant Park Fashion Week runway shows to re-create three of the season's hottest trends.

The Creative Nail Design team has 10 years of collaboration under their collective belts. In 1996, they worked with their first designer, Cynthia Rowley, on Fashion Week. Since then, nails have played an important role in highlighting a designer's vision and giving life to their looks.

"Nails can be a really good expression of fashion," says Valinoti. "You take inspiration from the hair and make-up and clothing. On the runway and on beauty shoots, you can exaggerate and experiment with the trend on the nails so that people will take something out of it."

The same type of thinking applies to the hair and make-up. "You start with a good idea and it becomes a great idea when you bounce concepts off other creative people," says Labosco, who is no stranger to collaboration, working most recently on the fall showings of designers Mel en Stel, H. Frederiksson and Wyeth by Todd Magill on the Gen Art runway.

"Each season the collaboration allows me to create hair trends, but hair trends aren't stand-alone," she maintains. "They are an extension of everything else going on in beauty and fashion."

According to make-up artist Rowe, cosmetics must play the ultimate supporting role. "Make-up has to complement the design, the designer, the hair, the hair color, the nails, whether it is a print ad, an editorial, a fashion runway-whatever the focus. If the make-up is wrong, it throws off the whole look. If it is right, it draws you in without distracting from the other aspects."

The team developed three distinct images to express fall's key trends:

"The Courtesan" is Victorian-inspired. Fabrics are rich and poetic; ruffles rule. Hair is finished, yet loose and long, while make-up is openly seductive, punctuated with strong lips. Nails are painted in a pale cream except for the accent nail, which takes on the form of an authentic cameo and is adorned in gold.

"sHe" is a powerful trend boasting tailored menswear that exhibit curves but not skin. The entire look moves away from the flowing femininity of seasons' past to chic, sober sophistication. The make-up is clean and matte, while the hair is severe and off the face. Groomed hands show off strong, short, dark nails.

"The London Lolita" has fun with her fashion. She's a fashion-conscious tomboy who loves make-up. Long shorts, cropped jackets and splashes of jewel tones are hot for this season's girly girl. Lolita's make-up is bold and playful and her hair is flirty. Nails are bright, painted purple and detailed with the same grommets that adorn Fall '06's bags, baubles and shoes.

All trend shoot team members believe that what results, when it all works, is a silky-smooth collaboration that creates a seamless total look.

"Everybody has to be in the spirit of creativity and the egos have to be gone so you can really collaborate as artists," says Rowe. "Only then will the hair, make-up, nails and wardrobe come together to create the vision."