Post #100 - Assisting Liz Yu

Yeah my 100th post! How exciting! It will be even more exciting one day when I actually reach 100 followers...ways to go on that one though lol!

Anyway, I mentioned last wk that I assisted on a photo shoot and it was my first time assisting. Well wouldn't you know it I got my second chance at assisting later that wk. Last Sunday I got to assist Liz Yu (creator of Yaby) on a Runway Show for this Taiwanese designer that was visiting all the way here from Taiwan. I thought at first she might have hired me b/c of my vast experience on Asian models lol...but actually there was only one Asian model in the whole show to my surprise.

Liz also hired another assistant Whitney Sellors to help out. It's really weird in Toronto sometimes b/c you'll know a makeup artist's name and their work for a long time but you'll never have actually met which was the case w/ Whitney. I had heard her name for a few yrs now (the Toronto market gets small quick) but I had never actually met her. Totally nice and a great person to assist w/. It was also nice to hear that she reads this blog - Hi Whitney!

The look for the show was really soft. Grey eyeshadow w/ a bit of blue black smudged along the lashes, natural blush and a pink/nude shimmer lipstick or red if they were a special girl. There wasn't a face chart so to be honest my first model was totally not right but once I saw what Liz did w/ her first girl I figured it out.

What sucked was the models were all suppose to be there at 2 which although was super early was still the call time. By 4 I think only half the models had arrived. By the end one of the models never arrived which is totally uncalled for and unprofessional IMO. So at 7:30 we had a replacement girl come in where we had to scrub off a pound of makeup and mascara and comb out a head full of back combing to get her ready. She literally had all 3 of us poking and prodding at her to get her ready in time...but we did!

The other thing that kind of sucked was the show which was suppose to start at 8 didn't start till probably 8:30. The call time was 2 so all the girls had to get massive touch ups b/c the makeup had been sitting on their faces for so long and the curls had completely fallen out of their ponytails so it almost felt like we were doing things twice.

But overall it was a fun experience and it was great to finally work w/ Liz on something. I thought I had all the Yaby eyeshadows but after that show I realized there is definitely a few I need lol! Plus some new blushes and lipsticks too lol! I swear before I know it I going to become Liz's biggest promoter besides herself.

Here's a few behind the scenes pics of the girls.

The wonderful Liz Yu at work! She did amazing on those fingerwaves...I'm impressed!
All the Girls!

? Y E S I D O !

So today was Day 1 of Uma Wang's Bridal Fashion Show. Overall, it went really well and I'm really pleased w/ everything so that's great. It was a little frustrating w/ her changing hair concepts a bit last minute but you know try your best and work w/ it...I've come to get use to these sorts of things w/ Uma lol.

Today was the VIP and media show and tomorrow is for the actual public. Originally, Uma was only going to do the cool, funky makeup today and something more traditional tomorrow b/c she was afraid that the reg. Chinese public wouldn't get the makeup but we convinced her that it looks really cool and she should use it tomorrow too which I think is the best move. I mean her clothes and designs aren't for regular Chinese people why should the makeup be...and this IS a Fashion Show after all, it's suppose to have an element of whimsy and be a bit avant garde.

I didn't come up w/ the makeup concept but I liked it overall and I thought it was cool. The inspiration came from the Fall/Winter 08 Victor & Rolf show. I personally would have done a different concept w/ the hair but again not my call. There were 8 models for the show and two MUAs doing both hair & makeup. The other MUA was Sandra who is really easy going and great to work with. I've worked w/ her when she's done styling but not makeup so today was a first.

On a side note it's funny b/c several mths ago I showed Troy Moth a magazine and he actually chose this makeup look and said he wanted to do a shoot like that at some point. It's only funny b/c Uma LOVES Troy's work esp. the "Powder Coated" shoot. If Troy is ever in Shanghai he needs to work w/ Uma b/c they obviously have some creative connective energy or something lol.

Oh and it's good that I'm super anal and really try to plan for everything and all the details even if I'm not the key artist b/c the makeup concept as you see from the pics below is stenciled lettering which btw spells out ? YES I DO ! (wedding/bride you get it). So yeah anyway I ask Nela who was assisting Uma for this about stencils for the letters and they totally didn't even think about it. I think they actually thought we were going to free hand it...umm do you know how much longer that would take and to get it symmetrical w/ 2 different MUAs...and trying to do "S" or "?"...umm NO! So I made some stencils for print out for the show. There really wasn't a "key" artist per se and I've just realized in China or anywhere for that matter to never rely on someone else to do it b/c that's how you end up screwed and to ALWAYS have EVERYTHING planned for...these are the same reason's I hated group work in high school lol. Yeah for being a Control Freak lol!

Below are some Behind the Scenes pics of the "backstage area" and the actual runway show (wish it had been warmer and sunnier today :( )

Some of my makeup...this is actually pretty organized for me..esp. considering it was a multiple model runway day lol!

The Designer - Uma Wang w/ some of the models...btw don't you just LOVE the hats!
More model pics - the "D" is Michelle - Uma's website/catalog model for her last two collections

More models...I should add I somehow managed to get stuck w/ almost all the hard letters lol - "S", "E", "D" and "I"..."I" was easy but I had to fight for it...seriously lol!

Lining the girls up for the show
The Show

Uma taking her bow
Fingers crossed tomorrow goes as well!