Stephane Marais
When Stéphane Marais looks for beauty inspiration, he goes to the movies. “It’s a huge source for me,” the 48-year-old makeup maestro says. “Fritz Lang movies, old black-and-white films with smoky eyes, then Cabaret [1972] eyes . . . I could even jump toBlade Runner [1982].” Marais has been transforming pretty girls into hot glamour icons since he got into the makeup game in the ’80s. (His work with Linda Evangelista is legendary. “We were all so young then,” he says, “and we had nothing to lose, so we just went for it. There was a freedom at that time—less pressure and more enthusiasm.”) The reason Marais likes film so much is that his aim with every face is to create a character. “Seductive women, intriguing women, disturbing women-it’s all about a character, and I don’t really know who she will be until I see her face. That’s why the model is such an important part for me.” For a man who works with his own makeup recipes, including everything from sequins to gold powder, the aesthetic is actually quite straightforward-fantastical in a very bold, clean execution. Here, we present four iconic female characters that Marais has created specifically for Interview: a gothic warrior, whose black forehead suggests dark romanticism; a gold Cocteau-esque punk; a ghostly hypnotic apparition with Fritz Lang black eyes and delicate porcelain skin; and the grand Berlin decadent-with crushed lipstick around the eyes and pursed lips-who’s living, partying, and drinking underground in a society gone mad. Sounds like the cast for a great post-apocalyptic fashion epic.
