One thing we can count on Harlem Fashion Row to do is honor Black excellence, beauty, and grace. NYFW kicked off the SS25 season with the 17th annual fashion show and awards ceremony, founded by Brandice Daniel. The evening honored fashion’s biggest names: Naomi Campbell, Teyana Taylor, Samira Nasr, and Shiona Turini.
Not only that, it was a time to spotlight new collections from rising Black designers like Aaron Potts, Nicole Benefield, and LaTouché. To accompany the looks—which ranged from tailored suits to bold maxi skirts— were, of course, aspirational makeup and hair moments, too.
Ricky Wilson, celebrity makeup artist, tells ESSENCE that he loves that “people are bringing awareness to taking care of the ocean when it comes to fashion and sustainability.” Behind the scenes, before the show, the celebrity makeup artist brought vibrant colors—such as an aquatic teal liner— together as a way to highlight the models’ features and be a “bit more fun and creative when it comes to makeup.”
For Benefield’s collection, he put “a modern twist” on a classic ‘60s vibe. That said, he opted for a long dramatic lash and radiant skin. “The big lashes are all about the re-interpretation of classic ‘60s eye makeup,” says Wilson. “The reason that we didn’t do any eyeshadow with this is because it would have just been a classic 60s,” he explains. To modernize things, “we just put a little eyeliner on and just pop the eyelashes.”
For LaTouché, they reinterpreted the ‘90s supermodel look (think: Naomi Campbell) by embracing natural beauty and glowy skin. Wilson used Dior Forever Skin Glow Hydrating Foundation to create a natural glow.
No show is complete without signature hair. For this one, all came together thanks to celebrity hairstylist Mary Simone. Because the theme of the show was “down under the sea,” she says, “he wanted us to create textures and waves.” Simone expresses that she wanted to include an accessory that caught our attention.
With that in mind, “we decided to incorporate seashells. He felt like this gave a calming and relaxing feel.” She made the hair look impeccable with the help of Pattern Beauty Edge Control, Pattern Beauty Strong Hold Gel, Pattern Beauty Milk Spray and Pattern Beauty Curl Gel.
For Benefield, she went with a wet look by having straight lines versus the wave. And decided to touch on LaTouché’s theme with a classic ‘60’s puff ball ponytail. “We’re using the milk spray to soften up the hair and using the curl define to apply curls and add more texture in the hair.”
With beauty trends coming and going in the beauty industry, Simone predicts a trend for upcoming shows. “I’m finding that most of the designers want to see the natural texture in the model’s hair.” Afterall, natural beauty and hair will always be a winner.
