Blue was the unofficial color of the evening at Dior Men's spring 2023 show. Guest-edited by ERL by Eli Russell Linnetz, a label known for vibrancy and textural silhouettes, cobalt blue quite literally set the stage for It newlyweds Nicola and Brooklyn Peltz Beckham.
Stepping out for her first public event on the West Coast since her nuptials last month, Peltz Beckham tells BAZAAR.com, "We have been married just over a month, and this is our second event together as husband and wife. I'm pretty consistently dragging [Brooklyn] to women's shows, so I'm excited to be going to a men's show with him for a change."
The open-air show took place on Windward Avenue in Venice Beach. Complete with neon lighting adorning the monochromatic runway and stands, the setting melded styles of fashion multi-hyphenate Linnetz with the quintessential French fashion house. "When we heard [creative director of Dior Homme Kim Jones] was showing in Venice, we were really excited to see how he blended the classic Dior look with the casual, laid-back vibe that permeates Venice," she continues. "I have been a big fan of Eli's photography, and knowing he was collaborating made me even more excited to see the collection."
The show had a sentimental element to it for the newlyweds, as Peltz Beckham reveals the significance Jones played in the weekend of their wedding. "Kim is a good friend and designed custom suits for us the night before our wedding. We love to find ways to match with our fashion, so having similar suits that night was really fun for us," she shares. "We just went through all the photos from the weekend, and the suits really stood out. They're some of my favorite images from the weekend … so it's really special for [us] to go to this show."
Day-of beauty prep for Peltz Beckham tends to be an hours-long affair, and the Dior show was no exception. "Getting ready and going to an event with Brooklyn is so much fun," she tells us. "I've said this so many times, but he takes minutes to get ready, and I'm always in hair and makeup for a couple hours. He's the one entertaining all of us, or if we are home, he will throw together snacks," she says.
This kept the mood light while Peltz Beckham's makeup for the event was completed by Dior Beauty ambassador Sam Visser, a young star with a meteoric rise as a celebrity makeup artist (and whose professional mentor is none other than Pati Dubroff). "I have always admired Sam Visser's work, but we hadn't had the chance to collaborate before. I chose the silver blue suit and was looking forward to hearing Sam's ideas of what we could do to complement the look," she says. "When he did my eyes, I had an idea of what he was doing, and he mentioned he was adding blue, but when I looked in the mirror, I was surprised by how intricate and distinct it was without being overpowering."
Visser's color selection may sound intuitive considering the oceanic setting, Peltz Beckham's blue suit, and the coordinating runway. But it could also be an indication of an industry-wide trend to come. (Funnily enough, the very context for the blue-on-blue-on-blue look almost didn't come to fruition; Peter Philips, creative and image director of Dior Makeup, revealed backstage that the runway was originally going to be green.)
To create the look, Visser reached for several of Dior Makeup's new arrivals. The buzziest of the bunch included the TikTok-viral Backstage Concealer, with its brush applicator and an illuminating element that Philips points out is ideal for the under-eye. But as mentioned, this night was having a decidedly blue moment. "My inspiration for Nicola's makeup look was the blue in her suit and wanting to draw attention to her eyes and defining those," Visser says. So he reached for a different newcomer: the Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Palette in Blue Velvet, with satin, shimmer, and matte finishes. "We used some really dark blues and some really iridescent blues to accentuate her eyes."
Before applying the shadow, he used the brand's Diorshow 24H* Stylo to define the eyes, opting for a wing-shape to elongate her "already very almond-shaped eyes." Next came the newly formulated cult-classic Diorshow Mascara in 090 Black. "I applied a couple coats to create a thick lash that pointed more outward for that elongated look," he says. For the lips, Visser opted for a nude shine courtesy of the new Dior Addict Lipstick in 100 Nude Look, which he notes is "super-high shine and very moisturizing," and comfortable on the lip.
"My best tip in regards to this look is layering," he says, should you choose to re-create the look yourself. "Take your time and layer. I started with the black eyeliner first, then used the dark-colored shadows, and finished with the iridescent colors on top to create a flawless and beautiful defined eye shadow look." Pointing out that it was created almost entirely with new launches, Visser shares that the eye shadow, eyeliner, and lipsticks have already become staples in his kit, praising their long-wearing formulas and rich colors inspired by the couture collection. Of course, all it takes is a glimpse at Peltz Beckham's look to understand why.
Dior Backstage Flash Perfector Concealer
Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Eyeshadow Palette
Dior 24H* Stylo Waterproof eyeliner
Dior Diorshow 24h buildable volume mascara
