At Gucci, “Old Hollywood Flash” Highlighter Lit Up Complexions

Today in Milan, 68 sets of twins descended on the Gucci runway. There was every reason to assume that extreme makeup theatrics were at play—and they were, but not in the way you think. “It’s really important that you see that they’re identical, and we haven’t used makeup to make them identical,” says makeup artist Thomas De Kluyver, who also serves as the global makeup consultant for Gucci Beauty. “They are who they are. I think that’s such an important element of it.” But while individuality was key, there was still plenty of room for De Kluyver to subvert expectations.

To do so, De Kluyver began by riffing on the black and white model portraits that lined the runway. To mirror the “Old Hollywood flash-style” effect captured by photographer Mark Peckmezian, De Kluyver gave select faces a gleaming contour effect using Gucci Beauty’s new Flora Eyeshadow palette on the center of the face. “Rather than highlighting around the cheekbones as you naturally would, it’s almost like a reverse highlight,” he explains. “We’re calling it ‘flashlight makeup’—it’s a beautiful sort of halo.” Other looks included more avant-garde blush applications, which saw De Kluyver swirling soft pink Gucci Blush De Beauté into the hollows of the cheeks and across the lids up to the brow bones; a swish of highlighter adding a touch of celestial shine on the cheekbones. “There’s an otherworldliness to the makeup,” he says. 

“We wanted to explore unique ways of using classic makeup,” explains De Kluyver. “We are playing a lot with light and dark, using products in different ways than you normally would.” It’s not just about rethinking traditional makeup applications but also reconsidering the role makeup can play in your look, De Kluyver emphasizes. “It’s makeup that’s a fashion accessory,” he continues. “It’s worn to enhance the clothes. It’s more details and special effects, which is the real message of Gucci Beauty. It’s this idea of self-expression, identity, and using makeup to be expressive rather than every model having the same look.” That’s the Gucci way.