At Eckhaus Latta, Even Blue Faces and Fluorescent Lips Have a Lived-In Appeal

“Friendly, chill, lots of sunlight. Models with blue faces,” reads a text encouraging the trek to the industry-favorite designers’ spring 2022 runway return.

“Friendly, chill, lots of sunlight. Models with blue faces,” reads a text from someone on the inside encouraging the trek to Bushwick, Brooklyn, from Manhattan for Eckhaus Latta’s spring 2022 show. Perhaps the designers knew that if their audience really wanted to see the next collection, they’d brave the nausea-inducing hour emailing in traffic, or the subway, or the short walk from their actual home if they’re real artists and make it to the Friday block party–ish setup at 99 Scott Studio.

Inside a glassy warehouse, the typical backstage beauty scene is noticeably looser, roomier, more natural than this week’s stark spaces being used as functional holding tanks until models move to outdoor venues, or the crammed-together corral of editors stretching out their phones for a hairstylist quote two years ago. Here in the depths of Brooklyn, better known for warehouse parties than runways, the models, the personalities, even those blue faces can be described as the opposite of “try hard.”

Photo: Hunter Abrams

It feels as if everyone kind of knows one another—not just from a who’s who industry event, but from the last rooftop party they attended or the DMs they bravely sent to interesting strangers. (The latter approach was basically how Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta cast photographer Cruz Valdez, whose work can be found in Vogue’s September issue.)

Model and interior design talent Camilla Deterre laughs at an inside joke with Tamara McNaughton as the hairstylist sweeps Aveda styling cream through lengths for an aerodynamic look that’s essentially a “greasy hand through the hair.” Tata Harper is illuminated under panels of windows as she performs a facial on Eckhaus, whose waves she ties back with a bandana in her signature shade of green. For the models, “they wanted the skin matte because of the blue pigment—not super dewy,” says Harper, whose “very custom” approach might include an absorbent Purifying mask, or Water Lock Moisturizer for dryer types, and always her Hydrating Floral Essence.

This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Arden Fanning Andrews