I decided to dedicate this installment of Couture Monday to Shu Uemura's newest in false eyelashes. Each year the company adds a host of new pairs to their Tokyo Lash Bar collection. These lashes are not for the faint of heart. Featuring bright colors, rhinestones, and unusual materials, these are meant for those who want to make an impression. Some examples:
(photos from shuuemura-usa.com)
As if these weren't elaborate enough, this year Shu significantly upped the ante by collaborating with high-end fashion duo Viktor & Rolf to create "couture" false eyelashes. "Blink couture this fall with Viktor & Rolf's luxurious handmade false eyelashes designed for Shu Uemura," the promotional e-mail reads. At $95 per pair, these definitely have a couture price tag (although still not as expensive as Madonna's $10,000 mink lashes, but that's another story.)
From left to right: Wing Couture, Swirl Couture, and Rhombus Couture:
And the promo ad:
These were inspired by Viktor & Rolf's spring/summer 2008 line, which in turn was inspired by Marcel Marceau, a pioneer of pantomime1 – hence the white mask the lashes are adhered to as well as on the model. The diamond pattern on the rhombus pair is reminiscent of a harlequin's costume and this pattern also adorns the model. What I love about this collection and the promo ad is that they really do go along with the designers' vision for their spring collection – a conflation of traditional clowns and mimes. Fashion reviewers pointed out the "Pierrot" collar and one of the looks is a quite literal interpretation of Pierrot, a stock "sad clown" character from French and Italian theatre. Compare it to Antoine Watteau's 1718 painting of Pierrot:
(photos from style.com and louvre.fr)
In keeping with the harlequin theme several of the pieces featured diamond patterns as well:
I think this is a terrifically well-executed collaboration between Shu and Vikor & Rolf – couture, art and makeup all come together in such a cohesive, meaningful way. And the lashes are really spectacularly designed around the concept of the silent mime…when wearing these lashes, you can let your eyes do all the talking!
1 Ally Pyle, "Pantomime Flair", https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/news/080506-shu-uemuraviktor-rolf.aspx