Backstage at Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons and Creative Nail Design

In less than a decade, Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons has positioned itself in the world of fashion as the premiere female hip-hop brand. The dramatic and glamorous model/designer/mom/reality star/entrepreneur has a flair for the "fabulous" and The Roseland Ballroom is just that: dark, dramatic and huge, The cavernous space was lit up with a Broadway style Marquee and it's right off Broadway--what could be a more perfect place for Kimora Lee Simmons to have staged her Baby Phat Fall 2008 runway show?

But before the show can go on, however, there are literally hours of work to be done not just on the runway area, but to make the models ready for their close-ups. This season, I went backstage to check out hair, makeup and most of all the fabulous nail looks by Creative Nail Design (CND) that befit a "Kimora" show. Although the Roseland Ballroom is incredibly spacious, the backstage area was crammed into a shotgun shack-sized area that literally couldn't stand more than four people across the widest part. Add in tons of lights, makeup mirrors, and chairs, and it's one tight space, challenging for both models and makeup artists, alike.

I was backstage primarily to check out the nail story for the Baby Phat show. I knew that someone like Kimora Lee Simmons would expect something fabulous, and she got it! As hairstylists and makeup artists scrambled, the experienced CND manicure pros calmy applied the nail look for Baby Phat: shiny black faux nails studded with faceted black crystals. These not only sparkled under the light, but they had a special glue that allows the models to remove them easily by simply lifting them off before their next show, without destroying their nails. Check out the rows of these nails ready to find their way onto a model's hands. Creative Nail Design didn't design the actual nail base, but they did create the design, which you can see in the close up. CND has other colors and designs....the Advice Sisters hope we can review some in future What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review columns. The Creative Nail design pros are used to working in busy and crowded backstages. Representatives from CND told me that they are doing nails for a whopping 68 shows this Fall, 2008 season!


Here is a close-up of the nails on a model's hand. You can just about make out the crystals...the texture and the shimmer from the faceted stones looked amazing on the runway (so I was told...I wasn't there for the actual show this season). TIP FOR DO IT YOURSELF-ERS: Another products that is already available from CND that we haven't reviewed yet..but will, is "HoT Set." You coat it on and put your hands up to the heat of a lightbulb for a few minutes, and it "bakes" the color on....that means less touch-ups, for you.


While I was backstage, I also checked out the Fall 2008 Nail Colors Creative Nail Design is previewing. Unlike this Fall and Winter, where blackened colors made everyone look fashionably goth, these colors are lighter and wearable, but very glamorous. The metallic sheen is dressy, but with more a sheen than a sparkle -- definitely acceptable for daytime. I particularly liked the one on the far left, an opalescent sheer white that really captures the light like a fire opal. The black polish on the right has silver sparkle in the bottle, but simply looked textured on the nails.

Christopher Ardoff was the lead makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics. As you can see from the finished model on the left and the model on the right, the look was all about the eyes. Christopher used shadow and pencil and blended it literally for 10-15 minutes, adding more pencil and blending it into the crease and down onto the lid. Then, he took a silver grey glitter, ringed the entire eye with it, and then dusted a generous coat of glitter all over the lid. The result under the makeup lights was blinding and gorgeous! The rest of the face, however, was completely matte, warmed up with just a hint of rosed cream blush and then a dusting of powder to set it. Ardoff channeled Clara Bow of the 1920's with either burgundy/brown or orange-y red lips, depending upon the model's skin tone. He also blocked out the brows with foundation and a nude pencil, then blending with a brush and then a foam wedge. This muted the brows in a dramatic way, but didn't obliterate them. The look was created to be VERY glittery on the eyes, but completely matte everywhere else, giving the glittery eyes a chance to shine, literally! TIP TO DO IT YOURSELF-ERS: If you want to try this look at home, finish your eyes first and then clean off any glitter that has fallen on the rest of your face before applying foundation.

Hairstylist Danilo created Marcel-type waves and pincurls on both long and short hair. He did manage to tell me that all the products used by the stylists for this show were by Pantene. From what I could see, hot irons created the waves, and on the pincurls, a lot of hairspray kept them in check and in place. By the time the first model was finished it was too crowded for me to get close enough for a good shot. Better luck next time! But with the rouged lips and dark, glittery eyes, next Fall's urban nightclub will be a mix of 1920's iconcs, including "Betty Boop, Clara Bow, and Daisy Buchanan!

And the clothes? Kimora closed her runway show with daughters Ming Lee, 8, and Aoki Lee in tow. She was wearing a shimmery brown cocktail dress rimmed with feathers, like a modern flapper girl, her hair in bouncy, 1920's style waves. Her charming little girls were dressed in muted plum and grey leggings and oversized blouson tops sporting colorful collars --one yellow, one purple. The collection features flapper dresses festooned with pearls, lots of minis, and tons of rhinestones and crystals,and totally-blinged-out jeans. For girls who think micro-minis are too last year, how about shorts with shiny tights or fishnets? And the show's cigarette holders, long gowns, oversized bags, and glamorous vibe are always appropriate for "Great Gatsby" girls.

Daring ladies of the 1920's would wear fashions for "Scandale" value alone, why not stretch fashion just a bit more in 2008?

copyright © 2008 THE ADVICE SISTERS®