Makeup team to shine at awards

TOUCH-UPS: Makeup artistry lecturer for the beauty programmes at UCOL Wairarapa, Riki Anderson, is leading the hair and makeup team at the Earthcare Environmental Oversew Fashion Awards in Carterton this weekend. PHOTO/MASANORI UDAGAWA

A squad of 10 Wairarapa UCOL students are about to test their industry mettle at the 2016 Oversew Fashion Awards in Carterton tonight and tomorrow.

Eight diploma in beauty therapy students and two hairdressing graduates comprise the hair and makeup team at the Earthcare Environmental Oversew Fashion Awards in Carterton that runs from 7.30 tonight at the Carterton Events Centre, and a matinee event tomorrow from 1pm at the same venue.

The fashion show promotes "upcycled" garments and recognises talented, aspiring designers who redesign, revamp and recreate dated clothing with outfits that must be produced from a minimum of 80 per cent pre-worn clothing.

The awards aim to encourage and inspire people "to have a go and create their own unique fashion - invoke your inner creative genius to create a piece to share on our fashion stage", according to the Oversew Facebook page.

"This is all about sustainability and showing the world the art of upcycling. So go on, use your imagination, some scissors, embellishments, vintage pieces and hidden pre-loved treasures to show the world clothing in a new and different way."

Makeup artistry lecturer for the UCOL Wairarapa beauty programmes, Riki Anderson, is leading the hair and makeup team at the event, at which his partner Paul Bird has previously been named overall winner.

The team will work with 15 models and the experience will be of great value to the students, who are also completing a makeup course titled "Fashion, Theatre & Media Makeup".

"As part of the diploma in beauty therapy, students undertake an advanced fashion course, so I couldn't have dreamed of a better opportunity for them. They're able to get real-life, industry experience, and practise working together as a team.

"Last year we got called in to help out and this year we are it, and we're really privileged to get the opportunity to work on a national event that has an international following."

Mr Anderson's industry career has largely focused on event makeup, having worked on beauty pageants including the Auckland-based Miss World, Miss Universe and Miss India competitions, a number of Air New Zealand Fashion Weeks, and a Dior catwalk show.

"It's good for the students to see me in action, doing what I do," he said.

The team had already formulated designs for models' hair and makeup around a Fire and Ice theme that will rule the show.

"As the theme for the show is Fire and Ice, we have planned utilitarian style hair and makeup.

The models will appear in different categories so we have designed the makeup so it's clean and the show remains all about the clothes," Mr Anderson said.

"A big thing this year is the theme is very dramatic and the hair and makeup needs to be very simple to suit the show. It's not about star turns for us, that belongs to the designers.

"We're simply part of their team," he said.

"The makeup has to look good for stage and also translate well to photography, because as each model comes off the catwalk they will be professionally photographed - so it's actually quite technical."

Mr Anderson congratulated MC Robyn Cherry-Campbell on her work to help grow the annual Oversew event in Wairarapa.

He said the region was privileged to be hosting such an elite national fashion show, which was tailormade for the UCOL diploma in beauty therapy that focuses on industry experience and features regular client days in a clinic environment.

- Go online to ucol.ac.nz/programmes/beauty-hairdressing/diploma-in-beauty-therapy for further programme details.