The Beautiful Game
By Kate Pierson
After meeting every red light in Christchurch, forgetting the memory manufacturer — the trusty digital SLR — desperately trying (and failing) to disguise a ‘check in’ quantity worth of luggage as ‘carry on’ with a strategically placed jacket, and a suspiciously long trip to Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour courtesy of a driver with a very expensive sense of direction, I arrived at New Zealand Fashion Weekend (NZFW) 2010 already out of breath.
That Saturday, September 25, the atmosphere was devoid of air kisses and the cooee of ‘daaahling’. The blink and you’ll miss them model types were virtually non-existent and the Anna Wintours, if they were there, were effortlessly discreet. Perhaps these stereotypes had gone home for the week, but it’s probably more likely they were only ever figments of my own imagination, entertained by too much consumption of the entertainment news channel.
There were a hybrid of fashions; the style safe, fashionably edgy and borderline outrageous. Some outfits, on paper, wouldn’t have made any sense, yet for all their rule breaking and eclecticism, did in the flesh. It was visually delicious. There were the, ‘I’ve spent three hours getting ready and I want you to know it’ (preppy) types and the ‘I’ve spent three hours getting ready to achieve the I’ve just got out of bed look’ (grunge) types.
Long legs were made even longer with block colouring and trickery of the eye and impossibly short, short-shorts were made even shorter with legs teetering precariously on stacked platforms that defied gravity. Skin was a major accessory and there was leather scattered from head to toe; sparkles on the wrists, ears, necks and fingers; androgynous, masculine and feminine clothing silhouettes aplenty — and that was just the public fashion.
The fresh faces navigating the runway sold sex, sassiness and sexuality. There were some who fulfilled and others who refreshingly contradicted the models status of tall and slender and from the boudoir to the beach, the fashion was emotional. It was New York meets Paris meets New Zealand, with some South of the Border soul in the mix and I liked it — really liked it. Certainly, on my part, a lot of mental fashion filing went on and, admittedly, intentions to plagiarise those looks in future manifested in my subconscious — I’m only human.
Aside from the fashion on and off the catwalk, I’d come to NZFW with a purpose and her name is Phoenix Renata, founder of Phoenix House of Makeup.
The pink fantasy
Since 3500BC, during ancient Egyptian times, when the first archaeological evidence of cosmetics was recorded, makeup has been a sacred ritual. It survived the condemnation of the aristocracy who deemed its presence on a woman’s face improper and the criticism of following generations dominated by uptight traditionalists.
Today makeup is a worldwide commodity. Colour palates channelling the hues of every season are spectacularly diverse, from fierce shades to the most subdued pastels. The method and style of its application a personal preference, makeup allows the wearer to be a chameleon and re-dress their visual identity time and time again.
With makeup, emotion has an outlet. For some, it is a practicality; for others it’s a passion; for Phoenix Renata, it’s her profession. But just who is Phoenix — the creative energy behind Phoenix House of Makeup? “That’s an interesting question,” she says to me with a contemplative giggle, as we discuss her Saturday debut at fashion week.
“I’m a very private person in my personal life, but in my work life I’m completely different. If I was going to sum myself up in one word it would be loyal. I really respect loyalty in people and I work really hard to recruit staff with that quality. My star sign is Scorpio and I think everything about that sign really sums me up.”
For those, like me, who are slightly rusty on their knowledge of star signs other than their own, the Scorpio is highly curious, has a keen sense of intuition and a strong sense of direction — yep, that’s Phoenix through and through.
“Many people think that I’ve got wealthy parents who set up my business for me — they can’t believe I did it myself.
“I went to makeup school when I was 15 and then started a range of lipglosses, which I sold throughout New Zealand and at the local Aoetea Square Markets. I needed a small amount of capital before I could approach the banks. Over time, I developed and manufactured my range and in 2005, I opened my first store.”
Today Phoenix has two flagship boutiques in Auckland (Kingsland and Takapuna) which are dressed in 1930s inspired décor and her cosmetics are also stocked in two stores in Hamilton and Blenheim. Her product range, including matte and stick foundation, camouflage concealer, invisible powder, lip gloss, eye shimmer, waterproof mascara and pixie shimmer powder, is hypoallergenic and not tested on animals.
“I’m so passionate about what I do and I’m so happy that I found my calling in life — I knew from the time I was 15 makeup is what I wanted to do,” she says.
The affinity with bright colours, however, started much earlier on in life for Phoenix when she would collect colour swatches from the paint store as a little girl. Her curiosity with creative experimentation carried right through into high school.
“There is a wide misconception that makeup is about vanity, but to me, it’s about artistry. Some people don’t understand that makeup is about art and creative expression. At school, in art class, I didn’t fit into the norm and I couldn’t draw well but I loved mixing the colours.
“Makeup is also about self confidence — it’s not that people need makeup to look good, but it’s about feeling good within yourself. Once you’ve done someone’s makeup and you see them look into the mirror and you can tell their confidence lifts, it’s just the best feeling.”
And while Phoenix House of Makeup definitely has the sugar, spice and all things nice essence to it, Phoenix is also an astute professional and doesn’t compromise on product quality. Because, while the attention to detail for the packaging is commercially important and a distingushing factor for the brand, Phoenix says, “Our products also have to be something that benefits the client — something functional and practical that makes them go ‘I really want that!’ The objective is to make the client happy.”
Phoenix and fashion week
Have you ever heard of a Phoenix Pink Lady? The best way to describe her is a chic artiste dressed in bubble gum pink with magic in her hands. Phoenix Pink Ladies are part of a pink fantasy — or, more aptly, the Phoenix fantasy.
In the final hour before Phoenix’s debut at NZFW, she and the Pink Ladies, were busy blending fantasy into reality. Front of house, the symbiotic nature of the crowd earlier that day had been well and truly swallowed up by feverish anticipation. It was as if style senses had gone into overdrive and they could feel something special was about to happen, and it was. As they say, good things come to those that wait and Phoenix didn’t disappoint.
“I wanted to do something for our fifth birthday and there had never been a makeup show at New Zealand Fashion Week before,” she says. “Makeup has always been sidelined at Fashion Week and I wanted to showcase what we can do. The vision for the show came together quickly and we shot the look-book a couple of months before the show.
“I wanted to tie in all the things that inspire me to produce the five shades of summer. I know it’s so important to be yourself and not what people want you to be. The only way to succeed is to do your own thing.” And do her own thing she did — which in itself is an understatement.
It was as if an exotic, oriental city, cabaret show, vintage ladies parlour and full-bloom flower garden collided and got lost in each other. Intricate body art with swarovski crystals decorated luminous skin, feathered wings matched feathered eyelashes and exotic, draping fabrics and metallics juxtaposed pretty in pink sweetheart dresses and too cute pin-up ensembles.
Phoenix Cosmetic’s debut at NZFW was, quite simply, candy for the eyes. A combination of sweet, sexy and sultry. And while I can’t speak for anyone else, the resounding audience applause mid-collection indicated that, like me, the audience had to abandon their ‘audience etiquette’ and couldn’t reserve their approval until the end — they were love drunk for Phoenix and her summer collection.
A line up of attractive unknowns was punctuated by some familiar faces from New Zealand’s long running television drama Shortland Street, including Sally Martin (aka nurse Nicole Miller), Faye Smythe (Nurse Tania Jefferies) and Kimberly Crossman (Sophie McKay). Full of praise for the models’ beauty, grace and professionalism, Phoenix says the process evolved from some creative and weird ideas. “I want to put the Phoenix mark on it.”
With her artistic eye already on a show for next year, Phoenix will continue to incite style frenzies with her beauty services including makeovers, eyelash extensions and eyebrow magic and grow her beauty school with full-time and part-time makeup courses for students wanting to earn a Phoenix Makeup Diploma.
