Fellini's Casanova - Make Up Artist References
Why this 'flawed gem' of a cult film has a seminal appeal for fashion and beauty creatives.
Once you start interviewing fashion and beauty creatives about their work, notably photographers, designers and session hair and make up artists, you begin to realise that many of the top names will have an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of film and art, often mining quite obscure references for their oeuvre.
And so it was that there was speculation on the internet and social media that Pat McGrath had referenced Fellini’s cult film Casanova for her viral sensation maquillage for John Galliano’s Margiela Spring Summer 2024 Couture show. The official story, as told brilliantly by Hamish Bowles for Vogue.com, had it that Galliano had showed her the face of a vintage porcelain doll and that is what inspired the incredible make up. The models like retro futurist automatons with hovering thin arcs of brows floating high above the eye and a cumulus of Wedgewood blue eye shadow above the eyes and notably that glossy, glassy skin, like a laminated leitmotif. It was truly virtuouso and quite rightly elicited a standing ovation.
Alex Box on Instagram was one of those speculating that Casanova was on McGrath’s mood board for the show. And she herself had previously looked to the 18th century period spectacular that was Casanova, as a reference point for the make up for a shoot she did with Miles Aldridge.
I had watched many of the Fellini ‘greats’ including La Dolce Vita, 8 and a half and Nights of Cabiria but never Casanova. So in the interests of research I decided to view the film. What struck me about it more than anything else, on a purely aesthetic level, was the intense, heightened, saturated technicolour from the faux Nun’s jewel like carmine red cloak in early Venetian scenes of debauchery to the opera star’s electric, sapphire blue and gold garb towards the middle of the film. It was as though Fellini had shot voltage through some of the colours to give them a particular lightning streak of luxurious pigment or in some way chemically doctored the film in post production.
Notably the costume designer Danilo Donati won an Oscar for his costumes and Rino Carboni created the make up. Giametto De Rossi and Fabrizio Sforza worked together on Donald Sutherland’s make up.
Surely its a commentary on the empty and vacuous morality of Casanova that he ends up making love to and dancing with the mechanical doll Rosalba. (In fact Fellini’s antipathy towards the character of Casanova was well documented) But Rosalba with her glazed face and set, exaggerated features does bear some similarities with the Margiela visage, as do Donald Sutherland’s 18th century via 1976 features.
My friend - the double literary Jasmine award winning writer Tony Marcus remarked on the lavishness and opulence of the sets in this film, for which there was also a BAFTA for production design. The hair, conceived by Gabriella Borzelli, is also notable. Like Barry Lyndon the attention to period detail generally is breathtaking and imaginative. Lush cinematography and a fantastical narrative make for compelling viewing.
'a cumulus of Wedgwood blue eyeshadow...' Lovely ❤️