Collina Strada Flaunts Flushed Skin, Serpentine Braids, and Clay-Slathered Crowns

Life, death, and rebirth: These themes guided Collina Strada’s spring 2023 show last night at the Brooklyn Greenway along the waterfront. Once a cemetery, the location is now home to a monarch butterfly preserve filled with milkweed bushes to attract the pollinators back to New York City to generate more greenery—and more life. To ground the airy gowns, crushed velvet cargoes, and diamante-encrusted denim released into the garden, Aztec clay-slathered crowns and dipped braids paired with dewy, flushed skin.

Serpentine plaits dominated the winding runway, and most noteworthy were the sets of extra-long pigtails caked in Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay tinted in shades of lavender and moss green. Hairstylist Evanie Frausto was inspired by nature’s remedies, particularly the sulfur-rich mud found in many of southern Europe’s famous volcanic baths. “Hillary went on a vacation to Italy and while she was there, went to this natural pool with mud that you could put on your skin, hair, and it was very hydrating and moisturizing,” explained Frausto. “Directly inspired by that, the vibe today was very spa-like, leisurely.” This translated to a laid-back hair vibe, but with not a strand out of place. Slicked back ponytails, sported by models Alva Claire and Jiayun Xie, were layered first with the Bumble and bumble Thickening Spray, followed by the brand’s Thickening DrySpun Finish. Then, to achieve the grungy, moisture-dense texture seen on Ella Emhoff, Frausto saturated the hair with Bumble and bumble Bb. Gel.

For makeup, Marcelo Guitierrez kept the skin slightly dewy and fresh. “The inspiration was just really luminous, young, healthy, and vibrant skin,” said Guitierrez. “Nothing too dry, nothing too done up.” Sporting glows achieved through a combination of MAC’s Pro Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and Conceal & Correct Palette, models swirled down the runway, looking as if they had emerged from a restorative clay bath just moments before. Flushes of color were supplied by MAC’s Glow Play blush in Rosy Does It, a deep beet purple—and washes of real beets. “Right before they went on stage, we applied the beets to brighten the cheeks and lips.”

Yet again, Collina Strada showcases the sheer beauty of nature’s circularity. Repurposing what’s already available—mud, vegetables, just some of nature’s many wonders—is more than enough to create a finished look that’s fresh and exciting.