Just Wing it: The Hype Behind Winged Eyeliner
Lining lash lines is a thing of the past, the present and at the going rate, probably a thing of the future as well.
A subtle flick of the wrist is all it takes to achieve the coveted winged eyeliner trend seen on runways and editorials across the world. Eyeliner is one of the earliest products in the makeup realm. From Cleopatra to Twiggy, kohl-lined eyes give wings.
However, eyeliner did not gain popularity in the United States until the 1920s. The roaring ‘20s were a revolutionary time where women broke away from the established Victorian era status-quo and began taking more fashion risks.
In 1922, archaeologists discovered King Tut’s grave and gained insight into the world of eyeliner. This discovery sparked an Egyptian revival in the fashion world, making all Egyptian things très chic. Ancient Egyptians used to wear eyeliner as a beauty statement, but most importantly, they wore eyeliner to protect themselves from the evil eye. Queen Cleopatra famously sported thick eyeliner around her eyes. Soon thereafter, eyeliner became a staple in women’s makeup bags.
During the 1920s, women would look for inspiration to flappers and actresses who wore heavy and smoky eye makeup, thus eyeliner looks of that era were dramatic to say the least. Flappers were liberated young women that took fashion risks such as rocking short bob hairstyles, wearing short skirts and applying heavy makeup.
Brands such as Maybelline, L’Oréal and Revlon debuted their kohl pencils during this time; they quickly became a hit. However, women back then would also DIY their own eyeliners using petroleum jelly and soot.
In regard to makeup looks, the 1930’s took a more subtle and feminine approach. Softer finishes were the norm, and women would wear eyeliner along the upper lid and end it in a subtle flick. Eyeliner was not as popular during the 1940s because women prioritized a bold lip due to the war effort.
The 1950s gave rise to the first wings where women lined their eyes in an almond shape. In Europe, French actress Brigiette Bardot was known for her iconic sultry-lined eyes and backcombed hair. Yet, winged eyeliner did not have its big break until the 1960s when liquid eyeliner came into the picture.
Feline eyes were all the rage in the 1960s. Dramatic and precise black wings were paired with bold lashes for an en vogue look. Women looked up to actresses and models for inspiration. Twiggy infamously wore thin winged eyeliner with an additional line along the crease of her lid; she also drew fake eyelashes on her bottom lash line for added drama.
From then on, winged eyeliner has never really gone out of style. Rather, it has evolved with the times.
British make-up artist Pat McGrath introduced multiple looks, using dayglow colored eyeliner, to the fashion world. Colorful liners also made a splash in NYFW 2018 on the runways of Jeremy Scott and Jason Wu.
Make-up artist, Kabuki, created eye-looks for Jeremy Scott featuring negative space wings in neon colors. Thomas de Kluyer, for Jason Wu, created a deconstructed glam look where models donned a thin wing on the lash line and additional colorful lines along the crease of the eye, a modern take on the traditional cat eye.
During Paris fashion Week 2020, elongated winged eyeliner was the go-to for models on the runway of Miu Miu.
The hottest winged eyeliner trend of the moment is winged eyeliner with negative space. Television shows such as HBO’s Euphoria have spotlighted creative eyeliner looks that feature bold colors and rhinestone gems; the rule of thumb is the bolder the better.
Winged eyeliner is a staple that is here to stay. Despite the changing times, winged eyeliner is timeless and will continue to leave its mark in the beauty industry. Whether it is a precise black wing or an edgy colorful one, winged eyeliner will continue to spread its wings.
The New Normal: Modeling Agency Pushes Through Adversity
Dallas-based boutique modeling agency implements new sanitization protocols as a response to the pandemic.
DALLAS- Wallflower Management overcomes the COVID-19 crisis with new guidelines in place.
Wallflower management, a boutique modeling agency, launched in 2009 with five models. Now, they have a board of 190 models and maintain a limited portfolio in order to provide each model with specialized attention.
Brenda Gomez, co-founder and director of Wallflower Management, was candid about several obstacles the agency had to overcome as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Gomez developed a sanitization plan that prioritized the health of models, customers and employees. She also reduced the number of people in the office and created a financial strategy to cope with setbacks caused by the pandemic.
Gomez says that when the pandemic hit Texas in March, she decided to continue operations remotely. However, the agency had several unpaid invoices as a result of the financial hardships that the pandemic brought along. Some of her clients declared bankruptcy and were unable to immediately pay the money they owed. Unable to collect the outstanding invoices, Gomez faced the challenge of maintaining the agency afloat, as well as the livelihood of the models signed.
Several models had worked on the accounts of bankrupt companies, and they were waiting to be paid. Gomez, who says her first priority is the models, worked diligently with a bankruptcy attorney and the bankrupt companies to figure out a strategy in order to resolve the problem.
The agency resumed operations remotely in May but opened its doors in July with new protocols in place. Gomez says there are no more than 10 weekly visitors allowed at the offices including staff and models. She also rotates her staff between in-person and remote work as an extra precaution.
“We are going to be as safe as possible we are going to go with the flow as far as our clients that need talent slowly but surely,” Gomez says.
Additional protocols in the office include the use of a disinfectant mat, masks and Gomez takes the temperature of all visitors prior to entering the establishment. Inside the office, social distance is maintained. Another major change is the cancellation of in-person open calls, which the agency usually holds weekly. Instead, the agency is turning to social media to scout new faces.
“We have found some new faces via social media and we are excited,” Gomez says
Despite the initial setbacks, Gomez says, “the numbers are back up. The goal was to survive this, and we are standing strong as far as sales go.”
Models signed by the agency have started to safely resume work out-of-state and internationally with some relocating back to Texas where work is more consistent.
Gomez says models, “are doing their part; they are not going but rather staying in. They want to be available for bookings, and they want to obviously not have had the risk of being exposed and then not get the booking or the test shoot.”
The agency signed international modeling talent Sarah Grace Wallerstedt who has her own Vogue “diary of a model” video and who has walked the runways of Missoni, Dior, Proenza Shouler and Chanel to name a few.
Wallerstadt is a young and fresh talent who perfectly encompasses the model aesthetic that Wallflower Management is known for.
“We have always been a pretty inclusive agency, which has led to our success. Our board is so diverse. A lot of our models are not the ones that are being told they are beautiful they are not the blond-haired blue-eyed girl that you find at other agencies,” Gomez says.
As a young creative, Gomez says the old establishment would not let her in so she had to circumvent it, and thus, Wallflower Management launched with a unique take on the modeling industry.
Gomez says that they embrace all kinds of beauty and will find a place in the market where her model’s aesthetic will be embraced.
“If you are beautiful and we believe in you we are going to sign you.”
Elaine Welteroth: A Journalistic Force
Author, journalist, editor and judge— Elaine Welteroth is a woman of many talents and a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry.
Elaine Welteroth’s first break into the magazine world came when she started out as an intern at Ebony magazine. Welteroth begged the assistant to the editor-in-chief, Harriette Cole to give her 15 minutes to speak with Cole. After much persistence and what could be considered by some as minor stalking, Cole reached out to Welteroth via phone and asked her to assist in an editorial shoot in California. However, this was no ordinary shoot, it was 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams’s cover shoot. Cole was impressed by Welteroth’s unique vision throughout the shoot and decided to give her a summer internship.
With her foot in the door at Ebony magazine, Welteroth was taken under Cole’s wing, whom Welteroth refers to as her fairy godmother, and was given opportunities to take big responsibilities early on in her career. However, as the summer came to an end, Welteroth found herself unemployed, but that did not stop her. In a bold stint, Welteroth continued to show up to work despite her internship being over. She continued to get paid and, in a stint, even bolder than the first, she decided to give herself a promotion by changing her email title from intern to production assistant. And in a fortunate turn of events, it worked and her coworkers began referring to her as production assistant. But there is more— a couple months later she asked for a raise and succeeded in doubling her salary for a job she did not have. Welteroth quickly rose through the ranks at Ebony and was the beauty editor from 2008 to 2011.
Welteroth was born on December 10, 1986 in Newark, California to working-class parents. Welteroth’s mother is African-American and her father is white; they raised Welteroth in a predominantly white neighborhood where she attended high school. As a lightskin, Welteroth acknowledges the privilege that comes as a direct result of the color of her skin. However, throughout her formative years, Welteroth struggled to find representation of people that resembled her or her mixed family in print media. Upon graduation, Welteroth gave up her dream of attending Stanford to follow her then boyfriend to California State University, Sacramento where she majored in mass communication/media studies with a minor in journalism. However, in an unfortunate turn of events Welteroth ended up visiting her boyfriend in jail on the weekends and hoping her peers would not find out. Her unique biracial identity and upbringing shaped her views and tenacious character.
After her time at Ebony, Welteroth briefly worked at Glamour magazine before joining Teen Vogue in 2012. A go-getter attitude in tow, Welteroth moved up the corporate ladder in a decade and became the first beauty editor of African-American descent causing the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic to go viral.
29. Elaine Welteroth was 29 years old when she made history for the second time and became the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue in 2017, appointed by fashion mogul, Anna Wintour herself.
“I worked hard to get a dream job, then found out that I had become a black woman making history,” Welteroth tells Afua Hirsh in the article, “Ex-Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth: ‘The headlines implied I was a token black hire’”published in The Guardian.
Welteroth is the second youngest Condé Nast editor in the company’s 107-year history. She is also the second African American woman to hold the prestigious title. But who exactly is Elaine Welteroth? She enjoys a “ridiculously sweet seasonal coffee for an occasional treat” and buys statement pieces from Barneys or Bergdorf Goodman and shops at Zara and Topshop for the rest as told by Emily Popp from E Online, but she is also a trailblazer in the fashion industry.
Welteroth revolutionized Teen Vogueduring her time as editor-in-chief. Not only did she increase traffic to TeenVogue.com from 2.7 million to 9.2 million visitors a year, but she increased the sales of yearly print subscriptions by 533%. However, Welteroth’s greatest contribution to the magazine and the industry is in being an activist and broadening the content covered in the issues.
Teen Vogue traditionally covered “frilly” content, but Welteroth expanded to covering racial issues and political issues such as the 2016 presidential election. She gave a voice to the voiceless and included pieces about cultural appropriation in the magazine. Welteroth also established the first Teen Vogue Summit in Los Angeles where participants engaged and immersed themselves in topics such as activism, innovation and creation.
When the magazine ceased the production of print issues, Welteroth decided to resign because her vision for Teen Vogue magazine no longer aligned with the current business plan. Instead, Welteroth turned to television.
Clad in a purple tailored suit and wearing fiery red pumps, Welteroth sits alongside Nina Garcia, Brandon Maxwell and Karlie Kloss in the first episode of season 17 of Bravo’s “Project Runway.” Welteroth joined “Project Runway” as a judge in 2019 and continues to judge up-and- coming fashion designers on the show.
Today, Welteroth can add best-selling author to her list of accolades: Welteroth’s book “More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)” hit bookstores in 2019 and earned her this year’s NAACP award for Outstanding Literary Work- Biography/Autobiography. The book is part manifesto, part memoir and tackles race and what it is like to be a Black woman in the fashion industry, which has traditionally been considered a predominantly white workplace.
Welteroth also gives career and relationship advice in the book, she says in her book, “that when we derive our worth from the relationships in our lives—the intimate ones, the social circles we belong to, the companies we work for—we give away our power and become dependent upon external validation.”
Welteroth is not done leaving her mark in the fashion industry and continues to make way for change in the industry, “when you exist in spaces that weren’t built for you, remember sometimes that just being you is the revolution.”
