Interview with Rhea Le Riche

Rhea Le Riche is a recent graduate of the London College of Fashion with a BA in Specialist Make Up Design. She is a highly talented make up artist and her designs really stand out from the crowd (see below); I for one am a huge fan of her work. Check out her blog at http://rhealeriche.blogspot.com/. Want to know what Rhea's inspirations are or what are her desert island products then look no further: 1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Being a recent design student I share a passion for all things creative, specifically contemporary Avant-garde fashion make up, and most notably the work of Stephane Marais and Charlotte Tilbury. Fashion and illustration continue to have a powerful influence on my creative thinking, with Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano taking centre stage. I also take strong direction from classic film and photography, alongside more modern cinematic artists such as Chris Cunningham and Floria Sigismondi. I think a love of horror films got me started on make up years ago, the old Dracula and Frankenstein films are winners. Predictably I'm a massive fan of Tim Burton’s work and his wonderfully gothic team. Being quite hands on, I've always loved making things, I used to get balsa wood for Christmas when I was younger, it was brilliant, I also had a chest of draws for my underwear, which was stuffed full with materials, card and boxes, bottles and pots. 2. What made you decide to study Specialist Make-Up Design? After I'd completed a two year course in media make up I was quite well prepared to take it further, it was defiantly what I wanted to do but I needed more direction, so I chose fashion and editorial at LCF. At the time it was the only course like it so I had to apply. For my interview I took every single sketchbook, project and object, all different sizes, my dad had to literally carry me into the room. 3. What are you working on at the moment? I'm currently doing as many events, shows, shoots and projects as I can, anything that looks tasty. Not so I'm a jack-of-all-trades but to stay broad and not miss any potential opportunities. I've recently worked on a event, with a brilliant team for The Tasting Sessions, which was a live interactive performance evening showcasing the history of gin. Bit of old London with a splash of Sweeny Todd - right up my alley. And I'm off to the Gambia in December for a weeks shooting with Top Model of Colour, so that’s super exciting. 4. What are your biggest style inspirations? For make up - Stephane Marais's work and Pat Mcgrath for Dior, I like to look towards different cultures and also theatrical performers/artists, I love the circus! For dress - I love dressing up and being transformed into someone else for a few hours. I'm a big fan of feathers, sequins and headdresses and an even bigger fan of organic cotton. I enjoy playing with scale and proportions, love old leather and oversized heavy knits. I do actually really appreciate strong tailoring and smart wide leg trousers, McQueen all the way! 5. What make-up trends do you predict will be big in the fashion world? Nails are definitely taking a stand, they are becoming as important as lip colour. Also more make up brands are introducing pro products into their collections, so I think experimenting and creating looks at home is really going to be a big thing. Maximum impact for minimal expense, get crafty and resourceful. 6. What's your signature style? In make up, I tend to create owlly shaped eyes and pay a lot of attention to the base, I think the skin is really important, it can let the whole make up down. Also, I always like to give a clean and shaped brow - people often underestimate the importance of this, a good brow can dramatically change the whole face. Colour and texture obviously play a massive part in my work, I can't resist a greasy, inky lid or a super sparkly disco ball eye. In dress, I like to wear loose fitting clothes with layers and large collars. I feel more confident in darker colours but I do wear a lot of colour, I'm in love with yellow. I really like Mango, especially when I'm abroad, Zara and All Saints along with a lot of vintage boutiques and charity shops! I’m normally always in heels too. 7. Who's wardrobe who you love to raid? I'd love to raid a theatre prop room! But I guess anyone with great costumes like Bjork, I also love the 1920's so Clara Bow's Wardrobe, add some 1950's pin ups and a splash of Marlon Brando. 8. You're on a desert island and can only take three products, what would they be and why? That’s super hard...... erm..... can I have three make up products, three skincare products and three body products? Right only three - Stila convertible colour in Petunia, I wear it every single day, I love it! It keeps my face looking fresh and my cheeks dewy. EVE LOM Kiss Mix, it's a really moisturising lip treatment that contains a natural sunscreen and has a gorgeous milky glossy finish. NARS Monoi de Tahiti Body Glow, it's beautiful, it's a smoothing oil with a rich chocolate shimmer to it and it smells wonderful. I'd slip in a fourth in my headscarf, maybe a Black Satin by Chanel.... x