It’s hard to keep up with the amount of colabs from MAC these days, they are coming so thick and fast, but I particularly enjoy the fashion designer collaborations the cosmetic house is involved in as it combines my two loves of fashion and beauty and after all, isn’t makeup an extension of fashion for your face? Or is fashion, beauty for your body? In any case, there’s no denying this range with its colourful silk screen prints inspired by the ancient Chinese art form Kunqu wrapped around their most colourful packaging EVER is a match made in heaven.
Or, more specifically, Shanghai. Chris Chang, the Parsons-trained, Shanghai-resident designer who stocks at Opening Ceremony, is one of China’s most flamboyant designers and brings a veritable rainbow of colours to her MAC colour collection.
It’s no coincidence this is the second collection from China (after Bao Bao Wan; read about that MAC colab here on Threadnz) as the nation is a mind-bogglingly big market for cosmetics, and we are all watching for the much talked about changes in its makeup testing regulations (see MAC’s updated policy and how it is working to change regulations in China on their website, here.)
Kunqu, the Chinese performance art that inspired Chang’s look, combines singing, poetry, acrobatics, and dance with elaborate costuming in vibrant colours and avant-garde makeup. Colours in the MAC Chris Chang range have colours she says that many Chinese women may have shied away from traditionally – such as pale green and orange- as they look sallow on their skin, but Chang says it is 2016 and to throw the rules out and embrace the colours. She made sure there was a bit of blue in the lipsticks to make the teeth appear whiter, which is a clever touch we all appreciate.
Chang says she doesn’t design for men to find women sexy, but she designs for women to enjoy wearing fashion and makeup. I love this woman.
Pictured here is ‘DDD devilish’ is a matte hot pink lipstick. On counter in New Zealand from 6th June 2016.
New Zealand retail prices: Lipsticks $44, Fluidline $42, Eye Shadow $42, Cream Colour Base $48, Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder/Pressed white/ Transparent $60.
Megan Robinson
28th May 2016
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