Collina Strada’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, titled “Shade,” was a visceral exploration of duality, human fragility, and the “shadow self.” Staged on a Manhattan helipad at golden hour, the show featured models walking in pairs—one in a pastel-toned look, followed by a mirrored “shadow” dressed entirely in black. This conceptual tension was mirrored in the show’s beauty direction, where makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench and hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz collaborated to create a look that felt simultaneously primitive, animalistic, and highly polished. By merging street-style grit with ancient, otherworldly artistry, the beauty aesthetic underscored the collection’s central message: that we all carry a hidden double, and that there is power in embracing the darkness that makes us whole.
The “Animalistic” Eye: Makeup by Isamaya Ffrench
Makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench, in collaboration with Lashify, crafted a look that felt like a wild, feline-inspired evolution. The focus was resolutely on the eyes, featuring an “enlarged feline gaze” created through upward-swept lines, widened nose bridges, and an extension of pigment toward the center of the face. This was not a disguised look, but rather one that sought to suggest an animalistic gesture—a “wild sensibility” that felt both organic and predatory.
The standout element was the use of vibrant, pastel-colored lash wings (in shades of pink, lilac, and aquamarine green), which provided a stark, plumage-like contrast to the intensity of the eye makeup. These were complemented by iridescent eyeshadows that caught the natural light of the setting sun, creating a shifting, opalescent effect across the eyelids. To ground the look, Ffrench opted for fresh, luminous skin with a near-invisible foundation finish, allowing the intricate eye artistry to remain the centerpiece of the runway.
Sculptural Maneuvers: Hair by Mustafa Yanaz
Hairstylist Mustafa Yanaz pushed the boundaries of traditional editorial hair, working with Bumble and bumble to create what could only be described as “hair sculptures.” The collection’s hair narrative was built around two distinct types of “hair hats”: crocheted beanies and classic baseball caps, both of which were completely integrated into the styling.
- The Crocheted Beanies: To achieve a playful, static-charged look, Yanaz prepped the hair with texture sprays, creating an airy, flyaway energy reminiscent of static after a playground slide.
- The Baseball Caps: These required a more architectural approach. Yanaz used blow-dry prep sprays and flexible-hold hairsprays to shape the brims and create sharp, lasting definition, turning the hats themselves into structures built of hair.
Underneath these headpieces, the hair was styled in keeping with the brand’s signature “grungy, undone, and effortlessly punk” aesthetic. By layering styling oils, Yanaz created a gritty, lived-in texture that provided weight and rebel-like volume, ensuring the looks felt raw, crafted, and deeply authentic to the “street-tribe” atmosphere of the show.
A Visual Discourse of Duality
The synergy between the garments, the makeup, and the hair turned the “Shade” runway into a cohesive, performative narrative. By playing with contrasts—between pastel and black, polished skin and wild eyes, and structured hair-hats and undone texture—the beauty team captured the essence of the collection’s Jungian shadow play. The resulting look was not merely an aesthetic choice; it was an extension of the brand’s philosophy. It reinforced the idea that beauty, much like fashion, is a tool for looking closer, for acknowledging our contradictions, and for “bedazzling” the parts of ourselves we often try to hide. As the models navigated the helipad, the combination of animalistic pigment and sculptural hair served as a powerful reminder that fashion remains a potent medium for confronting crisis, navigating change, and reimagining what it means to be human in a complex, shifting world.
