Drama was evoked in the venue: Mamo, an Italian restaurant with bright and vivid Italian movie posters hung on the walls and low lights that cast a soft glow around the room. It came through in the energy of the room where designer Elisa Johnson had gathered friends and press to celebrate her latest eyewear launch, the Reighne in Gloss Red. And it was evident in Johnson’s look for the evening: a dress with a hyper-feminine silhouette in the shade of ruby red, sultry lids adorned with eye-opening fringe, and the designer’s signature ultra blunt bob. The final scene had been set: strappy heels, dozens of white taper candles, crimson red interiors, and pasta dishes to share. This was the old Hollywood dreamscape that Johnson had in mind for her pre-NYFW dinner.
Bre Johnson / BFA
Bre Johnson / BFA
“I like the old Hollywood look, and I felt like it worked with the setting of the restaurant,” Johnson explains over the phone the morning after the dinner. “I knew I wanted to be as glam as possible, and what’s more glam than a long red dress with a small train?” The dress, custom designed by Ghanaian fashion designer Kwame Adusei, features a high-necked, long-sleeved red turtleneck in the front and a violin-shaped outline in the back, channeling the glamour and allure of old Hollywood. Also spotted: a subtle statement in the form of a gold chain nestled beneath the dress and around Johnson’s hips.
When it came to creating the look for the evening, the dress was the focal point for Johnson. “The outfit comes first, before beauty,” she says. The final look came together at the Pendry Hotel in Manhattan with Megan Thee Stallion reverberating throughout Johnson’s hotel room. (“I just put her whole album on, but I love [the song] ‘Body’ just to get my hips moving a little bit.”) Makeup artist Camille Thompson helped bring Johnson’s vision to life. For the eyes, Thompson kept things simple yet striking by dusting Johnson’s lids with a shade of mauve before blending everything out into a smokey eye. The sultry eye look was paired with a more minimal lip color. The lip combo consisted of two products Johnson can’t leave the house without: MAC Chestnut Lip Liner and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb.
Carter Howe
Carter Howe
Carter Howe
Before heading off to the dinner, Thompson lathered Johnson’s back and legs in Sol de Janeiro Glowmotions Glow Body Oil to provide the skin with a luminous finish and supple hydration. The finishing touch was Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Eau de Parfum, a soft scent infused with amber and vanilla. It’s a fragrance that exudes elegance and sophistication, making it the perfect invisible accessory for Johnson.