For anyone who has ever dreamed of working backstage at London Fashion Week, the Academy of Freelance Makeup exists to help those dreams come true. “We are a training ground,” director Jana Ririnui explains. “We’re an association of over 30 hair and makeup artists working within the industry every day as well as teaching. We’re the only makeup school with actual working makeup artists.”
As a proud sponsor of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, the AOFM provides a team of tutors and talented students who work their magic backstage creating gorgeous looks during fashion week. “We have around 320 students working at Vauxhall Fashion Scout,” Jana explains. “It works really well; it allows the students to really get out there and find out what’s going on and what it’s really like to work in the industry.”
They may have been hard at work backstage, but it definitely wasn’t a case of all work and no play for the AOFM, who put on a spectacular party to celebrate the launch of their new book ‘Makeup is Art’ – a visual celebration of images in collaboration with industry insiders such as stylist Rebekah Roy and hairstylist Desmond Murray. Over 300 guests enjoyed champagne and canapés, drag-queen-du-jour Jodie Harsh on the decks and a live performance from Kelly le Roc in the grand vestibule of the Freemasons’ Hall. “The new venue is absolutely fantastic,” Jana enthuses. “It’s nice and central, it’s elegant and beautiful and it’s just amazing.”
