"Would Krystle Carrington wear this?" is the only question to ask when choosing what to wear for a night "out out" this Christmas. And if you've no idea who Krystle is – look up Dynasty on YouTube – just don the most ostentatious, most sequinned option you can find.
Bold style, puffed sleeves and sharp silhouettes were the hallmarks of 1980s fashion. Style icons like Joan Collins, Jerry Hall and Princess Diana blazed a trail with shoulder pads, power suits and eveningwear so sparkly it made a Christmas tree seem tame.
Like it or not, 1980s trends are back in full force for the festive season. And if you rocked this look four decades ago but think it’s a trend best left for the millennials to have fun with, think again. As our models Mary and Aveen so gorgeously illustrate, 1980s-inspired outfits can work for any age and look fresh and empowering when paired with modern hair and make-up.
But if you want to go all out for the party season, scrunch-curl your hair and pile on the blue eyeshadow, we’re all for fully embracing the eccentricities of the era too.
GET THE LOOK
Hair by Aidan Darcy
"The hair look I created was inspired by the 1980s, with lots of volume and movement but with a modern, glamorous twist. The hair was prepped with L'Oréal Pli and blow-dried using a large-bristle brush. Each section was pinned up using flat silver pins, to hold the volume and bounce, and left to cool down. Each section of the hair was then backcombed, to exaggerate the volume, and smoothed out using a Mason Pearson bristle brush and finished with L'Oréal Professionel Infinium Hairspray for that extra hold." – Aidan Darcy, Brown Sugar, South William Street, Dublin 2
Make-up by Dearbhla Keenan
I loved having fun with this late-1980s-themed Christmas shoot. I wanted to incorporate a fun pop of colour with all the glitz while still embodying the start of the sultry-supermodel era.
I used eyeshadows from Mud Cosmetics in the shades Pomegranate and Vineyard (€15) to inject colour on the eyes for our beautiful model Mary. I wanted to show colour being used in a more modern way yet influenced by the 1980s. I gave our second model, Aveen, drama by using taupe and bronze tones to create supermodel glam, which was starting to emerge at this stage of the decade.
Skin was evened out using Mud Cosmetics Cream Base Foundation (€22), and I used a translucent powder to set and mattify. I added highlight back into the skin using Kohl Cosmetics Satin Glow (€35), and shape was created using Matte Bronze (€35). Skin was completed with a wash of high-colour blush on the cheeks using Kohl Cosmetics Cocktail (€22). Soft brown and pinky tones on the lips finished off the looks, getting anyone ready for the party season ahead. – Dearbhla Keenan, Brown Sugar, South William Street, Dublin 2, @dearbhlamakeupartist
Photography Eilish McCormick
Production and styling Liz Dwyer, assisted by Kiera Murphy
Make-up Dearbhla Keenan for Brown Sugar
Hair Aidan Darcy for Brown Sugar
Location Umit Kutluk's studio, Dublin
Lighting Fantasy Lights
