Behind the Image is an ongoing MODELS.com series taking a more personal look at both established and emerging creative talent.
Lucy Bridge | Image courtesy of Streeters
Lucy Bridge, Makeup Artist
Hometown/country: Blackburn, Lancashire
Based: Between London & Paris
Representation: Streeters
How would you describe your work? What’s your trademark?
Bold expressive makeup that usually involves contrasting bright colors and graphic lines with a subversive undertone. My trademark is creating modern makeup looks using expressive tones in a unique and captivating way.
How did you first discover your passion for makeup, and what led you specifically into the world of beauty?
Through my mother’s love of fashion and makeup when I was younger. Also, from always being surrounded by Vogue magazine from the 80’s and 90’s. I was always looking through her Chanel and Dior lipsticks and eyeshadows in her makeup bag that she would leave in the upstairs bathroom. From the age of 12, maybe younger, I always expressed I wanted to be a makeup artist. I am not really sure where it came from, but it was instilled within me ever since I can remember.
I read that meeting Tim Walker helped launch your career—could you tell us more about that experience?
When I first moved to London when I was 20 years old, I lived above The George & Dragon Pub in Shoreditch. I was part of the Club Kid scene of East London at the time, and I would go out on a daily basis with avant-garde makeup on. I caught Tim Walker’s eye on the 55 bus going to Central. I think it was my fuchsia pink blusher and green glitter eyebrows that caught his attention. It was here he gave me a note as he got off the bus (which I now have framed in my living room) saying he wanted to take my portrait. This resulted in an editorial about me for i-D magazine around my love of Chanel, styled by Jacob K. It was my first glimpse into the fashion world and Tim has really helped me at different stages of my career. To this day, we are still friends and collaborators.
What other jobs have you had?
After leaving college and moving to London to pursue my career, I went straight into makeup, and I have been really lucky to have always had a job in makeup. In my early twenties, I worked part-time for MAC Cosmetics on the counter, an experience that really contributed to my skills as it was one of the only cosmetic companies of its time that pushed experimental makeup and shades.
What inspires your creative process and influences your artistic vision?
Research plays a huge part in my creative process. I love referencing images from art, fashion, books, and films and creating a makeup deck for each editorial that I am part of. This really allows me to get a sense of the character/s we are creating before the shoot. Sometimes, it can change on the day, and I always create makeup that feels right to me at that moment in time. As an artist, you have to always be prepared to shift direction quickly if something is not working.The models always have a huge influence on the look I create and are a huge inspiration in themselves. Sometimes, I can get so lost in the moment with the models’ features that something wonderful is created on the spot.
You’ve mentioned preferring paintbrushes over traditional makeup brushes—why is that, and how does art connect to your work?
I love using all forms of makeup brushes. The bristles on art brushes have a more artful feel when laid across the skin. Art brushes also come in weird and wonderful sizing (sometimes much bigger and more abstract than those designed for makeup) Art has always been a huge influence on my work. I love translating an art piece onto the face and interpreting it in my own way with subtle detailing. The bold colors, graphic shapes, and artist’s paint strokes really resonate in my work. I like to turn the model into a work of art. I am not afraid of color and dynamic shapes in my work.
What have you watched/heard/read lately that has inspired you?
Kenneth Anger’s short experimental film, “Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome,” is based on opulence and surrealism. Specifically, the mythological figures intoxicated with colors grabbed my attention. The rich, vivid tones, theatrical makeup, and eccentric characters were a real source of inspiration to me. The film felt so trippy and quirky, something you can really get lost in when watching.
You’ve worked consistently with Dries Van Noten since 2021—can you share your experience collaborating with the brand, especially as it enters a new era without Dries as creative director?
Working with Dries and the team was a dream come true. (It’s) a brand that is not scared of vivid colors and textures and that wants to push makeup in an experimental and modern direction. It was always very black and white with Dries. He knows what he likes and what he doesn’t. This made working with him refreshing and collaborative. There is not a huge amount of fashion designers at the moment who really want to push the beauty. I feel so lucky to have worked so closely with him over the past few years, he really wanted to push the beauty in such a weird and beautiful way. All the elements from the clothing, makeup, and hair would harmonize together so beautifully under his direction. This past S/S 25 show was where Julian Klausner led the first studio collection since Dries’ exit. It still felt very much like Dries’ spirit, but there was a different mood throughout the house, which felt refreshing and new. This season we really pushed the makeup creating many different multicolored clumpy eyelashes reminiscent of flowers which Julian was inspired by for this collection.
What do you love about what you do?
I love that every day is different and that I get to travel on a weekly basis. This really makes the intensity of my job all worthwhile. I love getting to experience and work with different creative teams on a daily basis. It is so motivating and exciting, and this is really what gets me up in the morning. I am excited to go to work and create.
What’s one thing outside of your work that you would like people to know about you?
I am a bit of a homebody. I love going home after a long work trip to make a cup of tea and watch interior design programs on the sofa with my boyfriend and my cat. My working life can be pretty full-on and chaotic, so whenever I can find moments of stillness and calm, I take them.
Who do you think is one to watch?
Jean Marques. He is an amazing photographer who I work closely with on my fashion shows. I met him backstage at the S/S 23 Jean Paul Gaultier Couture show by Haider Ackermann. He captured the most beautiful backstage images of the models in the process of getting ready. He has a very unique style and captures makeup so beautifully. I love his obscure angles and vivid colors within his photography. I feel people, especially in the age of social media, really love to see the process of makeup and how artists get to the finished product, and this is something Jean captures so well with his unique eye. We are working on a secret collaboration together which I hope will be out at some point next year.
Selected Work
Sihana Shalaj by Luis Alberto Rodriguez | Image courtesy of Streeters
‘Nocturne’ Issue 19 for Acne Paper
I love the simplicity of this image. The rich tones of the makeup contrast against the stark matte porcelain skin. This image represents me as an artist, with bold color choices and smart graphic elements which tie the look together.
Guinevere van Seenus by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott | Image courtesy of Streeters
Beauty Papers x Lancome
This was my first time working for Beauty Papers and with Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The creative freedom I can have with Beauty Papers is uplifting. This shoot was a big milestone for me. I have been the biggest fan of Mert and Marcus since I used to buy POP magazine when I was at university. Guinevere was also such a huge inspiration for me, I was so happy Beauty Papers allowed me to collaborate with them on this shoot, and it will forever be one of my favorite shoots.
Bella Kim by Rafael Pavarotti | Image courtesy of Streeters
Dries Van Noten S/S 22 Digital Show
This was my first encounter working with Dries Van Noten for SS’22 in the midst of COVID-19. Instead of a show, he worked with Rafael Pavarotti to showcase his new collection. There were no limitations to the creativity and makeup on this shoot. Dries wanted to capture the celebration of things to come, a new chapter as such. Colors and light came out of the darkness that the whole world had been through. There was a large volume of models on this shoot, and each of them had different makeup. The glitter face, in particular, was my favorite, and the way Raf captured the beauty is so dramatic and beautiful. To this day, I am still working with Dries Van Noten (and now his studio team), which for me, is one of the most special collaborations as they love to push the makeup and allow me to do what I do best.
Kristie Lai by Cho Gi-Seok | Image courtesy of Streeters
Beauty Papers
I have been inspired heavily throughout my career by Japanese traditions and imagery. Working with Cho on this shoot for Beauty Papers, I was inspired by Pater Sato a Japanese airbrush artist. His colors are vibrant and bold, much like that of my work, and I love the way he is able to create blended and graphic details within his work. The bold colors paired with graphic lines and simplistic yet effective styling by Vanessa Reid make this image one of my favorite to date. This makeup is a true representation of the aesthetic of my work.
Lucy Bridge by Tim Walker | Image courtesy of Streeters
The Party Issue for i-D Magazine
This is one of the images taken from my and Tim’s first shoot together. His subject was me, a young girl living in East London obsessed with Coco Chanel. When Tim learned I was a makeup artist, he suggested that I do my own makeup. At the time, I was living above the George and the Dragon pub in Shoreditch, so we spent 2 days playing dress up and using my old apartment and Shoreditch as the backdrop. I was styled by Jacob K. To this date, I’m still such good friends and collaborators of Tim and Jacob. I live by my life motto now, “You have to be in the right place at the right time” after my chance meeting with them both on the 55 bus. Tim has and still is such a huge champion of young artists and giving them space to experiment and figure out who they are as an artist. My career would not be what it is without Tim having my back all those years ago, something for which I am extremely grateful.
