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See the Jean Pierre Braganza Fall 2013 collection »

Samurais from outer space. Ancient Greek mathematical theories. The bad guys in Frank Herbert’s cult sci-fi novel Dune. These are but a few of the places Jean-Pierre Braganza found inspiration when creating his Fall 2013 collection. The London-based Canadian designer brought his séance-ready pieces across the Atlantic to present them to a select gathering of editors, bloggers and fashionable friends last night at The Shows in Toronto. Models with pin-straight hair accentuated by a sumo-wrestler bun (courtesy of Pantene hair wizard Justin German) strut down the runway to an ambient-industrial soundtrack, their heels so high they had front-row regulars feeling anxious.

While many of the looks featured Braganza’s signature asymmetrical colour-blocked pieces, he introduced several key motifs and custom prints, each calling out to be worn by The Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, or maybe David Bowie—a white tuxedo by Braganza recently made an appearance along with Tilda Swinton in Bowie’s video for “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”. The sci-fi influence was undeniable in the Alien-esque print featured on floor-grazing gowns, knee-length dresses and low-slung pants, while belted kimono jackets kept things right on this season’s Eastern-influenced trend.

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While the details on Jeremy Laing’s Spring 2013 collection echoed the ’90s, the beauty was tinged with elements from the ’70s. “Jeremy wanted the girls to look really handsome and sort of have this ’70s-eqsue feeling,” explained Greg Wencel, Cover Girl makeup pro. Also at play was a mix of textures: glossy eyelids contrasted with matte skin, which had been prepped with Cover Girl + Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer ($18, well.ca) to keep shine at a minimum. Instead of eyeshadow, Wencel used Cover Girl Cheekers blush in “Iced Cappuccino” and “smoked it out on the eye and under the eye socket.” He then used the same blush to sculpt a high cheek bone but diffused it for a soft, modern effect. Because lashes and brows were left bare Wencel added some dimension to the eye with Cover Girl LiquilineBlast in “Brown Blaze” ($10, well.ca), but applied it by putting the product on the back of his hand and picking up some of the pigment with a fluffy brush. The final step was glossing up the eye with a dab of clear Cover Girl WetSlicks lip gloss ($7, well.ca) for what Wencel called “a ’70s high gloss shine.”

See all the backstage beauty photos from Jean-Pierre Braganza! »

If you’ve been working on your braiding skills, good news! The popularity of plaits will continue through Spring 2013—however the variation shown at Jean-Pierre Braganza brings a whole new level of complexity to the style. Featuring a stark middle part and two braids—one interior, one exterior—the double look was described as “pretty, but weird at the same time” by Pantene Pro-V consulting stylist Justin German. After prepping the hair with Pantene Pro-V Normal to Thick Straighten and Smooth Crème ($6, at drugstores) he separated a section of hair at the crown for the interior cornrow braid, which ran down the back of the head.

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Clean, simple and slightly androgynous was the idea for hair and makeup at Jeremy Laing. “It’s masculine, but with feminine tones to contrast the gender-bender look,” explained CoverGirl makeup pro Greg Wencel. Eyebrows were defined with a brow pencil, but the desired effect was for a full, soft brow—not a harsh or bold statement. Eyes were equally soft, with a light wash of CoverGirl Intense ShadowBlast in “Beige Blaze” and a dusting of warm eyeshadow on top. In a very Downton Abbey sort of move, no mascara was applied—this further impressed the idea of a masculine, androgynous look.

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One of the biggest challenges with The ShOws is the beauty: because the designers have already presented their Fall 2012 collections elsewhere, hair and makeup has to take inspiration from what was previously done. However, there’s always room for adaptations and change—which was certainly the case at Jean-Pierre Braganza’s show. “He wanted a smaller version of the hair,” explained Justin German, Pantene’s consulting stylist of the loose pompadour style. “There was trouble getting the clothes on over the hair in London!”

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As huge fans of the fishtail, we were very excited to see this braided style at Jean Pierre Braganza. Backstage, Pantene’s consulting stylist Justin German described the look as softer than what Braganza showed in London, with the braid stemming from the base of a very bob-like shape. To achieve this structure, German went through the hair with some volumizer, then blow-dried it into the desired shape. An elastic at the base kept it all together, which German wrapped with hair after the fishtail was finished.

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Soft and romantic, the look at Calla Haynes was a modern approach to ‘60s beauty—and if that brings to mind visions of fresh faces and at-home hot rollers, you’re on the right track. For hair, Justin German, Pantene’s consulting stylist, created two different versions of a rough half-updo, with a textured bump—“For lack of a better word,” he noted—on top and loose, brushed-out curls at the back. German pointed out that the finished look included visible bobby pins to make the hair look “almost like you did it yourself.”