Dior Does Frida Kahlo-Inspired Beauty on Its Resort Runway in Mexico City

“It’s all about their natural beauty: whatever their skin tone is, whatever their nationality is, and the strength that goes with every type of girl,” says Philips, whose approach focused on plump, luminous, hydrated skin and thoughtfully emboldened brows (the Kahlo of it all). Rather than creating an overfilled power brow, Philips relied on Diorshow Onset Brow for a referential frame that afforded brows a more organic finish. “Once you work with the eyebrows, they get a more confident look. They don’t look too frivolous—it’s a strong look without being dominant.”

As it turns out, this Mexico City showing was right on time. “It’s been really intense eyes for the last few shows,” says Philips, who notes that Maria Grazia herself favors a more dramatic eye for her personal makeup. “I’ve been doing so many variations on the smokey eye, and for this show we thought, ‘Maybe let’s do something less extreme.’” 

The result brings us back to what we know: When it comes to beauty, less-is-more isn’t a clichéd adage but a strong choice. “It’s not about a red lip or a black eye or highlighting or contouring,” says Philips. “It’s about embracing or enhancing their natural beauty.”