“In this collection, I was trying to show the complexity of Jamaica and the Caribbean as we’re often seen in such a simplistic or exoticized way,” Jamaican-born Diotima designer, Rachel Scott, tells ESSENCE. The SS24 presentation was filled with taupe blazers and vacation-ready knits. Looks were made complete thanks to braids by Joey George and makeup by Yumi Lee. “I love the idea of tension between sexy and somber,” Scott says. “And I really wanted that to reflect even in the hair.”
After reviewing the collection with stylist Marika-Ella Ames, George decided on a polished hair look with an ode to the Caribbean. “It was a collaborative, creative process during the hair test that led to the facial-framing braid detail,” he says. “It was finished with glass beads and cornrows that climbed up from the nape into a high chignon.”
To bring it to life, models’ hair was prepped with Oribe Foundation Mist and Oribe Royal Blowout Heat Protectant Spray. After sectioning the hair with edge control, braiding hair was fed in. “I wanted to lengthen the cornrows that wrapped around the ears so that it would trace down to the waist line,” he explains. To set the look in place, George used Oribe Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray.
For makeup, Lee was inspired by the naturally glowing skin of Jamaican women. “I wanted shine and texture to be the focus,” she says. Key products used included a black eye pencil and eye palette from RMS Beauty. For one of the looks, Lee smudged out the cream eyeshadow, leaving negative space in the middle. For another, she overdrew the under eye liner before smudging it out. Both looks finished with eye gloss on top.
And not only were the beauty looks and clothes a stunningly elegant ode to Scott’s roots, “it was also a pleasure working with nice people,” says Lee. “Collaborations with talented artists are always inspiring to me.”
