My dear girls, as many of you probably know I’ve just had a very interesting experience: I took part, as a judge, to a programme that has recently been broadcasted on Sky One, Lookmaker Academy, the first talent show completely dedicated to beauty and fashion. Twelve participants, either make-up artists, hair stylists or beauticians, tested themselves and their abilities in order to win the title of best Italian Lookmaker (and an 100.000 euros worth of atelier).
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
What a great experience. Crazy, genial and weary! And very instructive, too. For example, I’ve learned that it’s not enough to study in the best schools to actually acquire the techniques to create a perfect outfit. The base is a gift, something unique and precious that only one person in a million owns.
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
From what I could see, for example, among all Lookmaker’s characters (who very all great, as they were chosen out of 5000 subscribers), just one of them really owned that gift. It is something fundamental in the world of fashion.
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
And I can assure you that during this experience I had the chance to understand what it is, along with the other incredibly professional judges (Janette De Nardis, Alessia Solidani e la suprema Maria Grazia Longhi).
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
Moreover, even the participants stuck with me. Their job wasn’t easy at all: they had to use only what what they were given to create a decent look, actually more than decent, even beautiful. Let me tell you, that’s one of the toughest things in the world. For example, we had two very difficult episodes, one of which was dedicated to the furs of the atelier De Carlis (the best one in Rome as regards fur fashion) and the other one to the amazing bath-suits by Marisa Padovan. As you can imagine it wasn’t easy to pair other typical clothes with super luxurious furs and very particular bath-suits like the ones by Marisa Padovan.
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
Who didn’t know fabrics or had no sensitivity for that style, inevitably made a mess. One more thing: never as in this occasion had I understood how much a good lookmaker needs to know, other than fashion, even the spirit of any social event (both if he has to attend it or dress somebody who’s going).
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
Let me give you an example: during one episode, the guys were asked to dress models for the Roma Web Fest event. Everybody, as soon as they’ve heard the word “fest”, imagined a red carpet event and chose super elegant gowns, whereas actually the Roma Web Fest is a casual festival that is thrown at the MAXXI in Rome and deals with the world of web and social networks. Nothing is less appropriate than going with a gown!
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
The match was obviously won by a participant who used a very cute dress by Renato Balestra, simple and great for the occasion. All of that said, of course it is easy to judge! The participants were all great and I was honoured and happy with the fact that only six months after my blog opened I was called to judge in this important talent show.
Maria Vittoria Cusumano Lookmaker Academy
