How many crystals does it take to make a star shine? If you’re Doja Cat at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture runway show, the answer is 30,000, to be exact.
Fashion Month always starts off with a bang as stars attend the couture shows in their most fashion-forward lewks and standout hair and makeup. Both celebs and the fashion elite don costume-worthy couture outfits this time of year—but last fashion month, Doja Cat proved that she’s the celeb to watch. On January 23, Doja arrived at the Schiaparelli Haute Couture FW23 show, designed by Daniel Roseberry, wearing a head-to-toe “Inferno” look featuring pieces from Schiaparelli’s collection and 30,000 Swarovski crystals all over her face and body.
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Doja Cat’s longtime stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, opted for an all-red look, featuring Schiaperreli’s red silk faille bustier top, a hand-knit skirt made from lacquered wooden beads, red tights, and “trompe-l’œil” toe boots, which offer the illusion of real feat (down to the toenails). She paired the look with a bright red shawl wrap and dazzling red earrings.
As for her makeup, beauty legend Dame Pat McGrath revealed that it took a whopping four hours and 58 minutes to hand-apply 30,000 Swarovski crystals on the star’s face, head, decolletage, and arms. Doja was covered in crystals, from her eyelids to her lips—but the inside of her arms remained bare to avoid crystal fall-out as the star was out and about.
For the look, McGrath’s team started by applying the Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer ($45) for a smooth texture all over Doja’s skin. Then, they rimmed her eyes with the PermaGel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil ($29) in Xtreme Black to add some definition amongst the stones. A coat of Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm ($38) in Clear made sure the star’s lips were nice and hydrated before the team painted them with LiquiLust: Legendary Wear Matte Lipstick ($32) in Elson 4 to match the red of her body and outfit. The team painted her face and body with a blend of custom paints, and then added a layer of red glitter. Finally, the 30,000 crystals were painstakingly applied from head to toe.
Schiaparelli is known for styling jewelry as clothing, with Bella Hadid wearing gold Schiaparelli “lungs” in lieu of a top at the 74th annual Cannes Film Festival in 2021. Likewise, the Schiaparelli Haute Couture FW23 show featured standout pieces like elongated fringe bustier tops, pearl-dripped jackets, and lacquered wooden bead skirts, like the one seen on Doja. Doja’s crystal sleeves, fresh-off-the-runway beaded skirt, and bright red hue tied the brand’s “accessories as clothing” theme with Schiaparelli’s “Inferno couture” moment for an undeniably show-stopping look.
We can only wonder how long it will take to remove it all.