NEW YORK — It’s 10 p.m. at Mr Chow 57th Street on the night of the Met Gala, and what started as an impromptu staircase selfie between hairstylist Chuckie Amos and makeup artist Sam Fine has quickly evolved into a eight-plus person production.
“Oh, are we taking a family photo?” hairstylist Larry Sims could be heard saying as he joined in on the shot; makeup artists Vincent Oquendo and Ashunta Sheriff followed suit, as did Jawara Wauchope and Ursula Stephen, who were responsible for Anok Yai’s and Zendaya’s Met Gala tresses, respectively.
“We grew up together,” later said Sheriff — whose phone the group photo was taken on — of the shot.
Indeed, the mood of makeup artist Troy Surratt’s and hairstylist Nathaniel Hawkins’ 11th annual The Artist Dinner hosting those who work behind the scenes on many of the Met Gala’s most iconic attendees’ looks is both that of a family reunion and, as Sarah Brown put it, an “evening where heroes meet their heroes.”
Makeup artist Romy Soleimani, who crafted Tracee Ellis Ross’ red-lip look for the event, stood by the bar with Amy Komorowski, groomer to Patrick Schwarzenegger, reminiscing on the 2009 Ed Westwick Harper’s Bazaar shoot during which they met. Hairstylist Julien d’Ys sported a plushie sloth backpack as he made his way to his seat: “I got it on Amazon,” he said.
Julien d’Ys
Alex Marcano
Elsewhere, rising talent Dee Carrion — who did Ayo Edebiri’s makeup for the Met Gala and is best known for her recent viral makeup looks for Doechii — caught up with Ernesto Casillas, who crafted Zendaya’s bronzy-eye, glossy-lip look for the night.
“Ayo is incredible — the outfit was incredible, the look was incredible — the whole glam team ate,” said Carrion, who, like Casillas, was attending the dinner for the first time.
Ernesto Casillas and Dee Carrion
Alex Marcano/BFA.com
The event was cohosted with Hermès Beauty creative director Gregoris Pyrpylis.
“The people who are here tonight are the people who are designing what beauty is today, and what beauty is going to be tomorrow — it’s an honor to cohost,” he said.
This year, the dinner honored Fine, makeup artist, author and Fashion Fair Cosmetics creative director, with its annual Icon Award.
“For decades, Sam has defined what excellence in makeup artistry looks like; he didn’t just find success…he changed the face of beauty, literally and figuratively, and we are all better for it. Your body of work is superfine, indeed,” Surratt said as he presented Fine with the award, nodding to this spring’s Costume Institute exhibit, titled “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.”
“So much of what I love about our industry is the community,” said Fine, who crafted Gabrielle Union Wade’s makeup look for the Met Gala, as he accepted the award. “My dad is 94, I lost my mom last year, and they could never have dreamed the things that we are able to experience as artists.…I share this award with each and every one of you.”
Larry Sims, Sam Fine, Ernesto Casillas, Nathaniel Hawkins and Troy Surratt.
Alex Marcano/BFA.com
Hawkins shared, too, the he and Surratt are in the development stages of creating a nonprofit organization to “provide a safety net for the freelance beauty community by offering critical resources and wellness programs that will support well-being and career longevity.”
Other artist attendees included Stila and Neen founder Jeanine Lobell; RMS Beauty founder Rose-Marie Swift; Mark Carrasquillo, Nicky Posley, Katie Jane Hughes, Peter Lux, Rokael Lizama, Michael Anthony and more, who commemorated old and new friendships alike over potstickers and chicken satay.
