Isamaya Ffrench redefines beauty at the Collina Strada SS26 show

Collina Strada once again demonstrated why it is one of the most relevant brands of the present. The SS26 collection not only presented a textile proposal with Hillary Taymour’s characteristic eccentric codes, but also consolidated a beauty collaboration: Isamaya Ffrench, in partnership with Lashify. The result: a show where fashion and makeup merged into a single visual discourse.

Under Taymour’s creative direction, Collina Strada has developed its own language that moves between the ironic, the eccentric, and the deeply conscious. For this edition, the runway was filled with inflated bubble hems, sculptural hats that played with the silhouette of hair, and garments that embraced the performative without losing elegance. A textile narrative that cried out for an equally disruptive and coherent beauty look.

This is where Isamaya Ffrench comes in, a makeup artist known for reconfiguring the boundaries of editorial and runway makeup. Her challenge was no small feline: to accompany a collection with a strong conceptual charge without becoming too literal or detracting from the clothes. To achieve this, Ffrench drew on what Taymour defines as her “animal-inspired vibe,” a wild sensibility that seeks to suggest rather than disguise.

The starting point was the eyes. Ffrench worked with the idea of ​​​​enlarged feline gazes: wider nose bridges, upward lines, and extensions of color toward the central area, to create a sense of lifted and vibrant eyes. The differentiating touch came from Lashify, which allowed for the incorporation of lash wings in pastel shades—pink, lilac, aquamarine green—reminiscent of exotic plumage.

“Feline inspiration is always on my mood board,” Ffrench explained in a statement. “Here it was about elevating the eye, opening the nose bridge, and extending the color toward the midline to create an animal gesture, without being disguised.”

The makeup wasn’t limited to the eyelashes. Ffrench incorporated opalescent eyeshadows that caught the light, creating an iridescent effect that contrasted with the intensity of the lashes. The rest of the look featured natural, luminous skin with a fresh finish. Lips featured a sheer sheen and a nearly invisible foundation.

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What’s interesting about Ffrench’s proposal is how it reflects Collina Strada’s philosophy: the eccentric and the polished, the ironic and the elevated. “It was about bringing together tones and textures that complemented the garments. We wanted a polished yet playful result, one that remained elevated,” Ffrench summarized.

The dream factory of Collina Strada and Desigual.