This September, I'll be working backstage at Milan Fashion Week, running from September 22 to 28, 2026. It's one of the most exciting parts of my calendar this year, and I wanted to share a little about why it matters — not just as a personal milestone, but for the brides I work with too.
Why a bridal makeup artist works fashion week
Bridal makeup and runway makeup might look worlds apart — one is soft, timeless and built to photograph beautifully for decades; the other is bold, editorial and made for a single dramatic walk. But the technical foundation underneath both is the same. Backstage at a show, there's no time for a second attempt: skin has to be prepped to hold up under harsh studio lighting and video, eye work has to be precise on the first pass, and everything has to be fast without ever looking rushed. Working in that environment sharpens exactly the kind of precision and speed that also matters on a wedding morning, when there are several people to get ready and only so many hours before the ceremony.
It's also simply a chance to stay close to what's current — new textures, new ways of working with color, new techniques other artists are using — rather than only ever looking at bridal beauty in isolation.
What this means for brides planning a wedding in Italy
Fashion month tends to set a tone that filters into bridal beauty over the following bridal season — skin finishes, eye shapes, the way hair is worn, all of it shifts gradually season to season, and runway shows are usually where that shift starts. I won't know exactly what stands out this September until I'm there, but I'll be paying close attention with an eye toward what could translate beautifully into a bridal look — never anything too trend-driven or short-lived, always filtered through what actually holds up for a wedding day and photographs well years later.
If you're planning a wedding at Lake Como, Venice, Tuscany or anywhere else in Italy, this is exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes experience I bring into every trial and consultation — technique that's been tested backstage, adapted for something that needs to last a full wedding day, not just a four-minute walk down a runway.
Planning a wedding in Milan?
If you're marrying in the city yourself, I've put together a full guide to getting married in Milan — best season, venues, and how to plan bridal beauty around a city wedding day.
In Milan for the week yourself?
If you're attending shows, dinners or parties this September and want hair and makeup that holds up in a room full of professionally styled people, I'm also taking private appointments around my backstage schedule — more on that here.
Want the bigger picture on the week itself?
If you're curious about Milan Fashion Week beyond my own experience there — when it runs, what actually happens backstage and on the street, and why it matters even outside fashion — I've written up a fuller guide to the week here.
Booking now
I'm currently taking new wedding bookings for the rest of 2026 and into 2027 — more on what to send me to check your date.
More to come
I'll be sharing photos and a few takeaways from backstage once the week wraps up — including a follow-up post here on the blog. In the meantime, if you'd like updates as they happen, I'm most active on Instagram and Threads.