Pre, During & Post Fashion Week Rituals: Nonie Creme
Nonie Creme, butter LONDON‘s Founding Creative Director is one cool chick. Backstage at Fashion Week she could easily be mistaken for one of the models with her ultra chic shaved ‘coif, killer makeup and flawless skin. She’s always all smiles, energy, and of course enthusiastic about nail color, hence we just had to get the scoop on her personal regime, how she physically and mentally prepares for the backstage frenzy, and her favorite places to go, eat, and visit while in New York City. Check out our pre, during and post Fashion Week rituals Q&A with the fabulous nail phenom below, and be prepared to fall in love with butter LONDON‘s Wallis, Toff, and Stiletto Stick!
How do you mentally prepare, and what is your personal beauty regimen for the long hours under constant time constraint, the onslaught of interviews, and just general whirlwind?
I’m super-duper ADD, so preparation and military organization are lost on me – I’m lucky if my socks match! However, I do have an uncanny sense of memory, so I prepare by using visualization. I picture and mentally pack my kit, imagine colour recipes, and envision positive outcomes. Beauty regime is fairly hilarious: wash twice a day with Cetaphil, followed by Skinceuticals SPF 50, even if I will be indoors all day. Botox is crucial for hiding the “grumpy face” I make when I’m stressed. This season I’m feeling like a little Juvederm under my eyes and in my cheeks will be a good idea for faking a good night’s sleep. Throw on a little Lash Fusion XL mascara, some Elizabeth Arden 8-hour tinted lip balm, and I’m camera ready!
Do you routinely do a pre- or post-fashion week vacation or mini getaway?
I wish. Pre-FW is total chaos, with 24 assistants in two countries, travel to book, and min. 10 shows to custom mix for, I’m a train wreck. After it’s all over, I race home and dive straight into Product R & D mode. I need to get colours matched and prep for November meetings with the press. butter LONDON is still a tiny company, and I genuinely oversee all aspects of branding, product creation, and packaging. Perhaps someday I’ll vacation with P. Diddy and the gang, but for now you can find me on my front porch with my little girl and a glass of wine. No super-yacht or G6 can compare!
Do you have a routine place that you love to visit, go to, eat at, or clear your mind and relax during New York Fashion Week?
YES. I spend every spare second at The Met. I am an art nerd, and surrounding myself with masterpieces from every period of art is humbling and completely inspiring. When I need to pig out, I head to Il Buco or Seersucker in Brooklyn, and I’m a little obsessed with the new Look Boutique at Duane Reade Wall Street. You can have a pedicure in the room that was Rockefeller’s personal office. That’s madness.
What are three things that you must have on you, on a daily basis during fashion week?
Tatcha blotting papers are essential. I do a lot of on-camera interviews, and I tend to get pretty shiny in the face. These little beauties are so gentle I can even use them on my eyes without disturbing my makeup.
I wear my hair buzzed at the sides, and long in the middle. It’s one of those styles that looks better the dirtier it gets….however there’s a limit. I love Stila dry shampoo hair powder for instantly fluffy, “clean” hair after a hot sweaty backstage area! Finally, I can’t go anywhere without my butter LONDON Stiletto Stick. It’s a solid, roll-on stick of intensive heel balm. It’s for feet, but I also use it on dry, ashy knees and elbows, and the backs of my poor, over-washed hands.
Do you have a number one weapon for combating exhaustion?
Exercise. It sounds counter-intuitive, but the more you exercise, the more energy you have. I like loud music and a quick half hour on the elliptical. I also take 3mg of Melatonin at night during FW. They are natural herbal sleep aids, and when I make the jump from NYC to London, I never even notice. Amazing.
Let’s talk shoes: what is your go-to reliable, chic, and comfy pair that won’t let you down during the week?
Chic AND comfy? Sounds like a mythical pair of fairytale shoes. I wear 5 inch Vivienne Westwood stiletto boots that cripple me by the day’s end, but make me feel like a rock star. When I can’t walk another step, I’ll throw on a pair of classic beige/black Chanel ballet flats. They are a fail safe for any occasion.
What new butter LONDON color (or colors) are you looking forward to wearing on your nails this season?
OBESSION ALERT! I can’t get enough of Wallis from our Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. It’s an olive gold, very burnished, very antiqued and very sexy! Also on the radar is Toff, this season’s answer to neutral nails. It’s a mauve-y dirty rose that suits absolutely everyone.
Can you share your prediction for a nail trend that may be popular this upcoming spring/summer 2012 season?
People are not going to be ready to give up colour for a while. We are only finally at the tail end of six seasons of beige and greige! We’ll see a slightly different use of colour, with movement away from hot, tropical shades, and toward rich, saturated sherbet tones, not sheer or pastel, but opaque colour in coral, duck-egg blue and pistachio. Also, be ready to match your mani/pedi with your lip. I foresee a huge trend in this old-fashioned notion, but worn with modern colours.
What is the one thing that brings you back, season after season, to backstage?
FASHION! Total immersion, even in my own small way, in the process that drives what we wear and how we wear it. To create a trend backstage (matte, griege, half moons), and see it go viral into other shows, out into the street, and then on to beauty counters is gratifying beyond belief.
Over the years, what is the most important thing you’ve learned from this process?
It’s the same lesson that I try to apply to life, and hope to instill in my child. TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. Never follow the pack, (unless the pack is heading in your direction). Always know yourself, trust yourself, and believe that if you truly put your best forward, you will succeed.
