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Magic from makeup maestro
By Xu Wenwen |
January 14, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
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MAKEUP maestro Mao Geping, known for creating fabulous and fantastic cosmetics and costumes, is one of China's premier stylists and runs his Mao Geping Image Design Art School in Hangzhou.
Mao was honored by the Hangzhou government last month as an Elite Citizen for his contributions to Hangzhou's cosmetics and style industries.
He is founder of MGPIN cosmetics, one of China's major domestic brands.
In 1998 he founded his first Mao Geping Image Design Art School in Hangzhou. In October 2008 he opened a vast school in the Hangzhou Fashion Hub, which is the city's only creative hub dedicated to fashion and cosmetology. Hangzhou has nine other creative hubs in its Creative Industry Program.
Mao's new school in downtown Shangcheng District near Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279) covers two-thirds of the 7,500 square meters of office space. The entire creative hub covers 15,000 square meters in a renovated old electric machinery factory. The complex includes four buildings in a German architectural style, featuring glass and steel.
The area is a cultural and historic spot where buildings are being torn down or renovated. Numerous photo studios and beauty salons are located there, so the makeup and fashion school is a natural in the neighborhood.
The hub so far has 13 enterprises related to fashion, cosmetics, costume design and photography.
Every month Mao's school stages elaborate makeup and costume shows, featuring the works of students. The makeup is exotic and glittery, sometimes there is fantastic body painting, the costumes are bizarre and the hair styles fanciful and complicated. Models appear to be creatures from another world.
From time to time there are other fashion shows, costume and makeup exhibits, art exhibits and even auto shows in the former factory dining room, now renovated to feature a T-shaped stage and fashion runway.
In his school, Mao promotes the value of makeup that is part of comprehensive beauty appreciation and creativity.
Over the years he has created many unforgettable images for more than 40 movies and 20 stage plays.
He became famous in 1994, after working as head makeup artist on the TV series "Wu Zetian" about China's first female empress who reigned in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). He designed the makeup for the leading actress, Liu Xiaoqing, whose role spanned more than 60 years.
In 1998, Mao established his first collection of colors at a cosmetics shop and opened his art school in Hangzhou. The school has branches in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The school recruits students every month for a year's course. Every year around 2,000 students graduate, working in photo studios, fashion, TV and film, performance companies, beauty salons and image studios.
The makeup artists-in-training don't simply apply regular cosmetics to make women more attractive, says Wang Liqun, Mao's wife and school principal. These young people design for the stage - "they're artists," she says.
The fashion hub and neighborhood in Shangcheng District are bustling. Many newlyweds get their wedding photos taken in a brand-new park, as well as nearby decrepit buildings. It's common to see models in whimsical and dazzling costumes walking about, getting a bite to eat or crossing the street.
Mao was honored by the Hangzhou government last month as an Elite Citizen for his contributions to Hangzhou's cosmetics and style industries.
He is founder of MGPIN cosmetics, one of China's major domestic brands.
In 1998 he founded his first Mao Geping Image Design Art School in Hangzhou. In October 2008 he opened a vast school in the Hangzhou Fashion Hub, which is the city's only creative hub dedicated to fashion and cosmetology. Hangzhou has nine other creative hubs in its Creative Industry Program.
Mao's new school in downtown Shangcheng District near Royal Street of the Southern Song Dynasty (960-1279) covers two-thirds of the 7,500 square meters of office space. The entire creative hub covers 15,000 square meters in a renovated old electric machinery factory. The complex includes four buildings in a German architectural style, featuring glass and steel.
The area is a cultural and historic spot where buildings are being torn down or renovated. Numerous photo studios and beauty salons are located there, so the makeup and fashion school is a natural in the neighborhood.
The hub so far has 13 enterprises related to fashion, cosmetics, costume design and photography.
Every month Mao's school stages elaborate makeup and costume shows, featuring the works of students. The makeup is exotic and glittery, sometimes there is fantastic body painting, the costumes are bizarre and the hair styles fanciful and complicated. Models appear to be creatures from another world.
From time to time there are other fashion shows, costume and makeup exhibits, art exhibits and even auto shows in the former factory dining room, now renovated to feature a T-shaped stage and fashion runway.
In his school, Mao promotes the value of makeup that is part of comprehensive beauty appreciation and creativity.
Over the years he has created many unforgettable images for more than 40 movies and 20 stage plays.
He became famous in 1994, after working as head makeup artist on the TV series "Wu Zetian" about China's first female empress who reigned in the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). He designed the makeup for the leading actress, Liu Xiaoqing, whose role spanned more than 60 years.
In 1998, Mao established his first collection of colors at a cosmetics shop and opened his art school in Hangzhou. The school has branches in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu, Sichuan Province.
The school recruits students every month for a year's course. Every year around 2,000 students graduate, working in photo studios, fashion, TV and film, performance companies, beauty salons and image studios.
The makeup artists-in-training don't simply apply regular cosmetics to make women more attractive, says Wang Liqun, Mao's wife and school principal. These young people design for the stage - "they're artists," she says.
The fashion hub and neighborhood in Shangcheng District are bustling. Many newlyweds get their wedding photos taken in a brand-new park, as well as nearby decrepit buildings. It's common to see models in whimsical and dazzling costumes walking about, getting a bite to eat or crossing the street.
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