Looking at the Look Book
Isn't this week's featured face in New York mag's Look Book, Bethany Liebman, pretty? It doesn't matter whether you agree or not: Liebman knows she's pretty, which is why she doesn't have to wear a lot of makeup. Pity, seeing as she's a makeup artist at the Clinique counter, the fall-back of choice for struggling painters — such as herself — everywhere. No matter: the Clinique gig is just to hold Liebman over until she starts her clothing line for well-heeled toddlers. No, we're serious. After the jump, Intern Alexis rounds up Dawn Chan, Jason McIntyre, and Tiffanie Graham for a game of fashion police.
Dawn Chan, NY Arts Magazine writer & keyboardist
What should she call her new baby clothing line and why?
Especially if her clothing's gonna yuppie-it-up with "organic fabrics" and "drawings," she shouldn't call it "Ann Taylor" or "Brooks Brothers." Too, too staid. Her clothing line's name should hip-ly suggest a hint of fusion. She needs a single exotic word that would look great in a minimalist sans-serif font on a storefront window. It should sound vaguely Ayurvedic, Japanese, or French. Also, there should be some accent-looking thing on one letter, which is debatably just a graphic design line, so that when people figure out how to pronounce it, they are totally in the know. I suggest "Chafes" (pron. shah-fez), "petard," or "dowager". "Nubile," pronounced NEW-be-lay, would have an Italian thing going for it. Defrock is obviously French-sounding, and also gives the accurate impression that Bethany's line is about frocks, which it is: baby frocks.
It'd be important to clarify that the name is not a fusion sushi restaurant. Thus, the way "Baby Gap" or "Baby Phat" is probably a clothing line for babies, i'd suggest adding the word "Baby." Everyone knows that no fusion restaurant serves babies. So, for example, Baby Chafes; Baby Petard; Baby Nubile; Baby Defrock; Baby Delouse; Baby Melanoma.
Also, i think, instead of mannequins in the display window, Bethany should take a cue from puppy stores, and have live babies wearing Bethany's threads, while crawling around in a pit of shredded paper. Too cute!
When she worked as a makeup artist at Clinique, how did Bethany treat the people who came in for free makeovers but never bought any makeup?
She added some "final touches" to their makeover. Using the long-last all-day coverage of Clinique Superlast Foundation in Clove, she made them up in blackface and then had them racially profiled.
We like that Bethany is wearing accessible, lay-people clothes. What designers would she wear if she went high-end?
I think she'd go with a Kimora velvet tracksuit and a Hermes bag. Or maybe Mizrahi at Target because she's down-to-earth and layperson enough to know that, in terms of brows, low- is the new high-. Cum is the new starch, additionally, Target is the new Prada; of this, she is in the know. Black and white is the new black, as demonstrated by Bethany in the photo.
Why do you think she was laid off from her fine-arts-y job?
Maybe she hit on Matthew Barney in front of Bjork. Or she mixed up Donald Judd and Elmer Fudd. But then again, no one who's actually fired admits that they're fired. So if she says she was fired, this is clearly a euphemism for something way way WAY more shameful. I would surmise either a dark past in competitive eating, or an unseemly multiple chemical sensitivity to non-black-and-white-pigments such as phthalocyanine blue and prussian blue.
How pretty and natural does Bethany think she is?
She is pretty, dammit! Why is everyone dissing her? You say minor flaws? I say, she's a camera-natural and hides her flaws well, like her left hand has no fingers. And her feet connect into a v-shaped blob, kind of like she's a conjoined twin with herself. Such things are not necessarily un-hot.
Jason McIntyre, Us Weekly/freelance writer
What should she call her new baby clothing line and why?
Poo-poo, pee-pee. That's all the kids are going to be doing in baby gear anyway. And it doesn't get much more organic than that. But nobody buys clothes for babies anyway don't they just wear hand-me-downs? I know I did.
When she worked as a makeup artist at Clinique, how did Bethany treat the people who came in for free makeovers but never bought any makeup?
Winning smile. Chipper personality. Feigning interest in your hobbies, your children, and what you had for lunch. And just when your Razor phone rings, and you have the audacity to answer it, here comes the sneer. However, the sneer may not be due to job dissatisfaction. It may be related to deep-seeded car issues. Acura Integra owners tend to pout because they really wish they were rockin' a Legend.
We like that Bethany is wearing accessible, lay-people clothes. What designers would she wear if she went high-end?
I get all my high-end fashion from rap songs, so I'll have to go with, "Prada blouse, Gucci bra, Filth Mart jeans." I bet Bethany's nano is filled with Young Jeezy, 50, and old school 2 Live Crew.
Why do you think she was laid off from her fine-arts-y job?
Define 'fine arts-y.' What are we talking here a teacher at the Pottery School on Smith Street? Sketch artist at the South Street Seaport? Crayons? Water colors? I'm going to need more information to proceed, but if I had to hazard a guess she looks more Wharton Business School than a boho friend of the Olsens, and that turned off the hipster crowd, which in turn led to the firing.
How pretty and natural does Bethany think she is?
Quite. Are you a real New Yorker if you think your shit doesn't stink? I'm also detecting a hint of Olivia d'Abo from "Kicking and Screaming," but it's probably just the lighting. She's no Jordana Brewster, but it's not like I'm going to ignore her if she started kicking game to me at Bungalow 8 (yeah, like I can get in there).
Tiffanie Graham, photo editor
What should she call her new baby clothing line and why?
Bethany's new clothing line should be called Good Luck. Because that's what the consumer of her heirloom quality, infant clothing is going to need to keep those things clean and useful. This is why Bethany should figure out the name of her new clothing line when she actually gives birth. Maybe then baby clothes inspired by nature and animals will take on a new light and not have the sole purpose of being passed on from generation to generation.
When she worked as a makeup artist at Clinique, how did Bethany treat the people who came in for free makeovers but never bought any makeup?
After an hour of careful application with the fine expertise of a former artist, to be then followed by no payoff, Bethany sat and wondered what had happened to her career. Than as a last resort handed over some free moisturizer samples.
We like that Bethany is wearing accessible, lay-people clothes. What designers would she wear if she went high-end?
From the looks of Bethany's clean lines, neatly pleated skirt, and taste for all things timeless, she'd be a Prada girl. The high neck, knee length skirt, and simplicity with style look definitely fits. I do wish I could take a look at her shoes as that would give me a much clearer view into her style.
Why do you think she was laid off from her fine-arts-y job?
Not much room for the fine-arts-y jobs in this economy. So not much of a shock there. Forced to move on with reality she succeeded in convincing herself working at the Clinique counter equates to painting and quickly moved on.
How pretty and natural does Bethany think she is?
Being that Bethany considers herself au naturel, and not in need of much makeup, by her own definition she's a apparently a raving beauty. Her take on natural beauty is surprising given that most of the women behind those Clinique counters look like they just came back from the second showing of Cabaret.