Modern Day Class with Alex T

As they say, “Talent recognizes talent.” In the case of Makeup artist Alex T, that’s an understatement. Her resume reads like a holy book of fashion icons. From Esquire to Elle and Sephora to Hollywood’s most successful films, Alex is sought after by the biggest names for her skill and creativity. Red Carpet premiers, iconic fashion magazines, advertisements in prestigious stores, or web-based sites; you’ll see her work just about everywhere. It’s an unobvious ubiquity because Alex T is a professional using her talent to enhance the faces which capture our attention. Working for some of the most well-known names in the world of beauty and fashion, Alex’s brand is versatility that’s always intent on clarifying the emotion of the models and photographers whom she works with. Vetted by her recurring employment, Alex T is performing this task exceedingly well.

Esquire was created in America but has flourished internationally. The publication (founded in 1933) appeals to men’s intellect as well as a sense of style. One of the magazine’s calling cards is its steadfast demand for the most striking and appealing photography. Alex has worked on many editorials with Esquire Singapore since 2015. A benefit of working with Esquire is the opportunity to use her abilities for both male and female subject of notability. This has seen Alex working on advertorials for Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Salvatore Ferragamo, and Louis Vuitton, as well as features like “Woman We Love” (with Liv Lo and MMA fighter Angela Lee) to “Man of Our Time” (numerous). Working with such an established name as Esquire can often seem like an ideal situation as Alex relates, “Two of my favorite experiences have been with Esquire; ‘Lighter Than Air’ and more recently ‘Welcome to the Dreamscape.’ I loved the concept for ‘Lighter Than Air’ related to the clothes for the season, plus we had such an amazing crew. The model [Jack Connolly] and the stylist on the shoot [Fashion Director Janie Cai] are both dear friends of mine so we had a fun day creating this story. ‘Welcome to the Dreamscape’ was also special because it’s not often that you get to be adventurous with makeup for men. Painting a man in full metallic silver and glitter does not happen very often.”

Nothing matches the excitement of a major film premier, especially when it’s for one of the biggest and most praised movies of the year. For the Warner Brothers Singapore premier of Crazy Rich Asians (recipient of two Golden Globe nominations with a worldwide gross of $238,532,921), Alex was brought aboard as makeup artist for the film’s star Victoria Loke during the all-important red carpet event. Scrutiny is overwhelming when it comes to appearance at these highly photographed events. Alex designed the look to perfectly complement both Victoria’s Dolce and Gabbana black strapless gown for the red carpet and the dark blue Michael Kors dress worn by her at the after party. Loke personally requested Alex for this important premier. Two months later, Victoria once again asked her to do the makeup and hairstyling for her VULKAN magazine cover shoot. Alex describes, “The makeup for Vulkan was completely different than that of the Crazy Rich Asians premier. The shoot was much more intimate in mood so we wanted to keep her whole look much more subdued and natural. It had to be clean as well since there were so many other elements at play; besides the clothes, we also photographed her with flowers and accessories. I wanted the focus to be on her beautiful porcelain skin so I kept the eyes very simple with just some mascara and eye shadow along her lash line to create an illusion of fuller lashes. I applied a light nude pink blush and finished off with a lip balm.”

Speaking with Alex T, one understands that she is both aware of the notoriety of those she works for and simultaneously choosing not to focus on it. The heighth of professionalism is simply showing up and doing what others recognize as your exceptional ability. For Alex, it’s simply about doing something she loves and finding the intersection of her voice and that of those with whom she collaborates.

Written by Kelly King