Way Bandy…
WAY BANDY was one of my early makeup artist heros. He was famous for the COSMOPOLITAN covers he did with photographer FRANCESCO SCAVULLO each month for years, but he worked with all the top magazines and photographers. The large photo above is RENEE RUSSO by Scavullo and Way when she was a top cover girl for VOGUE. IMAN also photographed by SCAVULLO. I’ll never forget seeing a multi page photo spread in Vogue of LAUREN HUTTON and KAREN GRAHAM (the two top girls of the day) shot by RICHARD AVEDON. They showed all the behind the scenes of a photo shoot with Way and hair guru ARA GALLANT doing the touch-ups on the models makeup and hair. Those photo’s were part of what inspired me to come to New York and get into the business. I read their names in the credits and said “that’s what I want to do”. Way arrived in New York in 1966 but his career really got started in 69 when he became director of the makeup department at CHARLES OF THE RITZ (a wonderful makeup line that sadly is no more). Then in 1971 he went on his own as a freelance artist and worked with just about every top model and movie star of the time. There were several celeb’s that preferred to do their own makeup like ELIZABETH TAYLOR, CHER, and BARBRA STREISAND that became huge fans of his. Taylor was quoted as saying “Way is like an artist using a palette”. To me he was like a glamorous ninja…handsome and sleek dressed all in black with his brushes and potions wrapped in a beautiful silk scarf and carried in a woven Japanese basket. He prepared his makeup as if performing an ancient ceremony going about his work like a Zen master. Way was extremely health conscious which made his death from AIDS in 1986 all the more shocking. Way’s book “DESIGNING YOUR FACE” was my text book on how to do makeup. It’s out of print now but you may still be able to find a copy.
