“ Patricia Hartmann ” A Journey Down the Runway By Erika Lee
“ Patricia Hartmann ” A Journey Down the Runway By Erika Lee
Patricia Hartmann became a familiar face on the Runways of Paris , New York and Milan , walking for the fashion world ’ s top designers -Versace , Valentino , YSL , Ralph Lauren , Oscar de la Renta and many more .
The transforming artistry in the makeup chair captured Patricia ’ s heart and imagination as she worked with the world ’ s elite makeup artists and those experiences continue to inspire her today Despite her success in the world of fashion and beauty , Patricia always maintained her modest disposition and girl next door allure . She decided to leave the glamorous world of modeling behind and start a family .
Now that her family is grown , Patricia is back in the forefront with an innovative cosmetic line by the name of “ Runway Rogue .” Sensing a need for high performance makeup that really looks and feels great and also carries a message of inspiration she launched her line , “ Runway Rogue .”. Join us on her journey and check out RunwayRoguebeauty . com
Tell me about your journey to becoming one of the great supermodels of the 90s ?
A : My big break happened when Karl Lagerfeld cast me for his Chanel show . I was an unknown model in Paris , just getting started . I went on an audition for the show and the line of models was all the way out into the street . It was an open call , therefore , none of us were scheduled to see Karl himself . We were allotted 30 seconds to show our ability on the catwalk ( I had no clue ) and that was that . We were to meet the casting person , show our walk and leave our comp card . Done and done . When I was about to walk out the door the casting person asked me to wait and explained that she wanted me to meet Karl .
I was so nervous , but when I introduced myself something amazing happened . We started speaking German ( our native language ) and he told me that he loved discovering fresh new faces , but that my “ plain haircut ” had to go ! Right then and there he consulted with Yannick D ’ Is , who designed my hair in an unexpected new look for the show . I was given a very short haircut right on the spot , and Karl booked me for the Chanel show . The short ‘ Twiggy ” cut became my signature , and after that show I booked every major fashion show that season . As the hair was sheared off , my career took off !
How was it to work with Makeup Artist greats like Kevyn Aucoin and Laura Mercier ?
A : I was lucky enough to work with some of the best people in the industry , and working with artists like Kevyn Aucoin and Laura Mercier made me fall in love with the transformation of makeup . They were both absolutely amazing , but each had a very different style .
Kevyn loved to transform faces , whereas Laura would enhance your natural beauty and features to absolute perfection . Kevyn once taped my eyes to make them more cat-like and he could change your lip shape into Marilyn Monroe ’ s lip shape , without even looking at an image of her because he held all of these amazing beauty bits in his memory . Kevyn also had an incredibly steady hand . Laura is an absolute perfectionist and when she was done , you could do a close up on each eyelash , and it would be perfect . She is basically a human retoucher before the photo is even taken .
How were you discovered ?
A : I was 17 years old sitting in a café in my hometown of Munich , Germany . A lady who owned a local agency approached me and asked me if I had ever thought of modeling . She gave me her business card and I excitedly asked my parents if I could try taking some test photos , and they said yes . At a later date , a Modeling Scout from an agency in Paris asked if I would like to spend a summer there to see what we could make happen . I said yes and while I was supposed to spend 6 weeks in Paris , I ended up living there for 6 years ! I guess you could say , it went really well .
What was your first Runway show and describe how you felt the first time you stepped onto a runway ? smaller runways and then work their way up , I was given the opportunity of a lifetime when Karl took a chance on me . I booked the show the day I met Karl Lagerfeld and I since I had never been on a runway before , I had an emergency session with Miss J . a catwalk coach in Paris [ from America ’ s Next Top Model ]. I almost fainted when the lights went on and I downed two glasses of champagne to muster up some liquid courage ! I am forever thankful to God , that I did not stumble ! It took a few shows , but I got used to it , and ended up loving being on the catwalk !
What was your favorite part of modeling ?
A : Ha ! The makeup of course ! Most models just sat in the chair , distractedly talking about anything and everything but not me ! I paid close attention to every tool , every trick and realized that makeup is something that can be used in so many different ways . It is a tool that can do simple enhancing of natural beauty and also develop incredible creative expression thru color and techniques . I was one of the few models who actually didn ’ t wash their face before leaving the studio . I loved makeup and would choose to keep it on and enjoy it throughout dinner and the evening , which Fidel can attest to . I loved Fidel ’ s makeup artistry so much that I didn ’ t take it off until I went to bed ! My brand , “ Runway Rogue ” cosmetics was inspired by those early experiences and my interactions with the artist I worked with .
How many covers have you graced ?
I was truly blessed with a wonderful career . I ’ ve had about 50 major magazine covers and much lesser known ones . I probably had the most covers on ELLE and MARIE CLAIRE , then VOGUE , HARPER ’ S BAZAAR , ALLURE . Of course , this was before the internet , so my mom would make weekly trips to the train station in Munich and Germany , where they had an international magazine shop . My mother was known on a first name basis because she was there so often .
What was your absolute favorite thing about the industry ?
A : The artistry overall ! The creativity of designers , hair , makeup , the models and anything that was part of the artistic process . The pride that people took in their work and the often humble beginnings of so many artists until that very special day when the artist was recognized and given the standing ovation they so deserved . Artists give up so much for their passion and it is true of the blood , sweat , and tears that goes into so much of it . The moment when you wonder if you ’ ll ever arrive is usually followed by the moment when you know you have arrived ! I love that and everything in between and that is the magic of the industry .
What was the scariest moment in your career and why ?
A : One scary moment was when I started doing TV commercials with speaking parts . English is not my first language , and although I spoke it well , I was timid when I was on a big soundstage with hundreds of people around me with absolute quiet . The good news is that just like the catwalk , I got used to it and ended up enjoying it immensely .
You ’ ve worked with so many photographers that I am curious if you received any advice that impacted your career . A : There is one piece of advice I definitely took to heart . I was taught early to “ know your angles ” and the other is “ know your lighting source ”. However , back then this was a lot trickier because we didn ’ t take pictures of ourselves with cell phones every 5 seconds and we didn ’ t see what was “ in the can ” right after a shoot because we shot film . The only thing we could utilize was a polaroid image which is how we checked the lighting , makeup , and overall look . I used to study those polaroids and I would try to figure out what worked and what didn ’ t work and why . While knowing your angles and your lighting is incredibly important , it never means you should tell a photographer how to do their job . Respect for the photographer and his artistry is very important . It is important for a model to understand how to best utilize the tools at their disposal . This means ... know your lighting source and your angles .
A : My first show was the Chanel show and while most models start out on