AFW Backstage Beauty Report: Mr Smith Takes Over Christopher Kimber

TBTM went behind the scenes at the Museum of Contemporary Art on Day 4 of AFW, with official hair sponsor Mr Smith, where it’s safe to say that the word ‘amazed’ was such an understatement. 

Leading the hair direction was Freda Rossidis, co-owner and creative director of Mr Smith, whose career has quietly threaded through some of fashion’s biggest backstage spaces for years. Rossidis has worked across Paris, Milan and New York Fashion Weeks alongside legendary hairstylist Sam McKnight on shows for Chanel, Prada, Balmain and Dries Van Noten.

At one point, she swapped running her Melbourne salon for a Paris Fashion Week opportunity working with the late Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel. The kind of career decision that sounds slightly insane until it completely changes your life.

Backstage at Christian Kimber, that international runway influence was obvious. The hair had shape and texture, but still felt believable and effortless. Wet finishes appeared throughout the lineup, though not in that crunchy, ultra-glossy runway way. Everything stayed soft around the edges. Natural curls were left intact. Placement mattered. Movement mattered. The hair looked lived in, like the models had spent the morning swimming at Bondi before ending up on a runway.

The Mr Smith stations backstage were stacked with Masques, Leave-In treatments, Texture Spray, Hairspray, Curl Crème, Paste, Texturiser and Shaper, all layered strategically to build texture without making the hair feel stiff or overly “done”. Stylists worked product through the hair, almost like skincare, focusing on conditioning before styling.

And while this was a menswear show, the beauty direction never felt stripped back or minimal in the lazy sense. Grooming was treated with the same level of intention usually reserved for major womenswear runway beauty. Skin sponsor RATIONALE leaned fully into that idea backstage.

Makeup artist Shella Martin created skin that looked hydrated, luminous and almost heat-drenched under the runway lighting. The reference point was natural radiance and holiday skin, which made perfect sense against Christian Kimber’s collection of relaxed tailoring, washed neutrals and Mediterranean-inspired colour.

Backstage tables were lined with The Instant Radiance Mist, The Radiance Booster Serum, The Strengthening Serum, The Brightening Light Crème and Beautiful Skin Superfluid SPF30, alongside The Nourishing Lipid Mask from RATIONALE’s professional range. Martin used the mask across the high points of the face to create extra dimension under lights, giving skin that slightly sweaty, expensive glow fashion people are permanently chasing.

The final result never tipped into overt “makeup”. Models looked healthy and rested, like they drink enough water and answer emails from yachts. (A vision I will be manifesting for myself one day.)

The collection itself pulled inspiration from Aegean island life, translated through azure blues, desert tones, sun-faded whites and relaxed tailoring. But backstage, the beauty teams understood that the fantasy only works when the grooming feels equally considered. Nobody wants a beautiful linen jacket paired with dehydrated skin and bad hair.

Christian Kimber founded his label in 2014, originally launching with footwear and accessories before expanding into ready-to-wear. Since then, the brand has built a loyal following around a softer, more relaxed approach to menswear that still feels elevated. Quiet luxury has become an exhausted phrase at this point, but backstage at Christian Kimber, it made sense.