Rock This Look: V V Brown, Modern Geisha

by Selena Fragassi

Published Nov 19, 2013

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If V V Brown were interpreting the music industry in terms of the zodiac, she'd deem 2009 the Year of the Eccentric Artist. That was the year the British songstress released her colorful debut Travelling Like the Light, an over-the-top pop record that—like the style of her contemporaries at the time—exaggerated everything.

“I wanted the world to see me as an artist,” Brown admits of her early work, which she paired with the persona of a colorful retro diva, complete with pinup bangs, loud makeup, and bold clothes. “It was the same year [Lady] Gaga really made her mark and artists like La Roux came out of the woodwork. And there was this need to connect in a very exaggerated way, with, like, spikes on your shoulders, crazy bird hats, and impossible shoes.”

The London-based musician left all that behind when, while recording her latest album Samson & Delilah, a particular cultural icon caught her attention. “I quite simply fell in love with the geisha,” she admits, reflecting on the paradox. “We tend to associate the geishas with being high escorts, but when you look into the history, there’s a real sense of discipline and skill with how they express themselves as women.”

Feminine expression is something the now 30-year-old has always admired. Growing up, she fawned over sophisticated icons like Bianca Jagger, Grace Jones, and Iman in i-D Magazine, and looked up to the women in her Pentecostal church, who used music as a means of expressing a higher power. “We sang and played instruments because we were worshiping God,” she recalls. “And I think my first realization of my abilities was in the notion that it was something I could offer to a greater being.” As she grew older, though, the church became less of a musical spiritual guide, as her Jamaican-born parents’ collection of reggae, soul, classical, and R &B albums took over.

“I don’t believe in those rigid rules of the church anymore,” she says. “I think that Jesus would be the kind of guy that would hang out at Glastonbury and just chill.” Quite possibly even just to see Brown perform, still singing like she’s trying to reach the heavens and projecting the image of a modern geisha, with a touch of Ancient Egypt elegance and gothic edge. It's a look we can't get enough of, so we chatted with Brown to learn more about the influences and products behind her covetable hair and makeup.

Rock the Hair

“African Americans tend to stick weaves and extensions in and don’t look after our their hair properly (myself included). So I need products that can do damage control,” says Brown, who has had her hair chemically straightened to mimic the pin-straight geisha look. In order to keep her hair super hydrated, the singer uses Mixed Chicks shampoo and conditioner, which she says are great for natural Afro-Caribbean and African-American hair. She also uses Moroccanoil daily: “It’s really great if you’ve had a Brazilian blow dry, like I have.”

Rock the Makeup

First things first. Of her gothic geisha look, Brown warns,“Make sure you're going to the right event, because it can look ridiculous in regular public settings.” For Brown, she takes the look to the stage by starting with the right base. First, she custom-makes her foundation by mixing Cellex-C cleanser/moisturizer with Bobbi Brown Long-Wear, Even Finish Foundation, and sets with white powder. Brown follows with Chanel cream blush (“to make my face look extra sun-kissed”) and then moves onto the brows. “I cover up my existing brows with concealer and then draw them back on in a thick, square shape,” she explains. To achieve this, try a dark brow powder like Anastasia Brow Power Duo in Dark Brown. Lastly, she does defined liquid eyeliner (Brown prefers felt-tip pens) and a coat of Topshop Ooh La La lipstick.

Even with all of the makeup, Brown's non-negotiable is good skin care. “If you take that makeup off and your boyfriend runs out of the room because you look like a beast, that’s not a good look,” she laughs. The first step is always removing makeup at night (try our DIY remover wipes!).