Make-up and Character: The Creation of The Souvenir Part I and II
The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II make-up and hair designer Siobhán Harper-Ryan sits down with Screengrabs to talk about Julie’s minimal make-up, the collaboration process between the production departments of the films and much more
Raw, intimate and heart-breaking are some of the words that can be used to describe The Souvenir. And though it also has its fair share of sadness, The Souvenir Part II is explorational, reflective and hopeful. Strong emotions are elicited from the viewer in both films written and directed by Joanna Hogg, based on her time as a film student in the 1980s.
Having worked on both films as the make-up and hair designer (and even acting in the first one), Siobhán Harper-Ryan’s work is key to creating this realistic portrayal of a young woman’s journey through a relationship, loss and self-discovery. Born in London, Harper-Ryan studied Millinery at London College of Fashion and trained at the Delamar Academy of Make-up. She recalls the films that ignited her passion for cinematic make-up and hair citing The Wizard of Oz and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. “The Wizard of Oz was just captivating,” she exclaims. “This was in the 1970s, so I’d just get to see it once a year on television at Christmas time. I’d be glued to the TV wondering how they did it; it was so magical. Then as I grew up understanding the limitations of what was available to them, it was astonishing really.”
“I was always doing people’s make-up during the 80s. Boys and girls, everybody’s make-up. Colouring hair using food colouring and just playing around.” - Siobhán Harper-Ryan
Harper-Ryan was no stranger to creativity in her childhood, experimenting with different approaches to creating looks. “I was always doing people’s make-up during the 80s,” she recalls. “Boys and girls, everybody’s make-up. Colouring hair using food colouring and just playing around. A friend’s mum gave me her Mary Quant make-up sticks and I used those to create bruises and things. I’d pretend and make blood from various things in the kitchen. So, I was always at it.”
It is clear from talking to Harper-Ryan that her art form comes from a place of true passion. Her answers are thoughtful with consideration to detail when discussing the characters of The Souvenir such as Julie, portrayed by Honor Swinton Byrne. Julie’s look throughout the first film is quite minimal and natural, with a short hairstyle that is mostly worn down. This simple, everyday approach is necessary for Julie’s character and story to unfold realistically as she falls in love with Anthony. “Joanna [Hogg] had already decided that Julie would have a short haircut. And that’s right and proper for the time really,” Harper-Ryan says. “We were very definite that this is a character that doesn’t wear makeup. We could put make-up on that doesn’t look like make-up.”
Harper-Ryan adds that she purposefully left out some of the more recognizable 1980s aesthetics for an accurate portrayal of the time period she remembers, which involved more than what is often portrayed in media.
“Her journey has changed. She’s finding herself and we can really see that, and you see that in the world around her. So, we’re seeing the world through her eyes now as well.” - Siobhán Harper-Ryan
The Souvenir Part II by Joanna Hogg film poster featuring Honor Swinton Byrne and Siobhán Harper-Ryan’s mask of Tom Burke, which was based on a life-cast of his face. Harper-Ryan painted with acrylics and alcohol colours over a fiberglass positive made by Dan Martin. Image courtesy of Siobhán Harper-Ryan.
Siobhán Harper-Ryan in action on the set of a Sky Atlantic and Volvo commercial/mini documentary about sustainability within TV and film. Image courtesy of Siobhán Harper-Ryan.
Shot during the summer of 2021, the Flux Gourmet feature film written and directed by Peter Strickland is set to release in the UK in Autumn 2022 with hair and make-up design by Siobhán Harper-Ryan. Image courtesy of Siobhán Harper-Ryan.
A closer look at the Tom Burke mask. The mask was painted by Siobhán Harper-Ryan over the fiber glass positive made by Dan Martin for The Souvenir Part II film poster. Image courtesy of Siobhán Harper-Ryan.
A closer look at the Tom Burke mask. The mask was painted by Siobhán Harper-Ryan over the fiber glass positive made by Dan Martin for The Souvenir Part II film poster. Image courtesy of Siobhán Harper-Ryan.
Though Part I and Part II both follow Julie’s experiences and path, they are still very different in tone, character development and struggles. Without revealing too much, Julie’s arc and growth are visualised and felt through vivid make-up and hair in Part II. “Her journey has changed. She’s finding herself and we can really see that, and you see that in the world around her. So, we’re seeing the world through her eyes now as well. Everything is changing for her. She’s taking all the good elements from her life in the early 1980s.” This certainly comes across in heartfelt scenes featuring family, friends, parties and particularly the student film screening in which Julie transforms through time and place in hair, make-up, and clothing.
To prepare for the films, the research conducted by Harper-Ryan involved multiple sources to ensure a true and accurate depiction “What Joanna [Hogg] likes to do- she’ll mention a photographer or this particular painting” Harper-Ryan says. “She had all of this footage as well, original footage from when she was at college. She was constantly taking pictures. The party scene that starts the first film, we saw footage of that party. All the people are there. So, we weren’t just pulling, we are actually looking at this character, so we’re going to try and get that look. It was true! And that was wonderful. But also, I like to keep my old magazines, so I have The Face magazine, and I still have all my boxes of those and other magazines and photo albums. I love people’s photo albums.”
Daniel Sandler, Hourglass, Chantecaille, Maria Nila and Laura Mercier are some of the products Harper-Ryan mentions are used within the films- keeping to cruelty-free products exclusively. Julie’s mother Rosalind, played by Honor Swinton Byrne’s mother and legendary actress Tilda Swinton, had her hair changed throughout the film to show time passing. Harper-Ryan explains that a longer wig was made by Peter Owen Wigs in Bristol, cut and styled differently each time.
“Everybody’s involved. This is the joy of working.” - Siobhán Harper-Ryan
The harmony between the costume, make-up and hair is due to collaboration between the film’s creative departments. Harper-Ryan describes the collaboration process, “Everybody’s involved. This is the joy of working…I get so much from Joanna. Everything is down to her, but she is so open to other ideas as well. But it’s my job to realize her ideas but also put forward mine and if she doesn’t like them, she’ll just say and that’s good. I like that clarity; it is so important. Also, I always think the actors need to be heard as much as possible. They are living with these characters; they know the characters and they have ideas. So, we all do things together. Obviously, I look at what the costumes are, and I take a feed of that. I am inspired by what I see going on with the costume. So, Grace [Snell] would always tell me. If I don’t get to see the actor in the outfit, Grace would show me the costume… We never overstep the other department.”
The strong emotions experienced by the viewers of The Souvenir and The Souvenir Part II are made possible by the realism of the character’s dialogue written by Joanna Hogg and the integral visual details- from the natural look of the characters to the special moments of contrasting surrealism and luxury created by make-up, hair and costume.
“I was an enormous fan of Joanna’s work” Harper-Ryan reveals. “I like the pace. I love the films so much. They show the human condition with such sympathy and respect and dignity, that blows me away. I could watch all of them over and over and over.” And so could we.
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