Interview: Ezme Thomas

Ezme Thomas is a make up artist based in London. Her work is often quite quirky and surreal but also very delicate. She is a joy to work with and always on time, this is one of the reasons I have gotten this interview with her. I have worked with Ezme numerous times, and since first working with her I have never used a different make up artist, she is just so great and delivers perfectly every time. It is not just her make up that makes her stand out, unlike a lot of people in the photographic industry, Ezme is someone who is truly passionate about what she does, if you mention an idea to Ezme you'll probably get an e-mail later that night with a sketch or design of what you told her you'd like. Apart from make up, Ezme makes wigs, headdresses and various accessories.

What first attracted you to make up artistry?
Makeup has always been a big part of my life. After completing a night course in Theatrical makeup i had no doubt that makeup was what i wanted to do. I love the freedom that comes from the confidence that i give people and its ability to transform a person into someone else.

How did your first assignment go and what was it?
I have heard a lot of horror stories about peoples first shoots and i was quite lucky in that respect. During my final year at University, a photographer approached me and asked if i would be able to do work on a charity campaign she was shooting. It was for injured rugby players, and she got half the England rugby team to model. It was my job to make them look as though they’d been injured (black eyes, split lips that kinda thing). The shoot itself went really well, however the photographer was using film and her camera had malfunctioned. Nothing came out.

How do you feel about the whole fashion/make up/photography industry at the moment?
I think that as far as personal expression goes it is better now than it has ever been. With make up brands like illamasqua that promote and celebrate individuality, it has almost become fashionable to create your own fashion.


Do you think that magazines like Vogue, I-D, Dazed And Confused, Elle etc... pressure women (and men) to become super skinny and encourage eating disorders or negative behavior?
I think that to try to pin the blame for such an increasingly wide spread problem on fashion magazines is too easy. Whenever the subject is brought up I cant help but think why is it that certain people react to the image of the ‘ideal’ woman is such an extreme way?

When discussing this issue I would hate for people to think that I am generalizing. I think that sometimes the issue could stem from insecurities due to that fact that in this day and age we feel like we are always being viewed by others. I think that it could be more the feeling that we should look a certain way to others as opposed to wanting to look that way personally. In my opinion this is a social problem and not that of the media. In a way you could say that if media is influenced by society then it is just reflecting current social problems. In turn this is not an issue that has a simple yes or no answer.

A massive part of the industry at the moment is a photographer is changing the physical appearance of someone massively to make them more attractive, how do you feel about this?
On the surface I do not agree with this BUT as with the last question its never that simple. Surely the real question is why do photographers feel the need to do this? And again I think that it is part of a much larger social issue.

Who is your make up idol and why?
Alex Box. I love her style. She really pushes the boundaries of what can be done with make up. Her work is always so bold, she certainly knows how to make an impression.

Out of the people you have worked with, are there any you'd like to give a special mention to? Or others who you wouldn't work with?
I could probably go on for forever so I’ll try to keep this one short...

As far as photographers go I would have to say that Twitch Photos is the best Ive worked with. She is amazingly creative and has what I can only describe as an unnatural amount of drive and determination.

The best model Ive worked with so far has to be Becki Kremer (aka Lady Whiplash). Not only is she amazingly friendly and professional but she also has the ability to pull off the most extreme looks. I like that in a model.

What do you plan to do in the future?
I would like to carry on doing the work |m doing at the moment but also I would like to go back to doing more performance based Make up and Body painting. I have already got myself a job in November with a Circus act and think that it will be a nice change for me. Other than that I take opportunities as they come and take life one step at a time so its hard to tell what the future will hold! 

Photographer Credits:
Image 1: Sam Bowman
Image 2: William Cook:  http://www.facebook.com/poopmoop
Image 3: Twitch Photos: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001039456179
Image 4: Jim Nemer: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000389649592


Find Ezme at:
Website
Blog
Model Mayhem
Facebook