It was the 1990s when New-York-based Turkish make up artist Feride Uslu began to experiment with a new technique — airbrush. Originally a Hollywood special effect technique, Uslu introduced it in her work as appeared in ‘Purple’, ‘Another Magazine’, ‘Arena Homme Plus’, ‘Dazed & Confused’, ‘i-D’, ‘Jalouse’, ‘The Face’, ‘Interview’, ‘Nylon’ and ‘Vogue’ as well as labels such as Bless, As Four, John Galliano, Adidas, Bernhard Willhelm and Chloé, even celebrities like Aimee Mann, Björk, Chloë Sevigny, Marilyn Manson and Paris Hilton. In order to lighten the ten-pound machine, Uslu’s husband and partner Jan Mihm worked on improving the machine and eventually released a much more portable ‘Uslu Airlines Airflow™ System’ in 2002. Debuted in Colette and Barney’s New York, the pen-shape airbrush gun sprays over thousand almost-invisible tiny drops to ensure make up properly set with a ‘Photoshop’ result.

Celebrated as ‘number one revolutionaire’, Uslu Airlines is surely not bound to traditional beauty. Airflow™ can even transform object. French illustrator Fafi paints a heart shape on her cheek with Airflow™ in order to transform her into persona ‘Fafinette’. Japanese make up artist Kaori Kobayashi uses it for all-over body painting. Artist Bojan Fajfric even uses it in installation art. The possibilities of this ‘ultimate futuristic make-up guru’ go on. The statement ‘You Decide What’s Uslu’, as seen on the Uslu Airlines official website, welcomes new creative partners in ‘beauty’ crime.

Text: Carmen Lee | Translation: dilettante
Photo Courtesy: Uslu Airlines, Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Banu Cennetoglu
Update: 13 Feb 2009

USLU AIRLINES
www.usluairlines.com