Replicating Rachael

I always loved that scene in Blade Runner when Deckard scans the photograph and enlarges and enlarges to find one of the replicants reflected in a mirror. Here’s my attempt in my tiny bathroom.Before I cut off my hair last October, I decided to do a few dress-ups that required long hair. As I had also recently acquired a 70s-does-40s black crepe dress (complete with rhinestone brooch on the left shoulder), the time was ripe for a little homage to Sean Young’s Rachael in Blade Runner.

Tools for becoming RachaelSuch a tease …The first thing to do was tease my hair, which is always a difficult task because my hair is fine and soft and tends to flop pretty quickly. I don’t know – maybe I’m just not hard-core enough with my teasing and hairspray. I always shudder at doing such violence to my hair, and the thought of combing it out afterwards makes me chicken out from going all the way. I created some rather modest ‘boofs’ (that’s Aussie slang for big hair): big puffs on either side of my centre parting.

An important step in the nail polish drying process: running waterRed nail polish was required (Revlon Fire & Ice); a dunk under cold running water speeds up the drying process. The super-fun part of the makeup process was using my Majic instant eye shadow, which reminds me of that scene in The Fifth Element where Milla Jovovich uses a Chanel product to instantly apply some pretty cool eye makeup. Lots of black smudgy eyeliner and some browny-pink lipstick with some gloss over the top finished the look.

Channelling Rachel via Leeloo with Majic instant eye shadowSmudge that eyeliner, roll back that hairI don’t own any enormous-shouldered jackets similar to Rachael’s sharp jacket – I eschew shoulder pads almost entirely – except for a fitted jacket from the early 90s by old label Blasé, which is also secondhand. A rolled-up piece of office paper simulates Rachael’s cigarette. But the most important part is replicating Rachael’s defiant, dead-eyed stare just before Deckard cross-examines her.

The thing that always amused me in the film is when Rachael takes down her perfectly coiffed, smooth hair in Deckard’s apartment, and suddenly it’s corkscrew curly! How does she do that? Is it a replicant thing – they can curl their hair at will? Because – barring having a hairdresser on hand at all times – that would be a handy skill to have. 

Princess Tatiana à la Rachael