Karen Alder
From rock bottom and having little confidence
to internationally respected make up Artist, Karen Alder has shown
the positive effect that The Prince's Trust has on people's
lives. This is her story.
I got my start in the beauty industry from The
Prince's Trust with an inspirational business mentor and invaluable
loan that kick started my career. To be reunited with
The Trust again has blown me away. I am so thankful for their
support and looking forward to finally giving something
back.
"My career in styling and make up began in the 1990s,
working predominantly in advertising and music. The first personal
clients I took on were Roisin Murphy and Carol Voderman.
I arrived at the studio, having never met the show's star
before, only to be told that I had just 20 minutes with her.
Happily, the new look I created for Carol was an instant hit with
the press and so this turned out to be a landmark job for me.
A fantastic amount has happened since then. I grew up in
Sheffield and was still based there when I got the call from
Kylie's management company asking to see my portfolio.
I'd previously had a great experience working on the Spinning
Around promo with director Dawn Shadforth, creating make-up for the
extras, all 200 of them. But then came the call inviting me to work
with Kylie herself. I made the life-changing move to London
straight away.
I'll never forget the excitement of landing that job and going
around the world with Kylie's On a Night Like This tour. But in the
12 years since then, there have been plenty of other special
moments, not least the call from Elaine Constantine who got me
working with US Vogue, and recently working on a campaign against
domestic violence for Woman's Aid with Anna Friel, Jemma Kidd and
photographer Rankin. All amazing.
I've been immensely lucky in the course of my job to work with
some truly remarkable people. But what's especially satisfying is
that I've been able to do so without compromising the way I think
about beauty whether I'm asked to create a look that is classic or
avant-garde.
Too much of the time, make-up is seen and used as a mask a view
which runs counter to my own instincts and philosophy. My passion
lies in working to identify the essence of what's really special in
someone and allowing that unique quality to shine. What I do is not
about redefining or covering up, but rather about seeing people's
strengths, their natural beauty and inherent glamour and enabling
all that to come fully to life.
Working alongside The Prince’s Trust, I have created TRUST. I'm
a long term supporter with first hand experience of the work that
The Prince’s Trust supports. I got my start in the beauty industry
from The Prince's Trust with an inspirational business mentor and
invaluable loan that kick started my career. To be reunited with
The Trust again has blown me away. I am so thankful for their
support and looking forward to finally giving something back."