'She's a real girl in the early 90s, going clubbing at the palais,' said Val Garland, bright and (very) early this morning at Place Vendome, the grand outpost for Roland Mouret's spring/summer14 collection.

'It's about really real skin and a detail in the eyes - I'm adding black liner in the waterline on the top and bottom with brushed up, boyish brows - slightly aggressive tough girl chic,' said Val perhaps unaware of how difficult it is to pencil the waterline for the less skilled among us (guilty).

Still, despite the unspoken truth that looking back at clubbing in the 90s nostalgically makes us all feel pertinently old, it's a welcome flash of grit and braun among the feather-light, angelically understated make-up that's become thematic this season. 'There's no highlighter, no contour and we've mattified the lips down with MAC Mixing Medium,' added Val.

The skin, devoid of any sort of contrived finish, was prepped with MAC Match Master Foundation (even the most pixel-perfect model skin has started to buckle under the marathon of fashion week) to look clean, but fuss-free. 'It looks shiny but not greasy, like when you've just washed your face with soap,' said Val, helpfully swerving the obligatory spring/summer14  vocabulary - 'sporty', 'rawness', 'healthy.'

Orlando Pita complimented Val's dancefloor-ready look with a 'boyish, side parting and a little wave' in the hair. 'She's been dancing in a club and now she's going to another.'  Oh, the folly of youth.

Click through the gallery above to see some of the best moments from backstage at the show.