Following “Cher” around Soho with a gaggle of photographers felt it was the golden years of paparazzi again. From the familiar sequins to the platform-heeled strut, it seemed to be the inimitable (or so we thought) superstar walking down the street. But it was Alexis Stone: the makeup artist and master of disguise renowned for his uncanny celebrity prosthetic transformations, who unveiled his latest look at The Mandrake.
“[Soho is] a gay haven,” he says. “If anybody is going to react to Cher, it’s the people in Soho.” And that they did. Tourists and locals alike stopped and stared, their jaws hitting the floor. The actual popstar is certainly not six foot like Stone, but her commanding stage presence makes her seem it – so this tall, towering figure in enormous heels had the crowds hoodwinked.
The past year of Stone’s transformations have been at times tender, at others haunting, and on one occasion fuelling conspiracy theories about celebrity clones. In Matieres Fecales’ “The One Percent” PFW show, Stone took to the runway as a surgically sculpted, feline-like wealthy socialite with an exaggerated “nip and tuck” addiction. As a homage to the socialite and “catwoman” cosmetic surgery aficionado Jocelyne Wildenstein, he marked the one year anniversary of her passing. After Jim Carrey’s appearance at the César Film Awards in Paris led to speculations that he looked different, Stone posted to Instagram “Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris”, sparking viral internet debate.
Cold chatted with Stone afterwards about the timeless appeal of Cher, why he turned it into a public appearance this time, and having to eventually take off the prosthetics.
The Cold Magazine (CM): What a fun afternoon! Walking through Soho with all those people going “it’s Cher!” felt so silly. How did it go, how did it feel?
AS: Completely surreal and completely ridiculous, which is exactly why I loved it. There’s something so funny about spending hours painstakingly transforming yourself and then just… walking out into Soho as Cher. Hearing people genuinely shout “it’s Cher!” is probably the greatest review I could ask for. For those few moments, the transformation had done its job. I love that split second where people are trying to work out whether what they’re seeing could actually be real.
CM: What does Cher mean to you? And does she know yet? (she’s been waiting years for it I’m sure)
AS: Cher is beyond an icon. She’s one of those incredibly rare people who has transcended generations, fashion, music and culture while remaining completely and unmistakably herself. There’s something almost mythological about her at this point. I mean – you’ve seen the memes right? The world will end and we’ll be left with cockroaches and Cher. I’ve wanted to transform into her for years, so there was definitely a pressure I put on myself to get it right. Whether she’s seen it yet, I don’t know, but my team has reached out to hers, and I’m hoping it finds its way to her.
CM: What prep went into the making of the Cher look? What time did you get up this morning, when you woke up at The Mandrake?
AS: Cher has actually been years in the making. She’s one of those transformations I’ve wanted to do for such a long time, but I knew I couldn’t touch her until I felt I could really do her justice. There’s been an enormous amount of research, sculpting, prosthetic work and testing behind the scenes to get to this point. Transforming into someone like Cher is definitely not a case of throwing on a wig and calling it a day! It takes hours to build the face, apply and blend the prosthetics, do the make-up, hair, wardrobe and then obsess over all the tiny details that hopefully make people question what they’re looking at. We spent perhaps three months working on Cher, and I’m so happy I got to give her her flowers in my own way.
CM: What else are you getting up to today/this weekend? Did you keep the prosthetics on all day around London?
AS: I did keep them on for quite a while. After committing that many hours to becoming Cher, it almost feels criminal to immediately rip your face off. We’ve been based at The Mandrake throughout the transformation, which has been such a brilliant home for the whole thing. There’s something quite funny about casually moving through a London hotel looking like Cher and behaving as though absolutely nothing unusual is happening. And seeing guests’ faces also makes me laugh. Eventually though, the prosthetics have to come off as Cher looks like she’s melting. There’s something strangely therapeutic about the removal process, several hours of work disappearing in a matter of minutes.
CM: I’d never want to take it off. Has there ever been a character when you didn’t want it to end?
AS: Definitely. Some transformations completely change the way you carry yourself. You start with the face, but then you find the posture, the expressions and the mannerisms, and suddenly you’re inhabiting this completely different person. There have been a few where I’ve looked in the mirror before taking everything off and thought, “I could happily stay like this for another few hours.” But I think the temporary nature of it is part of what makes it special. You create this person, they exist for a moment, and then they disappear. But I do love cosplaying Jennifer Coolidge, and could live in her body. Or Madonna.
CM: Why did you announce a public appearance this time?
AS: Normally my transformations exist within a very controlled environment. You see the final image or film and that’s the illusion. This time I wanted to remove that safety net. If I’m going to say I’ve transformed into Cher, then let’s put “Cher” in the middle of Soho in broad daylight and see whether people believe it. It’s a gay haven, and if anybody is going to react to Cher, it’s the people in Soho. There’s no retouching or carefully selected angle when someone is standing two feet away from you on the street. That made it much more exciting (and terrifying) because the transformation had to survive in real life.
