Her artistry has graced the runways of New York Fashion Week and the pages of some of the world’s most glamorous fashion publications, but for fashion entrepreneur Romana Lai, this is just the start of an ever-evolving and expanding career. This September’s NYFW, Romana will make another splendid splash behind the scene and upon the stage. She is now the most seek-after fashion consultant for the most prominent fashion events worldwide.
From humble beginnings in Taiwan, Romana defied her family and friends to pursue her dream of working in fashion, studying fine art before using the experience to kickstart her career as a makeup artist. Today, she is a celebrity makeup artist and creative director and the founder of Romana Makeup and RM Group, a fashion consultancy.
But her journey to success was certainly not an easy one. She had to overcome many obstacles in this challenging and competitive field to get to where she is today.
Early on in her career, back in Taiwan Romana found herself unfulfilled and as a single mother of a young son, determined to create a promising future for her family. She decided to take a brief hiatus to Tibet to try and find some clarity, where she met a young Yunnan photographer, who inspired her to push even further to achieve her dreams. “What do you fear?” he asked Lai. Taking his words to heart, she prepared for her boldest career move yet… moving to New York City.
“It was anything but easy,” she recalls, “I worked constantly and at night I took classes to practice my English. I was all alone in a new city and I didn’t know anyone.”
After receiving her NYC Cosmetology license, Romana diligently sought out agencies, magazines, designers and took on freelance work to build her portfolio. Her hard work and dedication didn’t go unnoticed and soon, she was working with production teams for New York Fashion Week, movie sets, TV shows, even booking campaigns with the SuperBowl and an advertising promo with the Food Network’s TV Host.
Romana has now established her brand as the leading expert in exquisite and unique makeup artistry. Her dedication and precise attention to detail and execution has produced some of the most stunningly luxurious images and elegant visages, beloved by her loyal clientele worldwide.
She has worked with supermodels such as Elyse Taylor, Ophelie Guillermand, Oluchi Onweagba; and had major features in top publications like ELLE, Vogue, Marie Claire, Cosmo, NYLON, and Glass book.
Romana established RM Group in 2013, a New York-based fashion strategy consulting company with international reach, advising brands on the optimization of their development strategies and working closely with fashion week coordinators.
In 2016, she expanded her brand across America and Asia; all while writing and publishing her book, NEW YORK STYLE. Meanwhile, her successful career has also afforded her the opportunity to travel back to her hometown in Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia and many other destinations, to host seminars, interviews and appear as a guest speaker.
As she gears up for an incredible six runway shows for this September’s NYFW, Romana is already looking ahead to future plans to expand her brand and collaborations across fashion, beauty, and lifestyle.
She lives by the famous quote from The Shepherd's Fantasy Journey, “When you really want something, the whole universe will unite to help you."
It’s this ever-positive and persistent attitude that continues to drive her onward and upward in the demanding but exciting world of fashion.
“You simply have to stay focused and positive,” she says, “There will always be some difficulties, but you can always overcome them. Always.”
For further information or PR inquiries, contact:
Monique Lewis
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Telephone: 646-470-4806
- Website: https://www.romanamakeup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/romana117
