Ornella Riverditi

Born and raised in the fashion capital of Italy, Milan.

Ornella’s ardor for art began in early adolescence, during her high school art classes where she discovered the mesmerizing beauty of oil painting.

Looking back, Ornella becoming part of the fashion industry seems inevitable. Surrounded by the allure of Milanese fashion shows, trendy magazines and the feminine, effortless style of silver screen Italian women, she quickly fell in love with the splendour of it all and went on to become a freelance makeup artist.

Her talent and passion for the craft quickly propelled her into the elite, with makeup artist Nando Chiesa soon becoming her mentor, with whom she closely collaborated for many years. A pivotal moment in her career was assisting established makeup artists Pat McGrath, Peter Philips, Linda Cantello and Aaron De Mey at some of the most iconic fashion shows during the supermodel era.

This unmatched experience of working BTS at fashion shows allowed her to develop a keen eye for precision, efficient execution and glam crew management skills. Ornella’s pure creative intuition and her broad understanding of the function of products makes her a truly experienced professional in the art of makeup.

Her career spans 20 years, her technical skills and leading-edge approach to beauty are truly impressive, a particularity being her airbrush expertise, an unequalled technique for a flawless skin, natural coverage finish.

She grasps a woman’s needs for every occasion, from studio fashion photography to red carpet events. Ornella has an outstanding list of international celebrities and socialite clients, among which Monica Bellucci, Bianca Brandolini D’Adda, Charlize Theron, Sharon Stone, Eva Herzigova, Eugenie Niarchos, Claudia Schiffer, Michelle Hunziker, Margerita Missoni, Noor Fares, Eva Cavalli, Uma Thurman, Claudia Cardinale, Beatrice Borromeo Casiraghi, and many more.

She has worked on campaigns and fashion shows for Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Trussardi, La Perla, Moschino, Anna Molinari, Revlon, Ultima II, BioNike, and leading fashion magazines Vanity Fair, Vogue Italy, Glamour, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Grazia – the list goes on.

Ornella is currently the Creative Director and brand ambassador of makeup brand ICONA Milano. She’s an impassioned glam educator and a public speaker on the art of makeup, now inspiring the new generation of artists.