MUD Collaborates With Bella Torre Academy

Paul Thompson

Recently, Make-Up Designory (MUD) collaborated with the Bella Torre Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii, to offer the new Bella Fusion Make-Up Artistry Program and MUD cosmetics to their students. The relationship is the culmination of hard work and passion, beginning with lead instructor Kecia Littman’s vision to bring quality make-up training and products to Hawaii. Kecia initially contacted MUD and introduced us to Tamaki Torre, CEO of Bella Torre Academy.

My role in the MUD/Bella Torre Academy partnership was to write and prepare the curriculum and then train the instructors to present the curriculum. I flew to Hawaii this month and was greeted by Tamaki after an early morning flight and treated to an amazing hotel right on the beach in the heart of Waikiki. I immediately went over to the school and met up with Kecia and Bella Torre Academy program director Kapua Inglis to dive right into the training. The training sessions lasted five days and we utilized every moment, working hard to make sure Kecia and Kapua were able to effectively teach the techniques we required. I also had the pleasure of working closely with Laine Ryches, who is also a make-up artist in Hawaii, and she was able to spend some time with us in addition to her responsibilities doing make-up on ABC’s Lost. Laine was training to teach the course as a substitute and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.

The trip was a tremendous success – not only did everyone at Bella Torre Academy work with the curriculum and give fantastic presentations, but they also understood MUD’s mission – they are going to be able to do amazing things for the students in Hawaii. I look forward to checking on their progress and seeing the work of their students.

— Paul Thompson