Taking Wing with Feather Extensions

At Alexix Mabille's Paris show

They were featured at the Fall 2011 Couture Shows in Paris. They’ve sparked a war between the fly fishing industry and the fashion industry (I am not joking). Big name fashion stylists have already started creating theirs for Fashion’s Night Out in September, so it’s a trend that hasn’t begun to reach its peak. What am I talking about? Hair feathering, or what most of my clients ask for, feather extensions.

Miley Cyrus

It’s wildly popular right now, it’s an ornament, an accessory, one you can choose to put on for a day or an evening and then take out, or have applied like a cold fusion extension that you can wear for months and wash, style, curl, or flatiron as you would any hair extension.

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Some of my clients come in a want to make a major statement, choosing a combination of bright colors like pinks, turquoise, chartreuse, and parrot green, combined with the natural patterned feathers, especially the long striped ones (they are rooster hackles, actually). 

Lauren Hutton

Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Lauren Hutton all chose a combination of bright colors and naturally patterned feathers.

Heidi Klum

Hilary Duff

Some opt for a more subtle look, matching the feathers more closely to the shade of their hair so that they look more like exotic highlights, like Heidi Klum’s feathered ponytail, Hilary Duff, Roseanne Barr, and Selena Gomez.

Roseanne Barr

Selena Gomez

And some always need to attract attention, and feathers are just part of the mix: Paula Abdul’s feathered up-do, Kesha, and Steven Tyler, for example.

Paula Abdul

Kesha

What’s also interesting to note is that feather extensions are being worn by everyone from teens to more mature women. It’s a trend that transcends age. It just takes the confidence to pull it off. 

Steven Tyler

And if you work in a conservative office, and the clip-on extensions are too temporary, you can always put a permanent extension or two deep in the hair where they only peek out at certain angles, and are your little secret. Like wearing lace undergarments under your business suit.

Until next week, ciao!