We’re Having a Mod Moment…And Loving It!

Ashley Green's modern take on Brigitte Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

Every era has its icons, its look, its own zeitgeist, and the Sixties’ is instantly recognizable. And even better, every era comes back around again, allowing us to relive a defining moment in our lives, as well as improve upon it with today’s advanced technologies, whether it’s the cut and feel of the fabric, the gentleness of the chemical processes used on their hair, the finer pigments and textures of the makeup, and the array of styling tools we have to use on our hair.

Beyonce channels Raquel Welch

Raquel Welch

We loved the Sixties, and its icons, from the voluptuous, sensual, and exotic Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, Brigitte Bardot, and Veruschka; to Barbarella-era Jane Fonda; and Youthquake icons and Warhol muses Edie Sedgwick and Baby Jane Holzer; to rock star girlfriends Marianne Faithfull, Pattie Boyd, Jane Asher; models Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree and Twiggy, and gamine ladies Jacqueline Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn.

Kristen Stewart's cover

Veruschka's cover

 They all have their equivalents today -- Ashley Green, Beyonce, Drew Barrymore, and Kristen Stewart are all channeling the backcombed, high-volume, sexy kitten, just-rolled-out-of bed look of Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch, Jane Fonda, and Veruschka from her cover of Life magazine.

Angelina Jolie

Veruschka

Angelina Jolie channels Veruschka’s long, center-parted, wild child hair, while Rachel Bilson, Mischa Barton, and Zooey Deschanel could stand in for models Jean Shrimpton, Penelope Tree, and It Girlfriends Marianne Faithfull (Mick Jagger) and Pattie Boyd (George Harrison and Eric Clapton) with their heavy fringes.

Rachel Bilson

Jean Shrimpton

How could one not draw comparisons between Emma Watson and Twiggy? 

Mischa Barton

Marianne Faithfull

Or Ginnifer Goodwin and Edie Sedgwick?  

Zooey Deschanel's mod fringe

Mod model Penelope Tree

Christine Brinkley’s tousled beehive is truly classic Bardot. And Krysten Ritter’s baby fringe recalls nothing so much as Audrey Hepburn. In a single awards season, Drew Barrymore wore an homage to the bouffant made famous by First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and Bardot-esque back-combed and tousled waves tumbling down her back.   

Emma Watson

Twiggy

Ginnifer Goodwin

Edie Sedgwick

Today, the difference is their hair is healthier, their color brighter and more dimensional -- and changed more often because we are able to do so without the damage wrought by the processes of 50 years ago. 

Christie Brinkley does Bardot

Brigitte Bardot

What is the same then and now is that whether a woman is a classic beauty or one with more offbeat looks, they all know they are beautiful and charismatic, they take care of themselves, and the have complete confidence. It is this combination that draws the eye and the attention of the public.

Krysten Ritter's Hepburn bangs

Audrey Hepburn

Styles never really die; they come back reflected by a new generation. And when we run out of ideas, we revisit the past for inspiration and bring it forward with a modern twist. The thing that has undergone the most radical change is haircolor and the chemistry behind it. There is a science to coloring hair, and one can be a terrific artist with color yet not the chemist needed to reproduce that color again and again. A true colorist can do both, and can also correct as well as create.

Drew Barrymore's bouffant

Jackie O's signature bouffant

Really, I love the look from every decade, and I look back at each of them for inspiration in the style and the color trends, and I try to bring the past forward and make it even better because we have the tools and technology to do so. Women are beautiful no matter what era, and it’s how we bring out their inner beauty and match it with their outer beauty that is ultimately timeless. Look at Audrey Hepburn – that face, if you take away her gamine Sixties hairstyle and clothes, is beautiful in any era. It’s how we express her inner beauty that transcends any era.

Until next week, ciao!