Fall 2012 Fashion Week Hair Trends: We See London, Await France…

Burberry Prorsum

The fashion industry is enough to turn your head right around: Spring fashions are shown in September of the previous Fall; Fall fashions in February and March of the same year. 

Very.Co.Uk

So, while your current stack of glossy magazines are showing the warm-weather clothes and beauty trends that strutted down the Spring 2012 catwalks in 2011 -- full of clothing colors from breezy pastels to neons; styles preppy and safari to ethnic and edgy; red lips from matte to gloss, from brow/red to sheerest vermillion;  rosebud lips; cat’s eyes, smoky eyes, white/silver metallic shadow, deep-toned glitters, or brilliant pops of eye shadow; flushed cheeks; and heavy darker brows; hair with pastel streaks and dip-dyed tips, slicked back ponytails, embellished up-dos, and sleek center parts --  New York, London, and Milan just wrapped up their respective Fall 2012 Fashion Weeks, and Paris Fashion Week is coming to a close. 

Ossie Clark

LONDON: The watchword for hair at London’s Fall Fashion Week, with the usual notable exceptions, was touchability, natural texture, and shine, embodied beautifully at Burberry Prorsum. The overall motif in London for the upcoming Fall is looks you could achieve yourself – or that at least look as if you could. 

Vivienne Westwood

These are hairstyles that are wearble and commercial; the colors look healthy, natural, highly reflective, and are very European, lacking the usual American overabundance of highlights. This is hair that just begs to be touched (Very.co.uk, Ossie Clark, Burberry). 

Alexander McQueen

Of course, it wouldn’t be London without Vivienne Westwood’s and Alexander McQueen’s outrageous designs – and for that you will require quite a bit of assistance. 

Bora Asku

What we really noticed is that, overall, the makeup for Fall is much more mannered than the hair – and that’s sexy (Bora Asku, House of Holland). 

House of Holland

Luella

Issa

Paul Costelloe

And I am personally pleased to see so many variations of pink lipstick on the London runway, from a just-bitten rose to a vibrant fuchsia (Luella, Issa, Paul Costelloe). That’s sexy, too!  

Normaluisa

Gianfranco Ferre

MILAN: In Milan, it was a season of extremes. It was all about making a statement, and that statement was “look at me” – but my, how the approach differed! In one camp, we had the “look at me because I am molto bella,” and the other “look at me because I am piuttosto brutta.” 

Blumarine

DSquared2

It’s really a choice of what kind of attention you prefer: Do you want to be on the receiving end of stares and glances because you look casual, pretty, and the best you can possibly look (like the models at Normaluisa, Gianfranco Ferre, Blumarine, and DSquared2)?

Or are you ready for attention no matter what form it comes in?

Prada

Fendi

Even if that attention is more from a place attraction/repulsion, of wanting any attention at all whether it is positive or negative (like them models at Prada and Fendi – both the makeup and the hair are not going to win fans, and to a certain extent at Gucci and Marni – the makeup at Gucci will win fans even though the hair is lackluster; the hair at Marni will have its fans even if the makeup is so absent the models look recently released from hospital)?  

Gucci

Marni

NEW YORK: Call us biased – at least until we’ve had a chance to review the whole of Paris Fashion Week to weight against it – but New York had the most consistent combination of wearable, touchable, attractive hair AND makeup. 

Ann Yee

Carolina Herrera

Granted, the braided up-do at Ann Yee is something I was doing back in the Seventies and early Eighties, the nouveaux bouffant at Carolina Herrera sees a renaissance every decade or so, and the backcombed faux bob-and-headband combination at Oscar de la Renta was refreshingly disheveled. 

Oscar de la Renta

But the fact is everything eventually comes back around, and we just reinterpret it and reinvent it, improving upon the previous versions with better styling products and less-damaging styling tools.

Cynthia Rowley

Now, how about the hairstyles at Cynthia Rowley and Creatures of the Wind? 

We were a bit shocked at Cynthia Rowley’s wild mass of almost-dreadlocks and ringlets haphazardly pinned to the back of the models’ heads, as she is not known for her wildly avante garde design sensibility. 

Creatures of the Wind

And Creatures of the Wind: Would the models | Be aware | If anything were to move in there? | What kind of creature might come out of there? | Would YOU dare? (with our thanks to the late Dr. Seuss).

Tory Burch

We saw up-dos at Tory Burch (feminine, wearable, and sexily imperfect), Derek Lam (very do-it-yourself looking, lunchtime-tryst-and- rushing-back-to-work – also sexy), and Preen (caught in a high wind?). 

Derek Lam

Preen

The faux bob from Rodarte with unwieldy metallic embellishment camouflages the best parts of that style as effectively as the headband accentuates what is essentially the same style on the Oscar de la Renta model – a perfect example of how execution can make or break a look. 

Rodarte

Rag & Bone

The long, waving textured locks at Rag & Bone, Diane von Furstenberg, Rachel Zoe, and DKNY are alive and sexy.

Diane von Furstenberg

Rachel Zoe

And even though stylist Eugene Soulieman pulled the hair into a low side ponytail at DKNY, we never thought to lump it together with the highly controlled, pin-straight, high-crowned ponytail from Jason Wu. The only thing the two styles have in common is the elastic band.

DKNY

Sometimes runways shows are not the easiest places to find flattering hair and makeup (or clothing, come to think of it). Haute couture and pret-a-porter fashion shows are very much about fashion designers competing with one another, showing off their design and technical skills, trying to break new ground, looking to be shocking, hoping to differentiate themselves from the hundreds of other hopefuls and become a household name. 

Jason Wu

What often gets lost twice a year is the women who are going to buy the clothes and make their careers a success. Designers so easily get caught up finding the perfect hanger for their designs that they court mannequins who don’t look like real women, and some get caught up in the shock value of exaggerated or even slightly grotesque features, making those women their “muses.” And sometimes women get caught up in being on the cutting edge of the trends, in becoming the patron or the muse of a designer, or of buying into a designer’s aesthetic without regard for whether it is flattering, brings out the best in their looks or figure, is cut for their body type, or is a hairstyle, haircolor, and a makeup palette that flatters their unique coloring, ethnicity, age, and features. Women are encouraged to run from one trend to the next without thought for whether it is right for them , only that it is the latest, newest, and she’ll be the first.

And ladies, as a professional, master haircolorist and stylist for over 40 years, and as a man, I am here to tell you that the latest/newest/first does not matter to us AT ALL. It matters that you look sexy, beautiful, confident, and happy. And that may not entail dyeing your hair aubergine and cutting it in the graduated bob Victoria Beckham wore when she moved to L.A., or growing you hair below your shoulders, cutting in disconnected layers, and trying an ombred or dip-dyed look that is best left to your granddaughter.

               

Until next week, ciao!

The Closer: Oscar Ends the Awards Season with the Leg and the ‘Slip’ that Launched Their Own Twitter Accounts…and Some Pretty Hair

Angelina Jolie, sans leg...

While the consensus was the 2012 Academy Awards show was the usual snooze (Eddie Murphy really could have been a game changer), we did have the leg and the wardrobe malfunction that launched their very own Twitter accounts, courtesy of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez, respectively (#AngiesRightLeg and #JLoNipSlip). Trending topics aside, both ladies looked amazing at the Oscars.

For the second time in the 2012 awards season, Angelina broke with her tradition of wearing a nude lip in favor of bringing down the house with a red pout that simply has no equal. Combined with her loose, tousled waves and brighter hair color, she was radiant, a perfect foil for the structured black velvet Atelier Versace gown with the thigh-high slit that caused such consternation when she very self-referentially struck the highly common, exaggerated Red Carpet pose designed to maximize exposure in the wink-wink tradition of “oh, I’d simply FORGOTTEN this old dress was slit up to my hip.”

Jennifer Lopez, front and back

La Lopez looked amazing in her cream-colored Zuhair Murad gown with illusion panels and deeply plunging neckline, perfectly set off by her high classic ballerina bun. The fact that the double-sided tape holding things together chose her onstage appearance with Cameron Diaz to plead exhaustion made her short presentation of “Best Costume” award the most replayed TiVO moment of the year, a record she may well retain for the other 10 months remaining of 2012.

Berenice Bejo, roots and all

Best Actress nominee Berenice Bejo wore one of the prettier versions of the bohemian braids we’ve been seeing on the runways for the past two seasons – at least from the back. 

Berenice Bejo, the view we prefer

It was very on-trend, very in vogue, but the execution in the front wasn’t flattering. Unfortunately, we also weren’t on board with her switch from brunette to redhead; her skin tone is too olive for this shade of red and it made her look sallow, and its one-dimensionality reminded us of nothing more than home haircolor – so did the dark roots. If you can’t get it right on the most important night of the year – maybe your entire career -- well…

Miley Cyrus, all grown up

How lovely did Miley Cyrus look? Without those extensions – and oh, do we wish we could talk some people into removing theirs for the health of their hair – she looks fresh and her hair looks so much better, a much brighter and more flattering warm shade. Her makeup was beautiful, and she’s finally really come into her own. The gown was way too old for her, but overall it’s a major step in the right direction.

Viola Davis, au natural and gorgeous

Another actress who revealed her real hair is Best Actress nominee Viola Davis, who decided to abandon her wigs and appear with her natural, closely dropped hair. The coppery shade, slightly darker that her own burnished skin tone, was beautifully complimented by her emerald-green Vera Wang strapless gown and verdant eyeliner. It was very brave to step out on a night like this and show her natural beauty, to be herself without hiding behind a false image contrived by Hollywood. We thought she looked stunning, and hope it is the start of a trend toward women accentuating and accepting their beauty instead of working so hard to conform to an impossible standard.

Stacy Keibler, Hollywood Blonde

Stacy Keibler, rear view

Perennial bachelor George Clooney’s latest “plus-one,” Stacy Keibler, was practically the female version of the golden statuette with her perfect multi-dimensional highlights, long golden hair, and strapless liquid gold Marchesa gown. For a new twist on flowing, sexy Hollywood blonde hair, her stylist rolled her tresses across the back of her head so they would cascade over her left shoulder. It was quite pretty, except that her stylist didn’t anchor the pins very well and they were visible from many angles. No doubt she was a bit mortified when she arrived home and started to remove them – unless George did. In which case she had a perfectly fantastic evening and didn’t know about this minor mishap until she saw these same pictures after the fact, and who cares when you have George Clooney unpinning your hair at the end of the night?

Sandra Bullock rocks the high pony

Presenter Sandra Bullock has been wearing a version of this high ponytail to events recently (having a grabby two-year old is often the mother of invention), and with her bone structure, it’s a very flattering look. To bring a more formal air to it, her stylist wrapped either a lock of her own hair or a hairpiece around the base. Her dark hair is glossy and healthy, and we think this is one of the best versions of the high-pony going, and her backless Marchesa was the perfect frame.   

Rooney Mara, retro edgy

Rooney Mara’s retro black bangs, a result of growing out the shorn hairstyle worn in her Oscar-nominated role in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” are in high contrast to the actress’s translucent white skin and piercing blue eyes. She looked both beautiful and avante garde in a white Givenchy Haute Couture gown, retro yet edgy and modern. 

Penelope Cruz, retro matron

A not-so-successful retro look was Penelope Cruz’s faux-bob. It was very “40s pin-up,” yet somehow came off as too matronly. Had it been longer, we would have said “Veronica Lake” but instead what we were thinking was more “Lauren Bacall.” It just wasn’t quite right, and she was not helped by her drab Armani gown, which was also just a bit off.

Rose Byrne, iconic perfection

A Vivienne Westwood-clad Rose Byrne pulled off the classic bob-with-bangs look that always comes back into vogue, decade after decade: think of Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction,” Michelle Pfeiffer in “Scarface,” Julie Christie in “Shampoo,” Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie & Clyde”…all the way back to Cleopatra (or at least Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra). It’s an iconic look that we love, and it suits Rose, who wore it to the Oscars with a deep side part.

Emma Stone, too severe in front, so pretty in back

Emma Stone has some of the most beautiful red hair in Hollywood (we suspect this shade must be fairly close to her own natural color; it is simply too well-suited to her skin tone and eyes to be more than a shade off at the most), and this low, twisted chignon is quite pretty from the side and back, elegant yet not too formal. But Emma is too young for so severe a look in the front with the bangs so flicked down. Wouldn’t she have looked even more gorgeous with a bit of volume and height in the front for a softer finish?

Gwyneth Paltrow, boring from the front

She may have been the critics’ darling for her Tom Ford gown-and-cape combination, but Gwyneth Paltrow’s hair was shockingly sloppy for the Academy Awards show. 

...and sloppy from behind

There was nothing finished about it at all, from the front or from behind. She had visible roots, a plain exposed rubber band, and it frankly looked like she could have done it herself. This was not the star-quality hair we expect from her. See Sandra Bullock’s pony tail for a casual look done up elegantly.  

Jessica Chastain, the sexy half up-do

Viola Davis’ and Emma Stone’s “The Help” co-star Jessica Chastain has made quite the impression on the Red Carpets this award season, and the Oscars were truly her crowning achievement (pun intended!). Her highly embellished Alexander McQueen gown was perfectly offset by a soft, sexy half up-do – very Bardot-esque with some volume at the crown and the artful “bedhead” look she perfected for the hair cascading over her shoulders. Bella!

Kate Mara, in Rooney's stylish shadow

Unlike her sister, Rooney, Kate Mara opted for a much less controlled up-do; instead of controlled messy (the usual goal) she ended up with just “messy messy.” While Kate has very thick, healthy hair, she also has a low hairline, and the sideswept bang really accentuates it. This was not a flattering choice.

Milla Jovovich, just stunning

We’ll end on a high note with model-turned-action-star Milla Jovovich. She looked stunning in a crystal-beaded Elie Saab gown and a sexy up-do that could be the textbook definition of “controlled messy.” It had the height and fullness needed without being in any way severe or hard. Her hair looks soft and touchable, and the style is flattering, her color dimensional and alive. Add the evening’s other statement red lip, and this one’s a winner.

Until next week, ciao… 

Calling All Men! Women Want to Know What Hairstyles Turn You On…

We’re putting a call out to all our male readers to tell us what hairstyles and haircolors are sexy. Women sometimes get caught up in trends, or fall in love with a celebrity style or haircolor that she thinks is fabulous, but may never consider whether it is something that a man is going to find flattering, let alone sexy.

So, we’re asking you to share your opinions, for the education of our female followers. What turns you on, and just as importantly, what turns you off?

• Do blondes really have more fun?
• Do redheads really have more sex?
• Are brunettes really smarter?
• Can a woman with short hair be sexy?
• Is there such thing as hair that is too long?
• How do you feel about bangs?
• Are wild hair colors sexy or a turn off?
• What if her blonde hair has dark, visible roots?
• What is sexier: Her hair up, or down?
• What is sexier: Straight, smooth hair, or wavy, beachy curls?
• What hairstyle or haircolor makes you do a double-take?

Tell us what the sexiest look is on a woman, and what the un-sexiest look is. Next week, we’ll share your answers!

To give you a hand, we've created a photo album on our Facebook page to give you some ideas to choose from, but you should feel free to Google pictures of your favorite celebrities who have the sexiest hair, and those whose hair is a big turn off. You can post them with your comments, or just provide us with the link to the picture, and we’ll grab the image for you. 

And don’t hold back! The ladies will thank you for your honesty.

Until next week, ciao…  

Want to Get a Bang Out of Life?

Rachel McAdams/InStyle.com

Every once in a while, a trend seems to explode onto the scene, and we see it ripple outward into not just one or two celebrity looks, but into a half dozen, then another handful, and suddenly things reach critical mass and our salon fills up with clients clutching magazines and pictures they printed from websites. If that many stars are doing it, it must be something they ought to consider, too. This time, we’re talking about Hollywood’s Big Bang Explosion.

Liv Tyler/InStyle.com

Now, there are celebrities who experiment with styles but generally wear bangs as their signature look: Nicole Ritchie, Zooey Deschanel, Meg Ryan, Kate Moss, and Ashlee Simpson all come to mind immediately. 

Sarah Michelle Gellar/InStyle.com

Jessica Biel/InStyle.com

But literally in the past week , six very popular stars have shown up to promote their new films or at award shows with fresh fringes: Rachel McAdams, Liv Tyler, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jessica Biel (who just changed her haircolor last month), Reese Witherspoon, and Rhianna, who not only has a banging rocker shag, but a brand-new blonde haircolor to go with it!

Reese Witherspoon/InStyle.com

Rhianna/InStyle.com

Bangs are a fantastic way you can drastically change your look without changing your overall hairstyle, length, or hairline – that’s why these celebrities tend to inspire so many women to try cutting a fringe, too. When you see the before-and-after pictures together, you realize what a big change can be made with a minimum investment (in both money and hair sacrificed!). 

So, if you’re not ready for some of those drastic cut and haircolor changes we showed in the last post, perhaps bangs are just the right catalyst to get a bigger bang out of life.

Until next week, ciao!  

Change for Change’s Sake, Changes for the Better, and Cautionary Tales…

Last week, we posted before-and-after photographs of nine high-profile celebrities who made major hairstyle changes in the first 31 days of 2012, either cutting, coloring, or doing both! Celebrities have truly become the barometers of beauty and fashion for the masses, and they have the financial power to indulge their whims and change their hair as often as their clothes. It’s wonderful to have so much inspiration to make changes to your own style, but as we give you our opinions – as promised – we’ll also impart some advice about what is involved in being a color-and-cut chameleon.  

Cameron Diaz, old before her time

Cameron Diaz: Your opinions were unanimous, and agreed with ours – Cameron’s new color and cut age her tremendously. In fact, we think she looks downright matronly, and her hair looks fried. Her former warm tones were much more flattering to her skin, and even though she changed her makeup colors to complement the new platinum shade, the overall effect turned a quirky, exotic comedienne into a middle-aged “Housewife of Beverly Hills.” She’s a cautionary tale for trying on wigs before making a change so drastic. And more than one person commented that her new color and style make her look like Ellen Barkin, who is 18 years her senior. 

Miley Cyrus, au natural

Miley Cyrus: From extensions to natural! What a relief it must be to have them removed. Although her “before” picture shows her hair at flattering and natural-looking mid-back length, she’d kept adding more and longer lengths with multi-toned and textured extensions that had no resemblance to real hair. Ms. Cyrus commented that after six years of wearing extensions, she felt enough was enough. Her new cut is flattering and will allow her hair to replenish while still maintaining some length. The sunglasses, however, are totally unflattering for her facial shape.

It’s difficult for women who are accustomed to the extra length and thickness to get used to how their own hair feels again, because it’s going to have some damage and need time to recover and re-grow. The most important thing to know about extensions is that they are very high-maintenance, and if you cannot afford to take care of them, don’t do it because you can severely damage your hair. They add extra weight to the hair, and as the hair grows, the extensions are further from the scalp. You can’t comb or brush the hair between the scalp and the extension, and it tangles, so you pull to try and smooth it, and you have breakage.  Extensions are an investment, never take the cheap route, and if you can’t afford the maintenance, you’re going to end up with broken and severely damaged hair. Use clip-in extensions instead and save yourself the trauma.

Selena Gomez, acting her age

Selena Gomez: The “before” photo of Ms. Gomez looking so elegant at an award show, contrasted with the new neon extensions, reminds us of how young she really is. It’s a look for the young rebel at heart, and you can pull it off with the right amount of attitude, and with the right clothes and makeup – but be classy and selective. Placement of these bright extensions needs to accent the shape of your face. And, of course, you can put them in and take them out like you change outfits. It truly is fashion freedom for the hair.

Dakota Fanning's Dip Dye Disaster

Dakota Fanning: Dip dye gone horribly wrong! It looks as if she fell asleep in her Kool-Aid. In our opinion, Dakota probably did this at home. It’s an interesting trend executed poorly; if you want to try the dip dye look, there’s a proper way to have it done professionally so there is no line of demarcation. We understand even her mother has said in the press that it looks awful, but she has to let Dakota be herself. Let’s hope she discovers that her “self” looked absolutely lovely before.

The Katy Perry Blues

Katy Perry:  We were not surprised that very few of you thought you’d try out Katy Perry’s new haircolor; many of you thought her “before” blonde-with-a hint-of-pink was one of her best looks. But an integral part of Katy Perry’s persona is a tendency to drastic transformations. Dying your hair blue is for people who want to make a statement, who don’t care what other people think, who are confident in their choices and change what they want, when they want. If you’re that kind of person, go blue! Or hot pink, or lavender. Just remember the key words: maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. It’s a look for someone where cost is no object, and who has no one to answer to about their appearance. For many people, turning up at work with blue hair could cost them their job. If you’re even considering a color change of this nature, make sure you have the freedom to do so.

Wild for Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde: First, she cut the bangs last year and her eyes became the focal point, and she went from another pretty actress to really sexy. Now, Ms. Wilde has cut her long, flat-ironed and very layered hair to just graze her shoulders, darkened her base color, and changed her highlights to gold and caramel. It’s amazing how adjusting the tones and highlights can enrich your look and blend so beautifully with your skin. Her eyes stand out even more, yet the color changes are subtle and not overdone. We definitely like her new look.

Michelle Williams: Just Perfect!

Michelle Williams: Here’s the perfect example of how simply changing the color can make a drastic difference. She hasn’t modified her now-trademark pixie cut at all, but she’s been everything from the palest platinum to baby blonde, and always had to compensate for the fact that those light shades blended into her skin by using makeup to create some contrast and bring in color. Her new pale strawberry blonde warms her up beautifully, giving her a glow better than any makeup could. It’s like trying on the same dress in different colors and not being very impressed, then suddenly you put on the one that is the perfect shade for you, and you look amazing.  We love this “after.”

Kim Kardashian: Can Do No Wrong?

Kim Kardashian: “Before” is long, soft, and wavy; “After” is dramatic Cleopatra bangs and straight, shiny layers. It’s a matter of preference here – Kim Kardashian is beautiful, and she has an absolutely gorgeous head of hair. She has the right facial shape and proportions to carry off either look. We were evenly divided in the salon on which look we preferred, and the comments we got from you were as well.

Jessica Biel: Change for change's sake?

Jessica Biel: This is an example of hair color being treated much like clothing fashions. Today, with the incredible range of hair services and colors available, it’s become as changeable as heel heights or hem lengths, flares or skinny jeans. And with celebrities as our icons, we watch as they constantly morph their look, from boho to sophisticate, from avante garde to sporty. They change from one hair cut and hair color to another, they want longer hair and get extensions, they change the color again at a whim. If you’re going to change your haircolor as frequently as a celebrity, do it professionally and properly because it puts stress on the hair, and you can’t see the damage underneath when you do it yourself. You don’t throw a pair of pants in the dryer that need to be dry cleaned; your hair is the same. Put it in the hands of professionals and remember than when you see pictures like these, you’re seeing Ms. Biel at her best, and someone’s spent a few hours on her hair, washing and conditioning, using the right products, blowing it out, using other heat tools and making it look perfect. Is one color better on her than the other? We really couldn’t say – they’re both flattering, shiny, healthy-looking, she’s made slight adjustments in her makeup to compensate, so the whole package works either way. This was likely just change for change’s sake, like switching from faded denim to dark indigo jeans.

  

So, until next week, ciao…