Fashion Road Kill

Ho-hum at Tommy Hilfiger/Dan Lecca

This is not the sexy waves or volume I expected.

I am a very positive person, and have a hard time saying anything negative or critical about anyone. But after looking at 46 slides from this year’s “New York Fashion Week,” I just couldn’t pretend to like what I saw.

Up/Tight at Max Azria/Dan Lecca

As a Haircolorist and “stylist” (i.e. one who practices the art  of not just cutting hair but styling it creatively, attractively, and with a finished look), I was disappointed to see the lack of anything new or creative on the runways during Fashion Week. The long, super-straight, center-parted, close-to-the-head styles shown were the same styles we’ve been seeing for the past 10 years.

Vera Wang's messy updo/Dan Lecca

Prim/Boring at Carolina Herrera/Dan Lecc

The Donut at Donna Karan/Dan Lecca

The only difference is that these straight looks were messy, as well as boring. While “current trends” releases and articles in the beauty industry are now calling for a return to “big hair” with volume and sexy waves or curls, the designers who instructed the hairstylists to create these runway looks obviously did not get the memo.

Back to the 80s at DVF/Dan Lecca

The sleek, tightly pulled ponytails on the runway were also nothing new, except that a few had braids incorporated into them. 

"The Snooki" at Peter Som/Dan Lecca

The up-dos were severe and hard to carry off (even for a flawless 18-year-old), and limited to the classic French twist or chignon. Again, nothing new or inspired.

The only “new” look shown was the “wet look,” with hair slicked back with gel. 

By new, I mean something we haven’t seen since the Eighties, and frankly, a look most of us have not missed.

The piece de resistance, however, was the appearance of the teased up, messy “poof,” it’s a sad day for fashion when our beauty fashion icons have become Amy Winehouse and Snooki from Jersey Shore.

Red Hot at the Grammys

Rhinna/InStyle.com

As a Master Haircolorist, I have to admit a certain bias – red hair has always been my favorite. There weren’t many surprises at the 2011 GRAMMY Awards, but I noticed a trend there that we’re sure to be seeing in the months to come: red hair. 

Red hair, whether orange, copper, violet, crimson, strawberry, auburn, or aubergine, red stands for confidence and reflects individuality and uniqueness. And it shouts out loud one’s presence.

Nicole Kidman/InStyle.com

Rhianna was an absolute “Red Delight” in her new bob and multi-faceted red shade. It brought out the caramel tones in her skin, and she fabulously matched her makeup and lipstick to the tones in her hair. Brava!

Anna Nalick/WireImage.com

“Red Delicious” is how I’d describe the welcome change back to her signature red by Nicole Kidman. Although this still shot is misleading, the live broadcast showed her hair to be a gorgeous strawberry blond.  For too long, she’s been a pale imitation of herself. It was fantastic to see how gorgeously complimentary her natural shade is with her alabaster skin and freckles. Absolutely fabulous.  

Singer Anna Nalick’s “Red-bellious” crop is a deep auburn with cool undertones. I like that she wore her bob in feminine curls, a nice counterpoint to her goth eye-makeup and spikey dress. 

Florence Welch/Instyle.com

Another “Red-bellious” redhead is Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. Her bright coppery strands were a great juxtaposition between a smooth bang and wavy, tousled lengths. She’s another whose pale skin works so well with her chosen shade, and brightens her blue eyes.

Hayley Williams/WireImage.com

The one redhead I call “Red-iculous” is Hayley Williams of Paramore. Her too-short bangs and crimson/orange hair are meant to be as unnatural-looking as possible, but it clashed badly with the hot pink skirt of her dress. Also, the matching hair, brows, and lipstick just weren’t flattering. She’s looked much prettier is the same shade with a longer shag cut and makeup that plays up her translucent fair skin. 

When you ask your haircolorist, he or she can give you the right red hair for your complexion and coloring, but you have to bring all the attitude. Only 1% of the world’s population is natural redheads, so if it weren’t for the colorist, red hair might simply disappear. Go red, and see what happens. I guarantee you won’t want for attention!

The Pixie: Not Just for Little Girls

Emma Watson/InStyle.com

Some very high-profile celebrities recently began sporting the pixie haircut, most famously Emma Watson, who after so many years of maintaining long, curly hair for the “Harry Potter” films, celebrated the end of her run as Hermione by shearing off her hair. I love this look on her because it accentuates her delicate features and is a great look for her face shape.

Halle Berry/InStyle.com

The pixie that has been around longest is that of Halle Berry. Although she has grown it out a number of times, she always comes back to this extremely sexy look, with movement and length at the top that she can play with. Molto bella!

Jessica Stroup/InStyle.com

Actor Jessica Stroup recently debuted a longer version of the pixie, versatile yet sexy.

Carey Mulligan/InStyle.com

Carey Mulligan’s pixie has grown out a bit, into almost a short bob with a pixie touch. Once again, she shows how versatile a pixie can be by pushing the hair back or forward. 

Karmen Cass/InStyle.com

Model Carmen Cass debuted a nice long version of the pixie: casual, carefree and sexy. After so many years of long blonde hair, she must feel very free.

Michelle Williams/InStyle.com

Academy-award nominee Michelle Williams wears her baby-blond pixie with longer bangs, and it’s a lovely look on her. She’s made the short cut look so versatile, parting it on the side, sweeping it back, and sometimes leaving her bangs down and using some pomade to “pixie out” the bangs.

Any one of these pixie looks, even though they’re short, can look vastly different through the use of pomades and structurizing creams. These beautiful women can wear it away from the face, sweep the bangs to the side for a softer look, or accentuate the cut’s sharp lines by tousling it up. Don’t fear short hair, ladies -- it can be more versatile than long hair!

The SAG Awards: Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose

Amy Adams/InStyle.com

Angie Harmon/Wireimage.com

The major hair trends we saw at the Golden Globe Awards repeated themselves at Sunday night’s Screen Actors' Guild Awards show – some were great, and some disappointing. 

The ponytail worn high on the head was seen on several Hollywood A-Listers with the hair pulled straight back, parted on the side or parted down the middle.  

In all variations, the hair was sleek and close to the head and the ponytail hair was straight and smooth, as on Angie Harmon, Amy Adams and Juliana Margulies.

Juliana Margulies/Instyle.com

 This style is classic, elegant, and very youthful. While usually thought of as a casual or tailored look, we saw how the ponytail also works well with any style ball gown. I like the simple ponytail and also like that I can transform it into elegant up-dos to give my client many different looks for many different occasions. 

Natalie Portman/January Jones

 I was disappointed with the few up-dos that did make their way down the SAG’s red carpet; they were lacking creativity and either too-dated, high school-prom-looking or too severe. January Jones and Natalie Portman looked beautiful in spite of their too flat, too close-to-the head up-dos, not because of them. 

Kyra Sedgwick/InStyle.com

Hilary Swank/InStyle.com

Another trend was long hair with pronounced wave, a nice change from the stick-straight long hair Hollywood has been obsessed with for the last decade -- way too long for any trend to last, in my opinion. 

Soft, sexy waves are flattering to women of almost any age and make a more mature woman much more attractive than totally straight hair. Stars who wore this look wonderfully are Kyra Sedgwick, Hilary Swank, and Mila Kunis. 

Mila Kunis/InStyle.com

Christian Bale/InStyle.com

As I predicted in my last blog, men's hair is finally trending to longer lengths after many years of super-short styles.  

The actors at the SAG Awards seem to be keeping the long hair grown for a film role long after they called it a wrap.  

Christian Bale's hair was cleaner, neater, and somewhat shorter than at the Golden Globe Awards a couple of weeks ago.  

Jeff Bridges also seems to be enjoying his 70's retro longer style.  

John Hamm/Wireimage.com

Jeff Bridges/Wireimage.com

John Hamm of Mad Men wears the classic, clean-cut style of the 60s well on and off screen, as does Matthew Morrison of Glee.

Matthew Morrison/Wireimage.com

We’ll be critiquing more award-show hair, culminating with the crème de la crème for these celebrities and their watchers – The Academy Awards. Ciao until next week!