High above the streets of Manhattan, well before the break of dawn on the morning of Monday, February 16, the 35th floor of the Seagram Building was the center of creative artistry drawing major talents from the worlds of fashion and beauty. It was there that renowned celebrity hairstylist Odile Gilbert of Exposure NY led the hairstyling team to create an ultra-simple, yet ultra-sophisticated hair look, one that reflected the refined aesthetic of the highly anticipated Fall 2015 collection designed by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row. In creating the look, all clean lines and polished perfection, Odile worked exclusively with styling products from René Furterer.
Touching on the synergy between The Row's DNA and that of René Furterer, Odile remarked, "The Row is a label known for using noble fabrics, only the most luxurious silk, the finest cashmere. I know the René Furterer products for a long time. We love René Furterer because everything about the brand is leaving the hair silky, and the products are treating the hair at the same time. It's always a pleasure to work with products that you like, that work, but are not overly perfumed." To echo the Zen-like mood and pure lines of the collection of kimono-wrap tunics, luxe cashmere sweaters, double-faced felted melton coats and slim trousers, all rendered in a serene palette of ivory, winter-grey and black, Odile decided on a precise, perfect middle part. "To go with the clothes we wanted a silky, elegant look, not a ponytail or messy hair - it had to be elegant. We tried a wavy look at the hair test, but once the girls were in the clothes, we knew this smooth, silky look was it." Beautifully minimal make-up created with M.A.C. cosmetics by key make-up artist Tom Pecheux completed the look.
Get the Look:
1. Says Gilbert, "First, hair has to be freshly shampooed and conditioned. The hair has to be clean in order to look super natural. Then on clean, dry hair I make a clean middle part-it has to be perfect.
2. "Next, I prep hair for blow-drying with René Furterer FIORAVANTI shine enhancing detangling spray - no rinse. It's one of my favorite products and I'm not just saying that because I'm French! I spray the lengths of the hair section by section down to the ends.
3. "After spraying each section with the FIORAVANTI product, I blow-dry each section using a blow-dryer with a nozzle attachment for a smooth finish. As I blow-dry, I pull each section taut with a Mason Pearson brush. The mix of natural and synthetic bristles eliminates the static you can get on a cold, dry day like today.
4. "Once hair is dry, I flat-iron it for more finesse, moving the flat iron straight down the length of the hair from roots to ends to make it really super-straight. Before flat-ironing each section, I spray it with René Furterer LISSEA thermal protecting smoothing spray.
5. "Last, I spray, René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY over the top of the hair. Just a touch is enough to minimize any fly-aways and static from the cold weather. The hair is clean, smooth and straight, very natural and very refined."
[Photo credit: John M. Craig for René Furterer]
