The Crazy Years in Paris with Marisol Suarez

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On Sunday, April 19, 2015, 200 top hairstylists gathered at the Avalon Hollywood, one of Tinseltown's most historic landmarks. The theatre at Hollywood & Vine has been a show business epicenter since opening in 1927 during the silent film era. The Beatles made their historic first West Coast appearance in 1964 and now, more than fifty years later, René Furterer returned to this very same venue for a second time to host an exclusive event to celebrate vintage glamour and to showcase and demonstrate the extraordinary work of international hair artist Marisol Suarez, founder of Studio Marisol in Paris and a renowned, award-winning master of avant-garde hairdressing and the art of couture wig-making.

Entitled Parisienne des Années Folles (The Crazy Years in Paris), the evening began with a festive cocktail reception in the venue's Gatsby-themed gallery, where Pierre Fabre USA President and CEO Laurent-Emmanuel Saffré, René Furterer Vice President Francois Viargues and the René Furterer team greeted guests. The impressive roster of attendees included René Furterer Ambassadors and top hairstylists from high-profile salons such as C The Salon in Studio City, CA, Cristophe Salon in Bevery Hills, CA, Opulent Salon in Bakersfield, CA, Ubuntu Hair Studio in Solana Beach, CA, diPietro Todd in San Francisco, CA, H Studio Salon in Mission Viejo, CA, Rodney Gentry in Scottsdale, AZ, Jovie Salon in Dallas, TX, Monica Foster Salon in Palo Alto, CA and Showroom 383 Salon in Mill Valley, CA. As the guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and mingled with the René Furterer Team, they were surrounded by brightly lit columns and vignettes and impressive visuals of the René Furterer ABSOLUE KÉRATINE collection, the brand's luxurious spring launch.


Following the cocktail reception, attendees gathered in the venue's theater for the highlight of the evening, Marisol Suarez inspiring the audience with her demonstrations of hair looks that represented the essence of Paris in the 1920s, all created exclusively with René Furterer's versatile styling products and Marisol's unique artistry and imagination. Backstage, top hairstylists and René Furterer Ambassadors Adrien Flammier of Atelier Emmanuel Salon + Day Spa in San Francisco, CA, Nicky Bangles of Showroom 383 Salon, Andrea Hicks of Soda Salon in Atlanta, GA, Claudio Lazo of C The Salon, Monica Foster of Monica Foster Salon, Sami Eid and Michelle Hsiung of Cristophe Salon and Vanessa Ramos of Ubuntu Hair Studio lent their talents to assist Marisol.

With the crowd anxiously awaiting Marisol's presence and talent on stage, Francois Viargues welcomed the audience, saying how excited he was to be back in Los Angeles and how pleased he was to once again present the "incredible" and "amazing" Marisol. "Not only is she highly respected by her peers in the industry, but she works with her heart," said Francois. "Her outstanding career and international accolades are impressive and we are thrilled to have her here with us tonight." Before the presentation began, Francois also took a moment to express his excitement of thenight's theme: "The Crazy Years in Paris" or "The Golden 20s." "This decade in Paris was so special because of the innovation, fashion, music, art and architecture. Inspiration came from around the world-from Africa and Russia to the United States-and people wanted to feel beautiful, sexy and free. We're delighted to bring this time period alive on stage tonight." With that, Francois said, "Please enjoy the show!"

Following the enthusiastic round of applause, and with "Willkommen," sung by Alan Cumming from the musical Cabaret playing on the soundtrack, a trio of female models, all clad in black, silky, lingerie-inspired garb and showcasing sleek fingerwaves and pin curls adorned with sequins and glitter, and a duo of male models, both clad in crisp tuxedos, graced the stage. Adrien Flammier and Nicky Bangles then made their entrance. In sync with the beat of the lively song, and with the help of the René Furterer STYLING WAX, René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY and René Furterer GLOSSING SPRAY, the two stylists cut and styled the male models' hair, creating a reflection of how women began to gender bend in Paris in the 20s. (Think Marlene Dietrich wearing one of her iconic tuxedos.)

As the "Cabaret Boys" exited the stage, a trio of female models showcasing vintage pin curls entered the theatre to the tune of "You Turn Me On" by the Girls of the Crazy Horse, Paris. Following right behind was Chuck Hezekiah, National Educator for René Furterer, and the evening's emcee, escorting Marisol onto the stage as she galvanized the audience with her charm and incredible energy. Speaking momentarily to the night's "liberating" and "glamorous" theme and "how important it is to know your history" and "how fun it is to break the rules once you do," Marisol then launched into her first demo.

Continue to page 2 to find out how Marisol created The Wave and The Braid! [pagebreak]

The Wave

  • Marisol began the first demo by describing the inspiration of the look - the wet set - a style taken from a period after the '20s when women started wanting to look more feminine.  
  • With the majority of the hair prep with René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing conditioning spray - no rinse and René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing foam - no rinse done backstage prior to the presentation, including setting and releasing the pin curls, Marisol then took a brush to the sides and back of the head to create fuller, fluffy waves to the parted look.
  • By using René Furterer NATURIA dry shampoo, she was able to give the hair a bit more texture and grip. 

The Braid

For the next demo, Chuck told the captivated crowd that National Geographic was Marisol's favorite reference while in beauty school. This is where she discovered her love for the braid. As he explained
what braids signified for women in the African culture, a trio of female models, showcasing French braids with a modern twist, entered the theatre to the beat of the cabaret tune "I'm a Good Girl."
Marisol then began the demo.  

  • First, Marisol described the different types of braids and different types of effects with braids being done by hairstylists now. The model she was working with on stage showcased multiple simple French and inverted braids, which had been prepped previously backstage.
  • Next, Marisol began pinning the loose parts of the braids and attaching them in loops around the head. This technique gave a flirty and fresh feel to the classic braid look.
  • Marisol then went on to explain that braids are a "great way to experiment" with hair color and other fun effects like sequins and glitter.
  • Using a jar filled with glitter that had been mixed with René Furterer VEGETAL SCULPTING GEL, Marisol sponged the sparkly concoction around the model's scalp and within the texture of the braids. The René Furterer VEGETAL SCULPTING GEL helped make the glitter really stick to the head and hair.
  • Last, Marisol sprayed René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY to hold the style in place.

For the event's finale, three female models showed off Marisol's extraordinary braided crown wigs and were then joined by the male and female models who displayed the styles influenced by "The Crazy Years in Paris" to take one last walk on stage as Amy Winehouse's sultry "Back to Black" played on the soundtrack and black and white visuals of the Eiffel Tower flashed in the background. Ending the successful presentation on a high note, Francois Viargues gave the closing remarks in appreciation of Marisol Suarez, her team, the René Furterer team and all who helped to make the event a stellar success.

[Images courtesy of Yuri Hasegawa for René Furterer]

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