At Jillian Lewis, Philip Pelusi dolls up a bygone era with bobo-beautiful locks.
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Designer: Jillian Lewis
Products: Philip Pelusi
An unlikely coupling emerges at Project Runway alum Jillian Lewis’ fall 2009 presentation: the urban grit of Long Island City, New York (her current home), and the doll-like beauty and opulence of Paris’ Belle Époque. The look, a mixture of cable-knits, interesting puzzle-piece leggings and sharply tailored coats, speaks to bobo beauty—that striking mix of the bourgeois with the bohemian.
Hair guru Philip Pelusi, who’s not only the show’s hair lead, but also its host (the presentation is being held at his Tela Design Studio in NYC), ran with the Belle Époque theme, yet reworked it with an updated organic bent. “We’re exaggerating that era—almost bringing an over-the-top Moulin Rouge aspect to the hair,” he says. This translates to a pancake-flat crown that explodes into teased-out proportions, which stylist Holly Novacich asserts “is not ’80s. People think volume and they think the ’80s. This is different; it’s romantic and electric all rolled into one.”
Some dolls find their locks gathered in a side-pony and crowned with floppy headbands; others beguile with full-formed ringlets on one side and a teased, nebulous mass on the other. Pelusi is quick to point out that no matter the style, the texture, which certainly runs the gamut from girl to girl, must be organic. “This is naturalism with style and glamour,” he conveys. “The finish is bohemian; the look isn’t too forced.” Which is très le Parisien, non? —Karie L. Frost
Score This Look
Your Belle Époque dolls will say oui, oui! to these Philip Pelusi products.
Liquid Mousse Body Building Mousse: water-soluble formula for light-as-air volume
P2 RefresHair Dry Clean Shine Resin Free Multi-Tasker: lends texture without feeling tacky; enhances manageability
