"The Ice Queen and Her Court"—this is the idea that strings together Sarah Burton's second solo collection for Alexander McQueen. And what would be befitting a queen's coif? Something us commoners would never wear! “Overall this season we created very wearable looks, but this is not one of them," notes Redken Creative Consultant, Guido, who created the illlusion of a helmet with a myriad of metal lacquered pins that literally cover every inch of the head's surface. "Often we talk about Fashion Week hairstyles as being more fantasy and aspirational, and the look we created today at Alexander McQueen is just that. When developing this look, I took inspiration from old paintings of women going into battle and different helmets from the middle ages, representing a very strong, confident woman," Guido concluded.
Here's how to get the look:
1. Pull hair into a low ponytail
2. Place silver (or black) clips down the ponytail (about 3/4 of the way)
3. Flip ponytail up and secure to the back of the head
4. Place clips arund all exposed sections of th head so that the hair is completely covered
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As for nails, the McQueen told Minx nail lead Marian Newman to run wild with her imagination, but stay within the realm of the Ice Queen motif. “Initially I researched some visuals online that captured the essence of the theme, and sent those references to Janice [Minx co-owner Janice] Jordan,” explains Marian. “We then discussed the various ideas, and Janice created options using the key images we agreed upon.”
McQueen stylist Camilla Nickerson made the final selection from the portfolio of nail fashion that Newman presented, and chose the Minx look that Jordan deemed “Crystal Cave.” “The overall effect is that of a snow queen peering out of her icy cave, and if you look closely you can see the ice crystals embedded in the silver,” explains Jordan.
—Karie L. Frost
(Photos: Courtesy of Matt Lever for Redken; Becky Maynes for Minx)
