LP Pictorial: Oribe's First Educational Event

At the fashion-famous Pier 59 Studios in Chelsea, Manhattan, 100 raven-haired girls slink about. Though each finds herself sporting the exact same-colored locks as the next, no two girls are alike—thanks to imaginative coifs by stylists and salon owners from all over the nation, here to embark on a two-day educational event with wildly successful celebrity stylist, Oribe, as part of the Oribe Artistic Director Program.

Inspiring with demos based on his work with lengendary lensman Richard Avedon, as well as his '80s-era beauty-transforming turns with designer Azzedine Alaïa and supermodel LInda Evangelista and modern-day work doing the hair for Vogue covers (Charlize Theron's tousled-perfection on this month's cover being the muse), Oribe spreads his charismatic charm and decades-long session wisdom with attendees. Some of the tips he shares are unique to Oribe's rise to success—such as the "mastery of double wind" (the use of two fans to get locks flowing for the camera) he learned working with Avedon. "I want to teach our artistic directors about Avedon's style—teach them about photography and, specifically, how you prepare the hair for a shoot," he shares, noting that the relationship between photographer and hairstylist can often be an inspiring one.

And what about the raven-haired girls? Where do they fit into the Oribe vision? "These girls are all about severe, cool, edgy looks," he says. "This class is about making a chic style that is at the same time edgy. Edgy and chic can go together." The fact that every girl sports a distinctly different style is no mistake. For Oribe, this is what the event is all about: individual expression interlaced with the knowledge he has picked up throughout his career and is now passing along. "I want to give everyone the freedom to develop their own style. I don't want to dictate what they should do; I never want to dictate. Whether they take away what they learn from this gathering and do it in their salon or not, my feeling is, at least they now have the know-how.".

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