Attendees of the exquisite Fall 2014 collection from designers Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra were transported to a realm infused with references to the heroines of science fiction and fantasy, as models took to the runway in the design duo’s fluid jersey dresses and impeccably tailored trouser suits, all worked in a dreamy palette of dusty amethyst, teal, bronzy-green and black. Just as the designers mixed up elements of the masculine—tuxedo pants, blazers and touches of leather—with the ultra-feminine—perfectly executed draping, shirring and curvaceous silhouettes, celebrity hairstylist Nelson Vercher of Rita Hazan Salon and ArtMix Beauty also played off opposites, creating contrasting textures when designing the head-turning hair looks for the show.
“The Costello Tagliapietra woman is always elegant,” said Nelson. “But I wanted to think of her in a different way, to give her an elegant look, but in a fast way, an easy glamour. I saw this woman as very refined, but also very free, going from surfing in the ocean to a big evening out.” From there Nelson arrived at his concept: Surf Girl Glamour, keeping hair tight and flat to the head in front, with a looser, gently rippled, beachy wave in back. To achieve the serenely sensual style, Nelson and his team worked exclusively with the high-performing styling products from René Furterer. “The result is a small head, but with big impact,” said Nelson. [pagebreak]
To ensure the effortlessly glamorous effect, Nelson directed his team of hairstylists to work with the natural texture of each model’s hair and to focus on the play of contrasts. “Whatever the natural texture is, the hair shouldn’t look too shiny or big. We’re not going for volume,” said Nelson. “The look is simple yet sophisticated.”
Here, Nelson takes you step by step through the creative process behind his fresh interpretation of aprés-surf hair—what he aptly describes as “Park Avenue Meets the Beach:
To keep hair supple, I work a little René Furterer KARITÉ leave-in nourishing cream through hair and then blow-dry hair smooth, directing hair away from the face. I love how this leave-in, which has Shea butter, sinks into the hair without weighing it down.
Next, I use the end of a rattail comb to make a clean side part, making the part high on the head. Then after sectioning off the crown, I start to work on the lengths from the bottom up, taking a section at a time and misting each section—at the roots only—with René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing conditioning spray – no rinse. After I spritz each section I comb it through. While we don’t want out-size volume, we do want texture with body, which this conditioning spray delivers.
After working through the lengths, I unclip the crown and repeat the application of René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing conditioning spray – no rinse. I comb the hair through so that it’s very sleek and close to head with a pretty sheen.
To put a beachy texture into the back, I gather the lengths of the hair behind the ears, twist it into a low chignon and pin it into place. If the hair is very fine, I work a generous amount of René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing foam – no rinse into the lengths before making the chignon. I love how this product adds body but is also moisturizing, so you never get that crunchy effect, just natural texture with soft hold.
Next, I go over the hair with a warm blow dryer, using a Hot Sock diffuser. Diffusing the air flow helps to prevent heat damage and minimizes any frizz that heat might generate. This drying technique also gives us the elegant finish we want.
Once hair is dry, I undo the chignon and loosen up the hair with my fingers, again lightly diffusing it with a warm blow dryer to play up the texture. And because we want that contrast between very free in back and very elegant in front, I add the tiniest touch of René Furterer MODELING PASTE to smooth any flyaways at the crown and hairline, and the very ends of the hair if needed. Last, to accent the Surf Girl Glamour vibe, I pull a few delicate wisps around the face. The result: a look that beautifully makes the transition from Summer into Fall.
[Images courtesy of John M. Craig for René Furterer]
