To make a boxer braid high fashion, elevate it. At Maki Oh, hair is braided at the crown ending in a “puff ball” like shape. Lead Stylist Nate Rosenkranz for Alterna Haircare creates a cornrow-Dutch braid hybrid, which sits at the top of the head for a more “pronounced” effect. “You braid underneath so that the braid goes up,” says Rosenkranz of his NYFW backstage technique. “If you braid it over the top it looks flatter,” he explains of the difference in under vs. over braiding.
Rosenkraz softens hair with Alterna’s Caviar Anti-Aging Replenishing Moisture Milk, “so we can really stretch it out,” before he creates a clean center part, adding in Alterna’s Caviar Style Grit Flexible Texturizing Paste. The braid ends at the collarbone area, where Rosenkranz and his team add weave-in hair to heighten the cylindrical shape at the ends. Rosenkranz uses Alterna Bamboo Shine Silk-Sleek Brilliance Cream and the Alterna Caviar CC Cream Exra Hold 10-1 Complete Correction to tame flyaways and smooth hair throughout. For the finishing touch to flawless, Rosenkranz sprays with the Alterna Bamboo Smooth Kendi Dry Oil Micromist for added shine and control. -- Emilie Branch
[Images: Emilie Branch]