As much as MBFWA is about the stunning clothes on (and off!) the runway, we think the hairstyles seen at shows have just as much of an impact.. Whether it be a crazy mohawk like we saw at Ginger and Smart, a slicked back wet-look like Gail Sorronda, or bright and daring at Romance was Born, the hair styles have caught our attention this week just as much as the clothes. We sat down with Redken 5th Ave NYC Global Hair Artist, Kristina Russell, to talk all things hair, trends and highlights at MBFWA.
How long have you been with Redken?
I’ve been using their products for about 12 years, and working as a Global Artist for them for five years. I also work as a colourist at Muse Hair Salon in Sydney.
What does your role during MBFWA entail?
As a colour specialist, a lot of the work is behind the scenes, working to match hair pieces and extensions, as well as working as a colour specialist for some of the designers, such as the girls from Watson X Watson,and then celebrities and bloggers. As a colourist, the behind the scenes work with the hair acts as an important expansion to a look- if you’ve got an amazing outfit with a bad colour, well that’s definitely not so great!
In what ways does hair really make a look, and reflect the trends?
I do a lot of educating and spreading the trends, and linking the hair looks back to current and upcoming trends. If there’s a lot of embellishments in a collection, we might go for a look centred around the fringe, or if it’s colour-blocking, it could be something really vibrant. As trends fade, that looks of the hair will change as well. We’re seeing dip-dyeing fade out, so in comes the bold hair colours. With hair, we don’t want it to be overly tricky and not distracting from other elements of the look.
What are some key trends you’ve seen so far?
With men, there’s a lot of strong tapering happening, which is nice to see. It’s very groomed and Great Gatsby still. Theres’s also some colour looks with the men that are icy white, almost albino and again, very tapered. The girls are quite styled, and I think the bloggers are having a lot of fun with it all. For Liberty from Watson X Watson, I suggested a very textured look- as we’re moving to the cooler months, we’re not seeing so much of a beachy look. The hair is becoming quite punchy and strong.
What’s up next for you this week?
I’ve got a lot of consultants with celebrities and bloggers, as well as a lot of networking with industry people. Next I’m preparing for Singapore Fashion Week, where there will be a lot of warmer colours. The focus is on the visibility of colour on the catwalk.
What is the highlight of MBFWA for you?
I love the feeling of having all of these amazing creative people around. There’s models and media everywhere, and the city is alive with creative people- I love people watching.
What are some of the standout looks you’ve seen so far?
There’s a lot of sleek looks, with nothing too overly ornamental. Tightly wrapped ponytails with a sleek wet look- I think ponytails will always be seen around, and they’re actually amazingly hard to do. There’s always ponytail wars backstage! There will also be a look that Philip Barwick (also of Muse Hair Salon) will be doing- it’s a combination of wet with fluffy dry hair, it’s very ethereal. The mixture of dry and wet textures will be great for really capturing the light of a show.
What is the highlight of working as a hair artist and colourist?
I love challenging the product companies to have a higher visibility for colourists and stylists, as well as the challenge to create new looks, colours and styles.
You can keep up with Kristina’s work by following her on Twitter.
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