So I’m officially a real blogger – I got invited to #NYFW!! Granted, I didn’t sit front row in a fashion show, but I was invited backstage for the SS15 Victor dE Souza show by MIZANI, who created all the hair looks for the show. I was super excited for the opportunity to see Victor dE Souza’s work, as I randomly stumbled upon his new boutique store in uptown Harlem near my apartment. Yes, he’s bold enough to have a store in Harlem – the Harlem that’s still black!
Photo credit: JDeLeonPhotography for MIZANI
The Victor dE Souza Collection
Inspired by the 80’s, Victor dE Souza’s Spring 2015 Collection was full of bold prints, vibrant colors and flowing silk satin organza fabrics. For the models, dE Souza had a pale, monochromatic vision and thought it would be interesting to create a sense of oneness and unity with the beauty look.
Hair by MIZANI
MIZANI, the professional authority for all curl textures, was the official hair sponsor for the Victor dE Souza Spring 2015 Collection runway show on September 3rd. MIZANI Celebrity Artist and Master Stylist at Dop Dop Salon Cesar Ramirez, who created hair for the show, brought the vision to life by developing an ethereal, yet voluminous look in a striking blonde hue. Coupled with MIZANI styling products, he came up with the idea to create triangle shapes, with an unconventional, coiled texture to produce a magnificent reverse “A-Line Bob,” which paired perfectly with dE Souza’s collection.
Photo credit: JDeLeonPhotography for MIZANI
Cesar Ramirez, I wanted to design a dimensional style in this icy, arctic shade for a dramatic look. Using MIZANI products to create the bold, textured style was a perfect match, as the brand has always been a leader in the professional textured market. I loved having the opportunity to work with Victor because he brings drama and his pieces are incredibly theatrical, so it really inspires my creativity.
How to Recreate the Look
Start by applying a small amount of MIZANI Iron Curl Heat Styling and Curling Cream to the entire head of hair, create a center part and brush smooth to start the shape.
Take 3″ hair pins and wrap small strands of hair in a “figure 8” around the pin, holding the ends in place.
Once the hair is wrapped around pins, spray it with MIZANI HRM Humidity Resistant Mist and heat with a flat iron for a few seconds; repeat the process until your entire head is covered with pins.
Next, remove the hair pins and brush it out to reveal a very teased and textured head of hair.
Cut the length very blunt into a triangle shape, frame the face and create a sharp line to reveal a cutting-edge A-Line Bob.
Lastly, spray the entire head with MIZANI HRM Humidity Resistant Mist to set the shape, and voila!
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Alternatively, do a braid out on kinky hair and tease until big and poofy! 🙂
Backstage Reflections
When I first saw the hair backstage and the INTENSE process it took to get 19 models fitted with wigs that went from curly to straight, I initially thought, “why couldn’t we have just found 20 girls with big kinky or curly hair to model?” But alas, the fashion world hasn’t yet reached that level. Nonetheless, I was impressed by the reversal of the usual need for fashion to turn kinky and curly hair into straight hair. I got to speak with some of the supporting hairstylists, including Patricia Flournoy and Nicole Cyrese, who were diligently working on one model for nearly the duration I was backstage. Each look took over an hour to accomplish! Patricia, who has been with Mizani for over 15 years, was actually the one who suggested the easy DIY braid out option for us chicks who already have some kinks! The second big question I had was why all the wigs couldn’t be done ahead of time, and Cesar reminded me how matted and tangled the wigs would have gotten if they were premade – #struggle. I guess there also wouldn’t be a need for hairstylists, or for hair bloggers to see the process too!
Finally, check out this video of the ONE brown-skinned model (she was Brazilian) getting her wig teased out for the gawks. Honey child had that look in her eyes when you’ve been getting braids for 6+ hours with no end in sight #beautyispain.
Congrats on the invite! That is dope! It is only the begininng of many more to come:-)