• Hair how-to: the bird’s nest bun

    by  • January 8, 2011

    Back when it appeared on the Lanvin spring 2010 runway, we termed it a birds-nest topknot that’s Hitchcock heroine meets modern-day bedhair; and, as 2011’s hair trends continue to evolve it’s the type of topknot that’s come out on top (pardon the pun). Why? It can still be a little wispy, a little messy; but it’s elegant. Thus, it’s a runway hair trend that we’ve already seen translated to the red carpet.

    Chanel carried the look over to pre-fall 2011, ornamented by embellished headbands.

    How to create a bird’s nest topknot

    1. First, apply liberal amounts of Oribe Creme For Style to the mid-lengths and ends of the hair.
    2. Blast with a hairdryer to dry the mousse into the hair.
    3. Pull the hair up into a very high ponytail on the top of the head.
    4. Divide the ponytail into several sections then tease each section with a comb, creating lots of volume and texture (it should look a little crazy right now so don’t be alarmed… it will soon be tamed!)
    5. Brush the ponytail out just a little bit to even out the texture, then wrap the hair around the ponytail to create a messy topknot.
    6. Secure with bobby pins all the way around.
    7. Finally, spray the hair with Oribe Super Fine Strong Hairspray.

    For the Chanel pre-Fall 2011 version of the style, simply add a headband – and, if desired, tug out a few loose pieces of hair to create a more wispy finish.

    Via fashionising

    Louis Vuitton Men’s Spring/Summer ft. Scott Campbell (Part 1)

    by  • December 30, 2010

    HOW did a 32-year-old college dropout from the bayou of Louisiana, with no formal training in art — well, to be frank, no training at all — end up with a one-man show in a New York gallery and a client list that includes Robert Downey Jr. and Orlando Bloom?

    For Scott Campbell, it all started at a tattoo studio in the Lower Haight district of San Francisco. “I’m just the dirty kid who snuck in the back door,” said Mr. Campbell, who said that he got the bulk of his art education tattooing teenage gang members in San Francisco in the 1990s.

    Scott Campbell’s took off in 2005, four years after he moved to New York and opened his studio, Saved Tattoo, in the then-emerging neighborhood of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

    One day an impatient Australian came in and commissioned a small bird in flight on his left forearm. The next day, Mr. Campbell said, “Entertainment Tonight” came with cameras, grilling him on what kind of tattoo he had just given Heath Ledger. The two became friends — “the sweetest guy, so open,” he said of Mr. Ledger. “The third time I hung out with him, I had keys to his house.”

    It became a pattern, as Mr. Campbell became something of a celebrity tattoo artist, charging as much as $300 an hour ($1,000 minimum) to ink customers like Courtney Love and Josh Hartnett. After Mr. Campbell tattooed three of Sting’s adult children, he said, the singer and his wife, Trudie Styler, put him up at their house in London when he was there for a gallery show in October (he said he paid Sting back by giving him a tattoo, a meditation labyrinth on his back). And he said he recently went gallery hopping with Marc Jacobs, who sports a tattoo of his two bull terriers on his shoulder, courtesy of Mr. Campbell. The nature of his craft, he said, helps to explain these friendships. “Tattooing is a very intimate exchange,” he said.

    “You have your hands on someone, you’re communicating with them, and they’re very yielding,” he continued. “There’s no cool-guy factor, no barriers.”

    Picking a hair colour for 2011

    by  • December 27, 2010

    via fashionisingBefore we discuss the year’s hair colors it’s first important to discuss a the year’s rule.

    The rule for 2011
    2011 is not just a new year, it’s a new decade, and new decades bring more than just slight change, they bring about an entirely new generation of thought. It’s a case of out with the old and in with the new, and such a mindset is applied to everything from society’s outlook to the aesthetic styles it embraces.

    This new decade will be no different. The most dominant clothing trend of the last decade, military fashion, is finally being pushed to the back of the wardrobe. And hair colors are undergoing a major change too.

    You may read that and be under the impression that 2011, and the rest of the new decade, is a period of wild hair colors. That’s not what we’re saying at all. Clothing trends may become more liberal, but it’s not the same for hair. In fact, the change leads to just one rule. It’s the rule for picking your hair color in 2011 and for many of the years to come. And that rule is thus:

    Just change it.
    Yes, it’s almost cliche to write it, and somewhere a Nike lawyer is checking to see if we’ve just infringed their trademark. I confess though, cliches are easy to remember and when you’re picking your new hair color for the year I want you to remember that one rule. Again, just change it. Pick a color that suits you, one that gives you confidence, make it a shade that’s on trend, and go make that hair color your own.

    The inspiration
    Where has the inspiration for the “just change it” rule come from I hear you ask. While the start of a new decade inspires change, there are also those people driving the idea of simply changing your hair color as a trend in itself.

    Let us explore.


    via fashionising

    Will Kate Middleton Bring the Fascinator Trend to America?

    by  • December 22, 2010

    Now that Kate Middleton is engaged to Prince William, everything from her wedding plans to fashion decisions have become top news. And believe it or not, she’s become somewhat of a UK trendsetter for her classic, semi-conservative style and has actually spawned a wave of royal-deficient wannabes on the prowl. But regardless of whether you think she’s worthy of the fashion attention, there’s no denying that the girl knows how to rock a traditional British hat—specifically, the Fascinator. Worn at society events, the Fascinator headpiece is an alternative to a traditional hat and normally includes feathers, flowers, and beads. It can also be worn instead of a bridal veil, which is not too far-fetched of an idea for Middleton. And although they were previously worn by an older set, brands with a younger demo like ASOS and John Lewis are starting to stock modern fascinators in their boutiques. In America, I’ve only see Lady Gaga and Anna Dello Russo work this accessory, but that’s sure to change once more high-street brands catch on and begin to mass produce their own versions.

    Photo via Sky News. story viaBlack Book

    Maurice’s Friend, Hair Legend Albie Mulcahy Stopped By Elysium West Ashley Yesterday & Inspired Us All.

    by  • December 17, 2010

    Scissors in hand, Albie gazes wistfully out the salon windows at the passing traffic on Fourth Street N.

    He’s a chain-smoking slip of a hairstylist, a cross between pop artist Andy Warhol and ’80s rocker Billy Idol.

    He doesn’t cut and tell, but he once toured with the Sex Pistols. He knows famed stylist Paul Mitchell. He is the former right-hand man of deceased rock star stylist John Sahag.

    His lifestyle is fast and furious. He flies to seven different cities every two months to tend to rich and famous clients. In the past 15 years he has lived in New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles and Tokyo.

    Three years ago, Mulcahy moved to St. Petersburg to put the brakes on the frequent-flier life.

    At 56, Mulcahy is teenage hip, with spiky bleached blond hair, black jeans, black hoodie and black ankle boots. Two chunky silver crucifixes hang from his plunging neckline.

    He has a close following among the city’s artsy crowd, aspiring models, young hipsters.

    He calls his salon, the Velvet Lounge.

    So far he’s relied on word of mouth, his MySpace page and local art events to bring in customers.

    Mulcahy was born in Boston, one of five children of Irish Catholic parents. He grew up poor and dreamed of being a famous rock star.

    After spending a year in Vietnam and overcoming a nasty drug habit, he watched the movie Shampoo and knew he wanted to become a hairstylist.

    “It sounds like a cliche,” he said, “but it’s true.”

    He opened a salon in Boston and met Paul Mitchell, becoming one of his educators. He later joined with Sahag in New York, who taught him the dry-cutting technique.

    It’s been 12 years since Mulcahy has cut hair wet.

    Mulcahy said he now is dedicated to teaching other stylists what he knows through his new educational training venture with business partner Dwight Miller called V L V T academies.

    *Albie travels to almost every major city non-stop to keep his vast clientele looking awesome. Charleston is blessed to be on his list.

    Albie Interview here @ The Real Hair Truth