Whilst Rosemount Australian Fashion Week 2009 may forever be remembered as the year the lights went out at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal – a blackout across the entire city that some jokingly blamed on way too many hairdryers and straightening irons – the smaller lineup of shows than previous years (thanks to the global credit crunch) still produced some beautiful fashion moments. And when it came to the business of hair and beauty, the country’s leading session maestros were on hand to showcase their talents for the spring/summer 09/10 season. After all, RAFW is one of the key platforms for our stylists to really strut their stuff when it comes to hot hair fashion.
Brother and sister design duo Camilla and Marc set the ball rolling on day one of RAFW with a lusty collection that was all about sex, strength and skin. Pant-worthy were body-conscious dresses in nude and black with strategically placed zippers, bold shouldered jackets and little metallic frocks that barely skimmed the thighs, mixed with broader-reaching pieces including silver knits, slouchy denim shorts and cute tanks. Hair director Clive Allwright from KMS took the whole sex and skin thing quite literally; creating tousled hair that looked like it had been out all night. Sexy bedhead hair, with plenty of root lift and natural texture.
Shibui’s Kristianna Michaelides combined strength and softness for a slightly futuristic look at Ginger & Smart. Strong lines were complemented by a soft flow – the hair was set in hot rollers, then brushed back and pinned under in an egg-shaped fold. The key to keep it modern? KMS Hairstay Max Gel to slick back the sides and ensure the hair had a futuristic edge rather than looking too pristine.
At Wayne Cooper, it was all about the 80’s attitude. Think about the girls in Robert Palmer’s ‘Addicted to Love’ film clip – red lips, dark eyes, slick hair with height. Cooper’s noughties supermodels were strong and beautiful, complemented by sleek, sculptured, expensive looking hair from Goldwell’s Neil Moody. He used extensions to bulk up finer hair for maximum volume, pulling back the top section and straightening the back, then slicked the sides nice and tight using Goldwell Wild Composer.
With a partnership spanning 12 years, it’s very obvious that Ryder’s Greg Murrell has a brilliant understanding of the Zambesi aesthetic, producing hair that’s both edgy and at the same time, elegant. With KMS California Dry Wax as his only product weapon, the models’ hair was pulled into a couple of ponytails, back brushed on top, then pulled back, rolled under and pinned, resulting in a kind of elongated, textured roll. Beautiful.
Brad Ngata proved to be a match made in heaven for heavily hyped young designer Dion Lee, whose futuristic vision of fashion exploding with geometric cut-outs was complemented by asymmetric, androgynous hair. Slicked and masculine at the front, feminine from the back with a dishevelled French roll, Brad kept the look tough by using a mini ruler to keep the roll flat and not too pretty, then a combination of L’Oréal Professionnel Glue and Liss Control for the perfect slicked wet look.
On day three, Brad teamed up with two more young designers – Dhini and Gail Sorronda. The Dhini models sported a twisted ponytail, perfect for the military vibe and tin soldier hats that were prominent throughout the show. At Gail Sorronda, Brad and his team stepped back in time to the era of the 1930s, using low side parts, underpinning and finger waves to create a sea of chic, feminine bobs.
Joico International Guest Artist Lance Blanchett flew into Sydney to take on the role of hair director for Nicola Finetti and produced some amazing crimped ponytails. From the front, the look was chic and slick. From behind, the models lush-looking hair had been wrapped a few inches down the ponytail, creating a ball-like effect, then crimped and brushed out to achieve sexy texture.
The funksters at Fudge may have only been involved in one show at RAFW but boy, did they make their presence felt! Hair director Lores Giglio put herself under enormous pressure following the success of her collaboration with the Romance was Born designers last year, so was determined to up the ante in 2009 – and so she did. An incredibly bizarre and fantastic show that proved a perfect creative collaboration between hair, makeup, fashion and design, Romance was a veritable underwater feast for the senses, even bringing some fashionistas to tears. Overall there were around 15 looks, each connecting the themes of oysters and shells, doilies and pearls, ranging from coloured hairpieces to wet sets, mermen with textured locks and seductive water nymphs with headpieces that rivaled something out of Priscilla. A true RAFW highlight.
Fashion is ghd’s middle name, so when it came time to hit the runway, this designer hair brand called on its best session artists to do their thang. One of the busiest boys of the week was Jon Pullitano from Headcase, who directed five shows over RAFW, starting with Therese Rawsthorne on day one. The collection explored a woman’s delicate balance of vulnerability and devil-may-care attitude through strong masculine silhouettes and romantic, voluminous cuts. Jon kept with the classic, ethereal theme with a streamline ponytail and an olde world double tied knot, but brought a modern edge to the look with dusty matte texture and a raw fluffy finish.
At Antipodium, there was a buzzing energy that might have had something to do with the dark, raw edge of the collection or the number of tough tattooed street models interspersed throughout the show. Jon threw a little 90s rave vibe into the mix, styling the hair with a messy low side part so that it fell heavily to one side, then misted ghd sea spray throughout and worked it through with his fingers to create a raw, textured look.
At Konstantina Mittas, hair was beautifully haute couture and perfectly suited the designer’s detailed strong looks. Inspired by tribal textures and the shape of a Grace Jones flat top, Jon created a texture in the hair similar to an African curl, then modernised it by brushing it out and pinning to create an avant garde, angular square shape that was both masculine and feminine. Definitely one of the best hair looks of the week.
Sophie Roberts had fun at RAFW, choosing ghd maximize mousse to shape the models’ hair into a rockabilly double quiff at Anna & Boy, then giving a tough edge to a feminine up-style at Zimmermann. “The Zimmermann girl is confident and feminine, but not girly,” Sophie explains. “We wanted the hair back in a messy chignon and for it to look strong and effortless, so it feels like she could have done it herself… because that is what she would do.”
In the midst of the backstage madness at Marnie Skillings, long time friend Jayne Wild was the picture of calm, coolly creating a nod to the 80’s undercut with a soft and messy texture, but with a glamorous 40s-style slight shift ¾ of the way down. Featuring a combination of ghd creation, fixation and reflection sprays, the hair was a hit – just like the goth girl drummer who turned up the volume and left our eardrums ringing for hours.
Session supremo Renya Xydis had a tough gig – directing hair for two of her close fashion friends on the same night. But with the help of her dedicated team, she pulled it off, going all beautifully slick for Kirrily Johnston and ethereal for Willow. Inspired by the ocean and the scarves that featured in the Kirrily collection, hair was sleekly wrapped around the models’ necks to make a seriously chic statement. Then over at Carthona House at Darling Point for the Willow show, models perched on swings hung daintily from the branches of an enormous harbourside Moreton Bay Fig, with hair that had been waved and pinned and rolled under to give a classic look made modern with the addition of raw texture.
Speaking of raw texture, Gavin Anesbury gave it a blast at Manning Cartell, with a loose top knot inspired by early 90’s couture. “We wanted to create a look with the hair that had a bold individual shape,” Gavin says, “making it edgy but still elegant. The texture was kept dry to soften the silhouette and add to the overall look of understated glamour.” His products of choice? ghd uplift spray and ultimate hairspray for maximum volume and lift.