Runway.
Wild and Whimsical.
Heralding its much anticipated return to Hair Expo for 2010 in true style, L’Oréal Professionnel’s Saturday Night Opening Gala was a true spectacle to behold. Setting the precedent for what was to become a catalogue of creativity and couture across the Hair Expo long weekend, the show took inspiration from far reaching places and brought it to Sydney with a unique flourish. By Rhianne Muir
As a leading creative force in the Australian hairdressing industry, 2009 Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo Australian Hairdresser of the Year Caterina Di Biase had heavy expectations on her shoulders for her Electric Dreams showcase, expectations that she and her team long surpassed from the outset.
Influenced by designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen, Electric Dreams emanated current European catwalk trends of braiding and weaving in a safari themed showcase. Opening with a dramatic tribal sequence featuring dancers and models with striking make up, body art and safari prints, Caterina’s ensuing styles focused on intricate hair wefts, sky-high height and sculpted volume. All were complemented and mirrored by bold tribal body art in primary colours.
Next on the agenda were pop art inspired avant-garde looks, featuring hyper-colour bold wefts and carefully sculpted up ‘dos. Bright, edgy retro fashion and a sexy, stylish soundtrack completed the visual experience. Caterina and the team then offered up dark gothic couture looks with a romantic edge to wrap up the Heading Out theatre for the evening.
The Charlie Miller Group followed suit with their visual extravaganza One Thousand and One Nights in the Future, a show designed to seriously impress. Strength in numbers was the ethos of the evening, with an army of models taking to the runway to showcase all manner of avant-garde hair couture. The runway abounded with soft cotton candy textures and cobwebs, featuring white blonde tones courtesy of the INOA colour palette. The ethos of the evening was soft and gentle pastel colour palettes creating an ethereal, whimsical look.
This was contrasted with bright washes of colour and matte texture, alongside precise and intricate wefts and poker straight styling with hair of varying lengths. Sharp looks were juxtaposed with thick, woolly textures, with Charlie and India appearing on stage to complete a number of young, edgy looks. With some sharply groomed male models thrown into the mix, the audience were in catwalk heaven.