ONSTAGE: FASHION CAPITAL

FASHION CAPITAL

L’Oréal Professionnel styled PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival with aplomb, and we went backstage to talk to the team about the looks, the products and the experience, writes Shannon Guss

PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival took to Australia’s most fashion savvy city, with high profile figures flocking from all over the country to the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton for a week of artistry, from creative garments to the hair and makeup looks that further brought them to life. L’Oréal Professionnel was backstage, tools in hand, to create those hair looks, with versatile briefs each night elevating an already eclectic week of trends.

INSTYLE went backstage on Thursday, March 7, delving into the looks that complemented tribal, colourful and highly patterned looks in the Emerging Mob In Fashion x Fujitsu runway, for designers such as Wagan Metals, Yapa Mali, Kirrikin, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins and many more. Platforming dynamic emerging First Nations fashion talents, Indigenous imagery, musical performances and a cacophony of prints and textures comprised a bona fide fashion extravaganza.

Backstage, hair directors Jamie Furlan and Danni Soiler from Melbourne’s LNDN Hair led the team in embracing individuality and maximising natural textures, in a brief that was about having fun and being bold.

“A lot has been embracing natural texture, which is really cool because for a long time we’ve done the complete opposite,” Jamie shared. “There’s been a lot of emphasis on doing what’s in front of you and cutting hair where it lies. We’re also really utilising the products, there’s a lot of hydration going back into the hair. Hair health is really important.”

“For hairdressers to maximise natural texture, I would recommend, if clients have curly hair, refining and adding polish to the curl, if they have a natural beachy texture, just getting a lot of shine on there with maybe some hot tools and products,” Danni added about the relevant organic looks.

“I think the newest trend is actually what suits you best. So hairdressers have to have the bravery to say that it’s about what suits you. There’s always trends we can tap into and adapt but it should be about what suits the client’s complexion, their face shape and what looks best on them, we need the confidence to say that to clients,” continued prolific hairdresser Scott Sloan of Sloans, who styled across the week. “I feel like what’s nice is that now designers are embracing everybody’s diversity and individuality and really showcasing that.”

Hero products across the evening included the brand’s Tecni.ART Super Dust Texturising Powder and Savage Panache Powder Spray for volume.

Ben Semple of Circles of Hair credited the brand’s Tecni.ART Liss Control Smoothing Cream and PLI Thermo-Modelling Spray as a particular hero tool for necessary structure, speaking to the blowout effects, exaggerated and jumbo ponytails and plenty of movement that added some runway drama to the natural theme. Kelvin Nguyen of Buoy Salon in New Zealand recommended utilising various tools, such as versatile curling irons and the brand’s Steampod 3.0 Steam Straightener to enhance textures. The L’Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Molecular Leave-in Mask was credited for hair health and condition.

These hair looks, which complemented vibrant swimwear, tribal textures, nature-led prints and fabrics that extended all the way to metal, also paired with artistic makeup, thanks to Lancôme and beauty director Lara Srokowski.

“There’s a few creative looks, which is really fun, we’re really pushing the boundaries of makeup. Every look is Lancôme signature skin, so really beautiful effortless glowing skin with a combination of skincare and makeup mixed together to give that second light skin finish, and then there’s three different coloured eye looks,” Lara shared.

A vibrant blue eye aesthetic, a fuchsia pink that extended from eyes to cheeks and a multi-coloured eye palette comprised the looks, while hand selected models wore graphic eyeliner to embody a tribal effect.

The versatility of these hair and beauty looks was evident across the week, exemplified in the disparity in this natural trend to the highly polished hair look the night before, led by hair director Melissa Gesualdo. Titled The Glam Up runway, the evening showcased designers such as Mariam Seddiq, Paolo Sebastian and Jason Grech.

“The clothes were very red carpet and very highend glamour and she went for a very sculptured, beautiful little bow shape or bun shape, in almost a new version of a half up, half down hair look,” Scott said. “It was a really amazing collection to work on because it was really skilful, it was groomed. It was polished, high shine, and high detail.”

The look incorporated hero tools such as L’Oréal Tecni.Art Air Fix and Volume Lift to create this sculptural aesthetic. The team also mixed a combination of mousse and moisturising cream and applied it like a colour for shine over the sculptured parts of the hair, creating dual textures, between the bun and ponytail’s natural, soft and shiny texture, and high gloss shine within the sculptural elements.

“The hair has been really sleek and really polished and very directional,” confirmed Alicia Perruzza of Circles of Hair. “L’Oréal Professionnel is all about beautiful hair and really expensive hair so it’s very on brand for us.”

The team gathered hair artists from all over Australia and New Zealand, congregating established session artists and new and emerging talents, looking to build their backstage skills.

Kelly Manu from New Zealand’s Una salon brought experience from five seasons in New York, Paris, London and countless stints backstage in New Zealand, crediting the creativity in Melbourne.

“I actually feel like from all the seasons of New York that I’ve done, this Melbourne Fashion Festival has been the most creative fashion week that I’ve worked on. Every show has had such different looks. Melbourne is so creative, it really goes with the city,” she shared. “All the models have really cool cuts and textures so I love that they’re all about celebrating their individuality. There has been a lot of mullets and shags, a lot of deep side parts and a lot of amazing curly textures.”

For Anne Russell of Sloans of Lane Cove, the festival marked her first foray into runway styling.

“It’s so amazing to be able to create something completely different to salon work and be creative with my peers and follow the director’s brief, it’s really fun,” she shared. “It’s very different having to work so quick, being under the pump in the timeframe and keeping up with everything.”

“Give everything a go,” she advised to similarly emerging hairdressers. “If you’re worried, what’s the worst that’s going to happen? Just jump in, get your hands in everything and just give it your all.”

This sense of fun, talent and camaraderie underpinned the backstage atmosphere all week long, becoming the anchor of varied styles and aesthetics across Melbourne Fashion Festival.

“It’s been beautiful, having the whole L’Oréal Pro team working all together has been amazing,” Ben said.

For more information visit www.lorealprofessionnel.com.au