Let's set the scene — chaos, models running wild, products all over the place and somebody calling out numbers. It’s bright, manic, and everything seems to be coated in a thin veil of hairspray... Can you guess where we are? Yep, backstage at London Fashion Week! The highlight for the fash-pack and beauty obsessives, LFW provides us with jaw-dropping shows and all the inspo for the seasons to come. But how did we bag a coveted backstage pass? Well, the wonderful team from Oribe invited us to join them and Irish womenswear designer Sinead O’Dwyer for the opening of LFW.
With legendary stylist to the stars Anna Cofone (Claudia Schiffer and Dua Lipa’s personal stylist, FYI) at the helm of the {hair} styling for Sinead’s showcase, the concept of ‘lived-in hair’ was the mane attraction. Oribe’s Brand Specialist, Nicole Pizer, was on hand to walk us through how to best achieve these high-fashion looks, for the day-to-day.
Supa Sleek:
The name of the hair game here is to use products to increase shine and lock in the styles. Nicole used {Balm d’Or} to smooth out hair, especially strands that were sensitised or in need of repair. This liquid gold magic cream is a heat-activated protectant infused with cassis and marula oil, and a bio-restorative complex (of caffeine, biotin and niacinamide) to deeply nourish, repair damage and restore hair cuticles. Next Nicole used {Royal Blowout} — a super fine, lightweight mist to tame the hair and smooth out kinks for a super sleek finish (this alchemic hair wonder also cuts drying time as it’s concentrated so use sparingly!). A hot tip from Nicole is “if you're wanting to go from curly to straight without shampooing, mist {Royal Blowout} through the hair and then go in with your straighteners to achieve that sleek, glass-like sheen.” Then to finish, Nicole used hair spray... {Impermeable} the super fine, light hold spray that helps with taming flyaway’s whatever the weather.
Lived in Waves:
Forget super-styled waves and curls for this look. It’s all about the ‘I just woke up like this’ vibe. A look that is all about volume, texture and oompf, Nicole used three hero products to achieve this get-up-and-go aesthetic. First up, Nicole used {Maximista} — a volume-giving, rootlifting, va-va-vooming spray at the roots and through the ends to add texture and provide lift and hold. Next up — {Après Beach Spray}. This is a shortcut to super tousled, textured hair without the stiffness of typical salt sprays. Infused with a bespoke ‘beach waves complex’ of hydrolysed wheat protein, provitamin B5 and amber extract – the spray ‘swells’ the hair shaft and creates, wavy, ‘piecey’ texture while also providing light hold. And finally, Nicole used Oribe’s best-selling {Dry Texturising Spray}. Created with patented polymers to absorb oil, this dry shampoo cum texturiser is the key to big hair that endures...
Au Naturel Curls
Super textured, coily curls were the hair objective here... Models hair was kept natural and invigorated. Nicole used the {Styling Butter} and {Curl Gloss} to redefine and hydrate curls. She explained that “highly textured hair always wants a little more moisture, so don’t be afraid to apply Style Butter or Curl Gloss from the roots to ends, then wind your hair around your finger to reactivate the curl pattern!” You heard it here from the woman herself!
As the models came gliding, stomping and even zooming down the runway (yes, Sinead O’Dwyer is all about inclusivity so had a range of models of different shapes, races and abilities!), their gorgeous hair shone under the cool light on the runway. What an absolute experience to see exactly how these looks were created backstage and how to create them at home!
