Join ELLE's Senior Beauty Writer Amy Lawrenson backstage at London Fashion Week SS13 as Bb.stylists work the runways. See the hair looks up close before they hit the catwalk, pick up inspiration and watch how-to video masterclasses with Bb.experts.
For spring summer 2013 your hair is going to take very different directions...
When you’re working nine-to-five easy, effortless, undone hair is the way to go. Forget high-maintenance blow-dries or intricate up-dos next season your hair should be easy breezy. Let your natural texture be itself, don’t change it but embrace it. Natural waves or curls, subtle bends in the hair should all be celebrated.
Now, I’m not suggesting there is no styling involved, you can celebrate that natural texture but don’t let it run wild. You rule your hair, not the other way around.
For me, I have naturally wavy hair so I’ll be cocktailing prep, £15, and thickening hairspray, £21.50, in towel-dried hair before diffusing dry. Right now if you spend more than £25 at bumbleandbumble.co.uk you get a free 50ml Prep, worth £5.50. You can use the same mix on super straight, fine hair to give movement and body. A mist of Bb does it all, £11, will hold your texture in place without being crunchy or sticky. Channel Burberry girl hair (pictured right) when attempting this look...
If your hair is super curly or afro, ply it with tons of moisture to prevent too many pesky flyaways or frizz – curl conscious calming crème, £23.50, is for you. Make sure you leave your curls to dry naturally, this will limit frizz also.
Super short hair? Bring out the natural nuances with a little Bb Texture creme, £21.50, mussed through short hair – a little goes a long way.
When it comes to after hours, you can take your hair in plenty of different directions for Spring Summer 13.
If you’re wearing a statement outfit then leave your hair loose and undone, nothing looks more artificial than a look-at-me dress paired with an overzealous up-do.
If you do leave your hair down why not bring in another element? Give your look dual texture.
At Teatum Jones Bb.Stylist Ali Pirzadeh slicked the sides of hair with gellac, £21.50, but recommended grooming crème, £21.50, or Bb.Gel, £21.50, to get the look off the catwalks. Alternatively you could slick your hair back off the face completely with gel. Or, switch the look on its head and gel the ends leaving the top dry. Experiment to find the mix that works for you.
Keeping things casual? Add the ‘evening’ element via your hair. Look to the shimmering ponytail at Markus Lupfer. Or try the dual texture look with a sixties twist seen at Teatum Jones. Get experimental with electrical tape (yes, really) and try the futuristic pony I spied backstage at Eudon Choi.
If these looks are too ‘Catwalk’ for you and you want something super pretty that looks impressive but is low-maintenance. The braided, twisted bun at Margaret Howell by hair supremo Neil Moodie is for you. It was my hair highlight of London Fashion Week.
Take a look at the blog below to see all the looks mentioned above, what’s your highlight...
We chat with session stylist James backstage at Simone Rocha...
What three things inspire you most? 'My family and friends inspire me'.
Your best hair tip? 'When securing your hair into a ponytail tilt your chin down, when you bring your chin up it will look cleaner. It's a simple trick'.
Which Bumble and bumble product can you not live without? 'If I was to walk in here with one product it would have to be does it all. Had you asked me before I would have said surf spray, that was a favourite for years'.
More colourful hair, this time worn with a gorgeous bed-head finish. I especially love the hint of retro crimping, it's subtly done which makes it feel more modern. Use colour minded UV protective polish to protect from the crimpers and to add a shine to any colour in your hair.
Okay so you probably wouldn't wear these hairstyles as seen here out on the street. But you may take the plait detail, the peachy hue or try experimenting with kiss curls. See that's the joy of catwalk looks like this - they inspire us to get a little more experimental with our own hairstyle choices.
Backstage at Nasir Mazhar, Bb Editorial Stylist Alex Brownsell created a unique hairstyle for each of the models, including a peach wig that was adorned with one of Nasir's head pieces. Five minutes before the show Alex and her team were busy perfecting the girls' styles.
After the show Alex told me, 'The looks were all individual, modern adaptations of 1920's show girls and Jamaican dance hall queens. Some of the hats were made to look like kiss curls, so the hair brought that out even more.'
A textured ponytail is perfect for a laid-back look...
A textured pony looks just as good with jeans and a leather jacket as it does worn to play down a LBD and killer heels. This is the sort of ponytail I love, really textured. The different colours and tones in the hair also give added depth to the style.
Get the look by drying surf spray in to build texture and body into the hair. Spritz with hair powder to get a dry finish and use a little brilliantine on the ends for a piece-y feel. Finish with a seriously light misting of classic hairspray.
The Bb Editorial Stylist and Bleach London founder shares her hair tips...
What three things inspire you most? 'People who come to Bleach and teenage girls from all different cultures'.
Your best hair tip? 'If you want lots of body in your hair always blow-dry with your head tipped upside down, it's the best way to get more volume. Not a lot of people do that.'
Which Bumble and bumble product can you not live without? 'It changes all the time but right now it's Brilliantine for texture and shine. Also white hair powder to get a dry texture. I use it to brighten my blonde hair!'
What do you get if you combine the hair of Jackie Kennedy with a futuristic 'Space Race'-inspired edge? This dual texture, mohawk-style 'do
In ELLE's exclusive video, filmed backstage at LFW, Bb.Stylist Ali Pirzadeh talks you through the products and expert tips you need to create the look yourself.
How to get a high-shine wet look into your hair...
At Teatum Jones Session Stylist Ali Pirzadeh was creating a vinyl-look texture in the side panels of the hair. Designer Catherine Teatum described it as 'vacuum packed' which I thought sounded pretty cool.
To get the look Ali was layering tons of shine spray over a layer of gellac along the tight, pulled back side panels of hair. If you want to try dual texture hair at home Ali recommends slicking the sides with grooming creme for a subtle effect or Bb. gel for a wet-look , you can layer it up with shine spray for added lacquer. Gellac is an amazing product if you're a hair styling pro (or great at doing you own hair) but it sets hard and fast, whereas the gel is much more forgiving...
Backstage at Margaret Howell the ever-jolly Neil Moodie chatted me through the hairstyle - a beautiful, soft plaited bun that's super wearable.
Neil readied the hair for styling with prep spray and styling creme before loosely braiding the hair and pinning it into a bun. But I'll let him go into all the details...
I met Ami (pictured) backstage at Margaret Howell and had to pop over say hi. I love her soft peach hair - she's a wedding dress designer which explains why her style is so pretty and romantic.
Right now I'm all about the mid-length and Ami has simply twisted the hair and pinned in place to create the look of a sweeping side fringe and to add interest to her Lob (long bob). Very clever and easy to do, I like.
The texture is super dry, use a little thickening spray before drying to get guts in to the hair.
Mist with hair powder and massage in with your fingers to ruffle up the texture (this was the technique Lyndell used backstage at Mikhael Kale to get that airy effect). Taking a decorative pin (Ami's had pearls to match the collar of her blouse) loosely twist the hair around your fingers, then pin in place.
You don't have to be neat or precise, I like how it's quite jaunty and undone.
Finish with a little grooming creme through the ends just to refine the style.
I caught up with Lyndell to talk cream walls, mistakes and product mash-ups...
What three things inspire you most? 'People, characters. I'm a real dreamer, I dream in the day. I love people's stories, creative women who inspire me. Music is a huge influence - it has to be in my life.
'Colours, textures, tones - I look at a cream wall and grey carpet and see it completely differently to other people who only see a cream wall and a grey carpet.
'I'm very lucky I live a varied life. I go to gigs, exhibitions. I love cooking. Every birthday of mine is fancy dress and my friends know if they aren't going to make a huge effort then they shouldn't come!' she laughs.
Your best hair tip? 'Sometimes a mistake is a good thing. Don't try too hard, mistakes can work.'
Which Bumble and bumble product can you not live without? 'I'm a bit torn on that one! I love to mash-up products. The Bumble and bumble products are so compatible - thickening spray and surf spray is my favourite combo. I can make hair do anything with it.'
Check out this awesome faux hawk I spied yesterday. I love the airy texture contrasting with the undercut and the combination of dark and white blonde hair. It's almost sculptural...
Lyndell met with designer Mikhael for the first time yesterday. 'We had an energy transfer without any words I knew what we were going to do - it was an awesome thing!' she told me.
The fashion collection encompasses the different elements - earth, wind, air and fire. Lyndell was inspired by wind to come with her 'no structured 'do' - it's like the models have just come out of a wind tunnel' she said, 'it's energetic hair'.
Lyndell and her team were trying to capture movement in the hair and as you can tell they did a marvellous job.
To get the look follow these steps:
Massage a mix of surf spray and thickening spray into your hair to get that wispy texture.
Taking a little texture and a little at a time scrunch through the ends as if it was mousse.
Leave out a 1 inch perimeter of hair all around the head - a sort of halo, if you like.
Gather up the hair left in the middle and 'pull, push, twist and screw it up into a messy handful of hair' explained Lyndell. Take a couple of large French pins to secure the hair.
With the halo of hair take some spray de mode and a hairdryer and gently blast at your hair with both to get that windswept look, then by eye pin down the 'bulk' of the hair left leaving the flyaways.
My tip: think more breezy seaside than gale force winds when creating this look for everyday wear.
Get the look by cocktailing thickening spray and surf spray in wet hair before rough drying. Use a little texture on the mid-lengths and ends before pulling up into a messy bun and securing with kirby grips. If your hair is fine, back-brush it first so you can get a sizeable bun like the one pictured.
If you don't naturally have flyaways spritz the palms of hands with a little hairspray and just gentle rub at your hairline, this will help to soften the look.
Lyndell Mansfield takes inspiration from the future and architecture for this never-before-seen ponytail
'It looks like a futuristic Barbie from the front, and a cyber slut from the back,' laughs Lyndell Mansfield as she decsribes the look she created for the Antipodium show yesterday.
Mansfield takes her inspiration from everywhere and this time she's pulled references from a futuristic world and architecture to create a ponytail that is truly original.
Go backstage at Antipodium and enter Mansfield's world as she describes the style in this video...
SO much more than a hairspray, Bb spray de mode has way too many uses to mention here...
It's a cult product in the US and has finally made its way to British soil. The hairspray is loaded with moisturising glycerin so it can be loaded into wet hair and used as a setting lotion, it gives the hair a pliable texture that can be shaped into any style and then blow-dried to fix it in place. If you're particularly good at styling your hair this product is a must for getting a Marcel Wave right.
Super lightweight it adds hold to finished hairstyles but won't ruin a lovely flyaway texture. Thanks to that glycerin you can also rely on it never to go flaky or make your hair look or feel crusty.
Lyndell used it at Antipodium to prep hair, while Neil relied on spray de mode to add a little hold to his pretty, soft, plaited chignons at Margaret Howell.
Hairstylist extraordinaire spared five minutes with us backstage at Margaret Howell.
What three things inspire you most? 'Young people on the street. Old photographs and other cultures.' Your best hair tip? 'If you're trying to grow your hair you need to keep trimming it even if it's just a millimetre each time' he said. 'Nothing really repairs split ends, you can disguise them but once they are in the hair the only way to get rid of them is to cut them out'. Which Bumble and bumble product can you not live without? 'Prep Spray. It's basically water with vitamins that detangles, revitalises day-old hair and helps you get the most out of any products you layer over it'.
I caught up with one of my favourite hairstylists the uber talented Lyndell Mansfield, as well as working with Bumble and bumble at London Fashion Week she is also Jessie J's mane maiden backstage at Antipodium.
She was busy instructing her team on how to get the futuristic pony right that she'd masterminded for the designers. Surprising as it may sound, for most shows the session stylists on the team won't know the look until an hour or two before the first model steps out on that catwalk which means:
1) They need to be brilliant at every possible hairstyling technique
2) Being calm under pressure is essential
3) Products that are up to the challenge make life a lot easier for the team!
Yesterday, Lyndell described the hairstyle as a 'sort of futuristic Barbie from the front, but sort of Cyber Slut from the side,' (I live for fantastical references during fashion week).
But more on the show later, because quite frankly I was too busy cooing over Lyndell's own pink, curly, hair. Her assistant Angelina had a similar blue 'do. In fact the rainbow hair brigade outnumbered us lot with 'natural' coloured hair two to one. And well mine felt a tad, okay a lot, boring if I'm being honest. I'll be rocking that Simone Rocha AW13 braided bun later today to make up for it...
Bb Editorial Stylist Alex Brownsell created a sparkling ponytail, with a textured root area inspired by the waves of the sea and fin-like ends. It caused such a stir on Twitter when I tweeted out my blog post, with one follower @lucinda_douglas saying, 'omfg this is amazing!', while @lasiejo asked, 'how was that created??' Well, wonder no more because I have an exclusive step-by-step video so you can get the look at home.
Be warned though, this is a real 'catwalk' look so it takes a while to style and you may want to go a little easy on the straightening, hairspray combo if you try this look at home.
Alex padded glitter on silver glitter which you can find in any local art shop. Why not experiement with different colours? I want to try a gold glitter...
Bumble and bumble's new Invisible Oil has been a godsend, helping to perk up my otherwise tired looking hair.
On the mornings like today when my alarm dragged me from my slumber at 5.30am (on a Saturday!) I don't have the time to wash my hair, but still need to look presentable.
My two go-to products are dry shampoo, used on the roots, and Bumble's new Invisible Oil, £30. I warm a little between my fingers before combing through the mid-lengths and ends. It has my hair looking all glossy, softly separated and there isn't a flyaway in sight.
But sadly, while my hair may look perkier I still need a gallon of coffee to get me through the day...
Faux fish scales and glitter make a Mermaid's pony
Alex Brownsell is one clever lady. Not only is she the Bb Editorial Stylist, she is also the founder of cool London hair salon BLEACH London - your pit-stop for bright hair colour and stocking up on your fave Bumble and bumble products.
Out of the salon and into the backstage area at Markus Lupfer Alex was creating an ethereal ponytail that you would definitely see on a Mermaid (were you to happen upon one on your next trip to the seaside).
All the models had blonde hair in keeping with the ethereal vibe. Worn dishvelled on top and coaxed into waves the hair was pulled into a low ponytail (just like we saw at Eudon Choi, below). Alex then moulded the 'tail into a fin using tons of flexible hold spray de mode, £21.50, well Mermaids don't have tails...
For added wow factor, and because Alex predicts metallic hair will be a big trend come spring, she packed on loads of silver glitter (you can get this from any art supply store) using shine spray, from £9.50 for a mirror-like finish and more spray de mode to hold it all in place. After all Markus isn't one to shy away from sparkle, have you seen his sequinned jumpers?
Want to see just how to get the look from this show? Check back tomorrow for our step-by-step video...
Backstage in a room where you could barely swing a curling wand hairstylist Shon worked with the Bumble and bumble team to create a futuristic ponytail with a subtle sixties twist. Shon told me the Eudon Choi collection is a little sixties and very 2001: A Space Odyssey, 'the models look like futuristic cabin crew' he added.
Shon started by loading up the models' hair with Bumble and bumble thickening spray, £21.50, before blow-drying it in. Using his fingers he teased the product-loaded tresses into a messy, deep, side parting before securing into a low ponytail with a hair bungee. The heavy side part gave a subtle volume to the hair giving the style a very slight nuance of a beehive.
The sides of the hair were slicked with extra strength holding spray, £17, to make them tight and glossy, while classic hairspray, £10, was used to secure the top.
Next the ponytail was straightened and a little defrizz, from £12.50, ensured a glossy, smooth finish juxtaposing nicely with the textured top.
For an added 'spark' of interest, Shon wound electrical tape in either white, silver or black over the bungee. You can buy electrical tape from hardware stores and it comes in such an array of colours I'm tempted to add it to my collection of hair accessories at home.
Today I spied Bumble and bumble playing cards backstage at Eudon Choi and Markus Lupfer. Intrigued? Read on...
These Bumble and bumble playing cards have a far more important role than being dusted off for the the odd game of Poker. They are, in fact, a handy tool for the stylists backstage. If a hairstyle needs to be kept neatly in place while the model is getting dressed for the show, the playing cards are used as a barrier between the clips and the hair. Why? They ensure the hair isn't dented by the grips. And sure, you can play Poker with them if you want to...
How to achieve the soft, tousled waves as seen on the Burberry AW12 catwalk.
Models at Burberry AW12 showcased a cascade of beautifully soft and utterly unfused locks. In the first of ELLE's exclusive video masterclasses, Bumble and bumble's Bea Watson demonstrates all the tricks, tools and products that you need to pull it off. And, to prove that this look can be recreated at home, Bea encourages me to have a go myself. Take a look at the video.
