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Backstage at the blonds

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New York: Backstage at The Blonds Spring 2015

If there is one thing we here at Style Wylde have learned in 15 combined seasons shooting runway in New York and Tokyo, it is that there is NO hair and beauty look like a hair and beauty look created for The Blonds. Season after season what is done for this show goes far and above a runway look; it transcends into an elaborate, sometimes laws-of-physics challenging, feat of structural engineering to which nothing else all season can be compared. And of course, Spring 2015 was no different.  The inspiration behind the show was "Gangsta Jeanie" and the look created by Tigi, CND Nails, and MAC was nothing short of staggeringly creative.

So how did it all come together? Well, speaking with Nick Irwin, Global Creative Director at TiGi (the downright masterful team who executed the Spring 2015 look)  before the show I  found out that it  took days on end to build the hairpieces used in the show. "We bought these big wefts of synthetic hair. The wefts are large, but still we used 9 of them  for each hair piece." Irwin explained.  (Check out the photo of the pieces laid out below) As were braiding the pieces we used CATWALK® by TIGI® Session Series Work It Hairspray to rough the hair up a bit and make it hold it's shape."

Of course before the pieces could be attached to the models head, the natural hair had to be prepped to create a strong foundation for the look.  Irwin explained the prep as: 

Mist wet hair with CATWALK® by TIGI® Fast Fixx Style Prep and comb through. Next, apply CATWALK® by TIGI® Session Series Wet Look Gel to small sections. Comb each section smooth and tight, and pull into a high ponytail at the crown of the head. Once edges are smooth, secure ponytail into a bun with pins. Set with CATWALK® by TIGI® Session Series Work It Hairspray creating a lacquered look and smoothing any fly-aways. Next, stretch base of the hair piece over bun, concealing natural hair, and secure in place with pins. Finish by spraying CATWALK® by TIGI® Session Series Work It Hairspray to the braid, taming fly-aways.

But that wasn't all, once the hair pieces were in place, a secondary  adornment (made from the same platinum strands of  hair) which spelled out "The Blonds" was fastened down across the hairline. (You must scroll down for that photo too).

The end result was nothing short of epic. Please take a minute to look at the gallery below before we move on to nails.

Done? Great, let's talk nails.  Each season the team from CND creates mini works of art for the nails of models in the show. Often varied in color, theme, and elaborate cut crystal pattern, the nails alone could be featured in a beauty museum. (scroll down to the gallery for close ups.) Incorporating the "Gangsta Jeanie" idea into each nail, the team representing everything from hyper-bling to tattoo prints. It was fantastic to see these creations up close, and even more fantastic to see the techs from CND calmly sitting on a couch backstage putting final touches on their artworks just minutes before they were glued to the models' fingers.

Finally, the make-up. The classic bad girl black eyeliner and noticeably lined lip look, was being given a glittering gold update by celebrity artist Kabuki of MAC, who always manages to walk the line between highly theatrical fashion and campiness. Sure, it was a wild look, but how could it not be, it was for The Blonds!

Hope you guys love the photos below as much as I enjoyed taking them! Click thumbnails for full-size view.

All images: C.Hope for Style Wylde. For more from The Blonds Spring 2015 runway show be sure to checkout our full feature in Runway.

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