AAFW 21: Wella X Yousef Akbar

We’re sure you’ve seen images from Afterpay Australian Fashion Week’s (AAFW) Yousef Akbar show floating through social media. The billowing gowns in bright pinks, purples and everything in between, with dramatic shapes and can’t miss garments, with that requisite dose of sparkle and leopard print? That’s the one.

Wella styled the hair for the standout show, creating three looks – snake braids, the tuft and a cool girl look – to accessorise the hero fashion pieces, with hair direction by Wella Ambassador Richi Grisillo.

“The inspiration behind the look was to use the hair as an accessory, it’s not a heavily accessorised collection, it’s really about the clothes, so we wanted to make the hair into an accessory,” Richi revealed. “We incorporated the colour from the collection into the fabrics in the hair, which was all hand coloured using Wella Fresh Create.”

The looks struck a balance between shine, hold and matte textures, using key products of Wella’s Ocean Spritz, Glam Mist, Mystify Me and Dry Me.

“With the cool girl it was really about more of a shine with a very minimal hold so it was all about the perfect setting from EIMI and Wella, and we used Ocean Spritz and Glam Mist to create a little bit of texture,” Richi said.

“We used the same products for the snake braid to create that really strong foundation, and we actually used the Glam Mist in a very specific area to create like a trick shine to the hair. It was sort of a contrast of matte and shine, so you can create mattified areas and then shine when you need it.”

We aren’t surprised everyone’s talking about this show.

Get the look – snake braid:

Prep hair with Wella Professionals EIMI Texture Ocean Spritz at root area and Wella Professionals EIMI Volume Perfect Setting through mid-lengths and ends of hair.
Prep hair for blow-drying with a spritz of the System Professional Soft Touch Polish Cream to ensure a smooth texture.
Section the hair for ponytail placement minimising the parting line.
Create ponytail using strong elastic to ensure the ponytail is tight to the head.
Secure the coloured weft or hair extension to the head with a clip just above the ponytail, then separate the weft and natural hair into 4 sections. Use a 4-strand plait technique to create reptile-like braid.
Gently pull apart the braid for a fuller look and pin to head in a snaking direction ensuring the clip is hidden.