Nicol & Ford’s Comet collection showing at Afterpay Australian Fashion Week was positively royal, with two hair looks styled by O&M and John Pulitano that were intricate, stand out, regal editorial offerings that merged art, hair and fashion in one.

“The hair is an extension of the garments. The direction for the hair was about creating a modern interpretation of period inspired characters. We were channelling Marie Antoinette meets Tim Burton,” John explained. “The collection was regal, yet sexy and fluid, the inspiration was a 1930s style so we wanted to create dramatic, Avant Garde looks, intertwining jewels and gems.”

“I was chatting to the designers and they had a story and there were a lot of old worldly references that were quite classic. I already had the up style in my head and then I thought something with a plait and something structured would look really good,” John continued. “I think the fine line is trying to make it still fashionable. It’s just about getting it a bit abstract and not too pretty either.”

Anchoring the looks with hero product Original Queenie, both styles – Marie Anotinette Hair and Crown Braids – had to toe the line of being soft but still structured and strong. The gravity-defying hair sculptures passed the difficult test of making it clipless down the runway, thanks to a savvy use of product – Atonic and Original Queenies were the go-to – and a smart approach to its construction.

“The key products for the first look was Original Queenie. We used it for the tight ponytail, slicked it back with a brush. We plaited the ponytail and twisted into a bun to create our base, building it up with pre-made braids, intertwined with jewels and wire for structure,” John explained. “For the second look we wanted a dark, Marie Aintonette vibe, allowing the integrity of the curls to come through. We prepped with Atonic and braided a small section to create a base, building it up with hair padding, then combing and placing out the hair, layer by layer, to cover the padding. We set the look with more Atonic to secure the style.”

A sure standout through fashion week, Nicol & Ford traipsed through eras and inspired in its artistry from head to toe. Get the looks:

Crown Braids:

• STEP 1: Start by brushing hair into a ponytail, smoothing it down with Original Queenie and sectioning out face framing pieces.
• STEP 2: Secure the ponytail at the crown of the head and split the ponytail in half. Braid the sections and secure at the ends.
• STEP 3: Apply braid extensions to the hair, creating a cross twist to blend with the natural hair and secure with bobby pins.
• STEP 4: Finish with Original Queenie.

Marie Antoinette Hair:

• STEP 1: Braid the crown of the hair into a spiral.
• STEP 2: Place hair padding and secure with bobby pins, building up to your preferred height. Brush and prep the surrounding hair with Atonic Thickening Spritz.
• STEP 3: Brush and wrap the hair upwards and around to cover the hair padding, blowdrying as you go and applying Original Queenie to lock it in.
• STEP 4: Place long hair clips to hold and create a wave effect securing with more Original Queenie.

For more information visit www.originalmineral.com

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