Teamwork made the dream work backstage at Colovos this NYFW, where Pureology Global Artistic Ambassador Ruth Roche and a team of eight Pure Artists created individualist looks for each model. “The designer wanted each model to feel comfortable in her own hair so that when she walked the runway she felt great.” The other goal was to create hair that didn’t look like it was done. “As hairdressers, sometimes we don’t know when to stop touching it [Laughs]. Then it gets overdone-looking.”
The model’s style was dictated by her hair texture. For hair with lots of natural wave, the team used Airdry Cream on wet hair and let it air dry, or put it in dry hair to enhance the texture with a tiny bit of definition.
For hair on the straighter side, the team used Clean Volume Instant Levitation Mist. “It was designed to give volume to the hair, but we’ve found that it’s amazing for adding texture,” Roche said. “We sprayed that onto damp or dry hair and scrunched or set it by wrapping it around our fingers, leaving the ends out, then clipped it and let it set. It gave a half wave with natural ends.”
For coarser texture or frizz-prone strands, the team used Cuticle Polisher. One such look was a messy textured ponytail. “We center-parted it to give it the look of being quickly pulled back and tied in a loop,” Roche said. She mixed shine-enhancing Density Definer with cream wax Cuticle Polisher, took little pieces and pinched her fingers together over strands, then ran her fingers through them pieces to create what she calls a didn’t-comb-it- but-looks-amazing style.
As for how she chose the team of Pure Artists, “I work with this team a lot, and I felt that whatever was put in front of them, they’d be able to do it,” she said. Noel Strong, VP of sales and education, made sure everyone was in the place they needed to be, while director of education, Jaclyn Lusignan, was also onsite. “We had our briefing and reminded everyone that it was about the designer and bringing her vision to life. It doesn’t matter what we think in the end,” Roche said. “Everyone was prepared to go with the flow, be focused and be the best hairdressers they could be.”
So, her thoughts on how it all went? “The most satisfying thing is when the designer or the stylist would look at a model and say, ‘Beautiful—I love it.’ You’re like, phew! In the end, it’s about them being happy. Same with the client in the chair—we can do their hair and think they look amazing, but if they’re not comfortable in it.”
Pure Artist Team:
- Michelle Patton
- Emily Alders
- Jamie Wiley
- Ashley Hofstrand
- Moreen Jones
- Jake Kissel
- Elyse Wold
- Shelby Hogan