Wella at New York Fashion Week

After seeing the fabulous blow-outs by the Red Door Spa team in New York, I have a rekindled interest in hair styles! So, straight from New York Fashion Week, here's a peek at two adventurous looks - similar in that ponytails were the feature, but different in hair color, which ranged from daring to daily. If you have long hair, you won't need the extensions used to create these looks. Just follow the step-by-step directions.

Wella professionals and lead colorist Eva Scrivo crafted runway looks to complement the Cynthia Rowley and DKNY Fall 2010 collections. I'll tell you about the products and techniques that were used to create these hair fantasies, where extensions were all the rage!

At Cynthia Rowley, the look was a sleek, natural ponytail accented with the striking contrast of an artificial colored hair extension placed off center for an added tuft of textured fringe.

Hair Color Used

Wella professionals used Koleston Perfect Special Mix hair color shades to completely saturate natural hair extensions with the rich, vibrant, jewel-toned shades of the clothing collection. The sophisticated nuances of the Special Mix shades turned Rowley's color fantasy into a reality on the runway. The multi-dimensional tones and layers revealed sensuous colors in a range of shades, each time embedded with an element of surprise. The models actually blended with the clothing.

Products Used

System Professional Ultimation: Strong-hold hairspray with long-lasting hold and maximum shine.

Step-by-Step Styling

1. Section hair off and working from back of the head to the front, preparing hair with System Professional Ultimation hair spray for added texture and shine.
2. Create texture within each section by using a combination of a curling iron and crimping iron for non-uniform waviness.
3. Place Wella colored hair pieces that have been crimped within sections of the natural hair so that the extensions blend in seamlessly.
4. Pull the hair back into a soft ponytail at the nape of the neck with the ends flowing naturally, while allowing the streaks of color to show through for added dimension.

While this was done in dramatic fashion for the runway, any woman could translate this look into everyday life with extensions or highlights that coordinate with her "natural" hair color, as the Wella professionals did at DKNY.

The DKNY look was a refined side-swept ponytail, projecting a sexy equestrian vibe with a subtly strong, yet not too masculine look.

Hair Color Used

Using Wella Professionals’ new Blondor collection to achieve the palest of blondes, and both the Koleston Perfect permanent and Color Touch demi-permanent collections to create a gorgeous palette of naturals, hand-painted extensions were created within the natural color palette of the models’ hair - not quite as daring as the Rowley look. The range reflected beautiful dimension in a variety of hues - from medium brown to a beautiful spectrum of blonde shades.

Products Used

• System Professional Volumagic: Natural hold styling foam for long-lasting volume
• System Professional Hypercurl: Provides texture and definition to curl patterns

Step-by-Step Styling

1. Prepare damp hair with System Professional Volumagic and blow dry with a large round brush, creating a soft wave and giving direction for the side part.
2. Rake hands through hair to loosen the waves, pulling to the side of the part and fasten the low-side ponytail.
3. Leave hair on the opposite side of the ponytail loose around the face to balance the asymmetry of the look.
4. Lightly smooth System Professional Hypercurl on the length of the ponytail for separation and added texture.

The DKNY look is one you might want to create at home; ponytails will rock for the rest of this year. Of course, if you have a flair for hair, you could give the Cynthia Rowley look a whirl!

Photos courtesy of American Pop