Dion Lee has long served up a combination of expert tailoring with skin-baring elements. In his latest AW’20 runway show at The Shed, Lee adds jewelry to his forte, literally weaving chain links throughout the designs while using beauty to elevate the addition in his post-modern collection. Among the chain elements, soft prints and structured shapes were tailored together, shibori fabrics and his signature sultry flare were imminent as the hips and shoulders were highlighted as standout spots this season.
Capturing the conception, Wella Professionals Global Creative Director of Care & Styling Eugene Souleiman created a powerful style to lock in the various elements. Complementing the chain-link constructions throughout Lee’s designs, Souleiman crafted perfectly placed row braids to accentuate center parts, opening the face and showing off the natural texture of each model. Alongside these delicate braids, metal beads were also placed on the faces and hands of the models to accentuate their features and bring the jewelry element to life. On creating the style, Souleiman notes. "In this new collection there was a lot of hardware, so I worked this concept into the hairstyle and compacted it with something that was ultra-shiny and sleek. The thing I loved most about this hairstyle was the twist, which was a braid close to the hair and extended behind the ear. The interesting detail is that the braid was pulled up, creating lift to the face. The braid also acted as support for the hair and kept the hair off the face. The longer lengths in the back of the hair were braided loosely, sprayed with Wella Professionals EIMI Sugar Lift, then diffused, giving the hair a wavy dishevelled texture when taken out."
Eugene Souleiman felt it was important to create a hair look that felt strong and natural. “We wanted to do a center part but open up the face. Normally a center part closes the face, but with the element of hair being delicately braided away from the front hairline, it gives the look tension and the linear detail of the braid lifts the face. It’s a contemporary take on minimalism,” says Souleiman. Creating a wearable look, we expect to see this style everywhere this season!
Keep reading to see how Wella Professionals Global Creative Director of Care & Styling Eugene Souleiman utilized Wella Professionals products to create these high-fashion styles.
How to get the look:
- Begin by creating a center part. Then, create an elongated triangular section taken from the center part to just behind the ear.
- Next, create a delicate small braid on each side in this section, each braid beginning from the center part, traveling diagonally downwards. It is important that the braid sit directly on top of the section part, and that the hair is drawn upwards away from the hairline towards the braid with tension, to give the face and linear detail. At the end of the section, the braid is continued off the scalp half-way down the length of the hair and tied securely.
- The hair not contained in braids must be controlled in a way that feels natural. Firmly press a small amount of Wella EIMI Extra Volume mousse onto the top of the head on either side of the part, downwards to the parietal ridge and to the bottom of the crown, being careful not to apply the product too low. Wella EIMI Extra Volume is applied to give hold, direction, and texture.
- Split the hair into two sections by continuing the center part to the nape. With hands holding the top of the hair flat to the head so as not to disrupt the styling, section the hair at the occipital and create two cornrow braids on either side of center parting. It’s important that the tension of the braid decreases as you move down the head as this will affect the overall texture created from the braids. The ends are left free and Wella EIMI Sugar Lift is sprayed lightly for texture.
- Place a hair net with tension on the hairline detail and the area covered with Wella EIMI Extra Volume and diffuse until dry.
- Remove the cornrow braids in the back of the hair to create movement and texture.
A stunning look on the runway, we asked Eugene Souleiman about his advice to translate show looks for an everyday style. "Some runway styles can directly translate to salon finishes, especially the more natural ones. But some can’t, they are pure fantasy to push forward a designer’s point of view. When looking at these hairstyles, there is always an element that can be used – the trick is using one element of the hairstyle! No need to be so literal. It’s like deciding what length to cut a client’s hair – it’s personal and everyone’s interpretation will be different. That’s the beauty of it!"
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