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Flashback Fashion
by Regina Molaro

A lineup of designers, including Christian Siriano, Tibi and NAHM, went retro as they drew inspiration from the fabulous fashions of past decades. The catwalks of New York City's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, held February 9 to 16, demonstrated the influence of the past on modern-day fashionistas. For these nostalgic designers, Fall/Winter 2012 means flashback looks that recall the bygone eras of the '20s, '30s, and '60s. The collections preview a range of styles that will reign-from the dark, feminine bat-inspired looks at Christian Siriano to the glamour and grace of the roaring '20s.

Aveda Global Creative Director Antoinette Beenders worked with Christian Siriano's bat concept to create an uncomplicated, modern and sophisticated hairstyle. For the Tibi show, Aveda's Frank Rizzieri and Kevin Ryan yearned for modern, easy-looking hair that wasn't too retro. A strong, modern, bold look complemented NAHM's collection.

HOT invites you to take a peek backstage at the key beauty looks that debuted at the Christian Siriano, Tibi and NAHM shows.


From behind-the-scenes at the Christian Siriano show, a bit of drama takes flight.

Christian Siriano

Bats, specifically the '30s film "The Vampire Bat" was the inspiration for designer Christian Siriano's Fall/Winter 2012 collection. "These flying demons of the night intrigue me with their creepy, dark and dramatic presence, as well as the intricate details of their veins and the bone structure of their wings," says Siriano. "I find beauty in the wings of the bat, which can be seen in the details of the clothing-leather appliqués, ethereal flowing silk crepe dresses, tops and capes taking flight."

The black and white '30s film featured lead actress Fay Wray, who was elegant and sophisticated wearing beautiful blouses tucked into long evening skirts in black and white-a look juxtaposed with the core horror content and backdrop of the movie. The grainy nature of the old film also served as inspiration for the color palette and the modern prints seen throughout the entire collection.

To complement the look, Aveda Global Creative Director Antoinette Beenders styled the hair smooth and straight. "The silhouette of the style is inspired by the mystique of bats, as in Christian's collection," says Beenders. "We kept the hair close to the head to mimic the body shape of a bat, using the braids as an anchor at the nape, as well as a way to minimize volume. The style is uncomplicated, modern and sophisticated."

Christian Siriano

Create the Look/Antoinette Beenders

• Prep hair with Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother and blowdry straight.
• Create a section at the top of the head by parting hair along the parietal ridge on both sides. Secure hair on top of head with an elastic.
• Continue the parts on both sides of the head toward the nape. Secure center section at the back of the head with an elastic.
• Comb out the loose section on the left side of the head and prep with Aveda Air Control Hair Spray. Create an inverted braid, starting at the temple-1 to 2 inches above the ear-working toward the nape, following the natural curve of the hairline.
• Secure the braid at the nape with an elastic and flat-iron loose ends.
• Repeat on the right side of the head. Mist both braids with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray.
• Release the section at the back of the head and comb out.
• Flat-iron hair in one-inch sections, prepping with Aveda Air Control Hair Spray to add gloss and light hold, moving up the from nape to crown.
• Remove the elastic from the top section and use a flat-iron to smooth the hair, working in horizontal sections from sides to center part. Let the hair fall over the braids, covering them completely, and smooth it out with a fine-toothed comb.
• Pull the hair back, as if for a low pony tail, in a wide, flat swath. Use pins to hold hair in place, anchoring them into the braids on left and righ sides of the swath.
• Secure hair by placing a 3 to 4 inch metal comb horizontally at the nape. Remove pins.
• Mist with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray to tame flyaways and add shine. Spritz with Aveda Brilliant Spray-On Shine for added gloss to finish.

Here, a beauty update from the Tibi show.

Tibi

Boy meets girl in Tibi's masculine-inspired sportswear collection that flaunts feminine details, layering and lots of extreme texture. "The nineties meet the sixties in the fall collection-a continuation of Spring 2012 with clean, relaxed styles," says designer Amy Smilovic of Tibi. The Fall/Winter 2012 palette showcases dark maroons, forests and various riffs on black, grey and ivory, which are accentuated with pops of cobalt and metallic teal hues.

Since the show offered a fresh, modern take on Smilovic's nod to the '60s, stylists Frank Rizzieri and Kevin Ryan-both for Aveda-complemented the collection with cool, easy styles. Simple, undone ponytails at the nape of the neck created a lived-in look that balances function and form.

"The collection has a very '60s feel and we didn't want the overall look to be too retro," says Rizzieri and Ryan. "This is modern, easy-looking hair. It's effortless, current and practical, like a 5 p.m. hairstyle-a low, messy ponytail that looks as if the girl swept her hair up at the end of a long day."

Tibi PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Gurinsky for Aveda

Create the Look/ Frank Rizzieri and Kevin Ryan

• With a left side part starting at the arch of the brow, liberally spray Aveda Volumizing Tonic root to ends, starting at the nape of the neck and working upwards.
• Blow dry front section to the side and behind the ears. Dry the rest of the hair back, away from the face, using a blow dryer and hands.
• Pull hair into a loose ponytail at the nape of the neck and secure with an elastic.
• Pull a small piece of hair from the bottom of the ponytail and wrap it around the elastic to conceal it. Secure ends under the elastic to hold hair in place.
• Pull random pieces of hair from above the ear and surrounding the face for texture.
• Finish with Aveda Men Pure-Formance Grooming Clay to shape fallen pieces.

Preview the Fall/Winter beauty and fashion looks that were shown at the NAHM runway show.

NAHM

The strong, elegant woman of the 1920's served as inspiration for design duo Nary Manivong and Alexandria Hilfiger of NAHM. Their Fall/Winter 2012 runway show highlighted looser-fitting looks and a hint of sheer. The show evokes the designers' muse-a graceful yet powerful woman from the 1920's.

"The look is designed after Diana Vreeland, a noted figure in the worlds of fashion and art-and style advisor to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy," says Jon Reyman for Aveda, the stylist who fashioned hair looks to suit NAHM's style. Vreeland is the epitome of feminine strength and distinction.

"Nary and Alexandria came to us with an image of a blow-back bob in their minds. They wanted the look to appear short, matte and smooth with a clean, graphic shape," says Reyman. "They really wanted the women to look powerful. We translated that idea to a strong, modern, bold look."

NAHM PHOTO CREDIT: Jon Gurinsky

Create the Look/ Jon Reyman

• Prep hair with Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother.
• Starting at the nape of the neck, spray roots with Aveda Volumizing Tonic. Blowdry with a round brush to smooth.
• Starting at the nape, coat six horizontal sections of hair top and bottom with Aveda Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray and wrap horizontally around the barrel of a 1" curling iron. Repeat with each of the six sections, moving up the back of the head.
• Brush through the hair with a Mason Pearson brush and create a triangle part at the hairline - from temples to the crown, separating the top section of hair.
• Separate a small section of hair above each ear and clip aside. Make a horizontal part at the back of the head to separate the remaining hair into two sections.
• Unpin hair from above the ears, bring underneath the back sections and tie in a low ponytail at the nape of the neck.
• Add the bottom of the lower horizontal section into the ponytail and spray with Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray.
• Use fingers to roll the ponytail into a horizontal roll at the nape of the neck. Tuck under and pin.
• Working with the remaining (upper) horizontal section of hair, split in the center to create a part down the back of the head. Spray hair with Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray.
• Wrap each section into the existing roll at the nape of the neck. Tuck under and pin.
• Release the top triangular section of hair from its pin and spray with Control Force Firm Hold Hair Spray. Smooth the hair over the entire look, again pinning the ends underneath.
• Finish with a light spray of Control Force Firm Hold Hairspray to maintain hold and enhance the matte finish.