NYFW SS 2012: Helmut Lang Goes For an Unkempt Rocker Appeal
Makeup artist Lisa Butler said her inspiration for the faces of Helmut Lang’s SS 2012 collection was”sporty-chic, but aggressive.” Temptu products gave skin a hydrated, fresh, no-makeup look, while still staying very polished. “This isn’t a concept look, this is something that you can really just do — throw on your favorite outfit and walk out the door ready for the entire day,” said Butler.
Strong brows were achieved using a stencil and Temptu AIR pod Brows for a crisp shape. Then the same brow color was brought down onto eyelids. “It’s more of a straightforward, aggressive expression — a coming-at-you sort of a thing,” Butler explained.
Both top and bottom lashes were curled and waterproof mascara used to really bring the emphasis to the eyes. Butler added “a little bit of hydration around the eyes to give it a little bit of a dewy [look], but not soft.”Brand-new Temptu lip color in VIP (slated to launch next year) and a touch of AIR pod Sunset Glow highlighter was all the young girls needed to complete the look.
TIGI Hairstylist Paul Hanlon said he was excited to be working with Helmut Lang for the first time. Hanlon’s goal for the show was finding a balance between the historical, influential brand’s usual simple hair and the new design team’s modern take on it.
The inspiration for the hair to match the sporty collection was “the idea of this girl that has been to a rock concert head banging all night, and her hair is really greasy, sweaty, and very unkempt,” said Hanlon. “It’s not pretty hair at all. She’s quite a tough girl, quite cool, a bit rebellious in a way — but at the same time it still has to be quite chic on the girls.”
To achieve the wet look without actually getting hair wet (“The fabrics are very fine and delicate — I don’t want them to walk out with big grease stains on the clothes!”) Hanlon relied on TIGI Catwalk Session Series products. The line, designed specifically for fashion show hairstylists, was the key to getting the textured, glowing look Hanlon desired.
Hanlon started with Session Series Salt Spray to prep the hair. “It makes hair very dry, adds a little more substance and takes the softness out of it,” he explained. Next was lots of Session Series Styling cream, added section-by-section “to make the hair quite greasy and heavy and shiny. As it dries, it gives a wet look to the hair. ”
Hanlon combed the hair a bit, but relied mostly on fingers, pulling bits out here and there to make it feel more urban and sporty. “I’m trying not to use any brushes here,” he said. “I want it to feel like the girls just put their hands through their hair, so you get all the little irregularities — you don’t feel like it’s combed.”
Hanlon then styled hair in a tight, low ponytail, tied the hair into two knots and pinning the knots to the head to assure they stayed put. TIGI Catwalk shine spray was the final step to making the messy, knotted ponytails look wet and glossy.
“Ponytails can look a bit teenager. We wanted it to look a bit more dangerous — long bits, short bits. If a girl came out of a concert, she’d just [tie her hair up] and there would be these mistakes, so it just makes it a bit more personal. A bit tougher — sporty, athletic, very sweaty.”
What product does Hanlon suggest to recreate this look at home — minus the wet, greasy aspect? “Just a bit of mousse — something to hold it and give it a bit more grit,” he says. When hair is clean and dry, it will usually just undo itself if you try to tie it into knots, so you’ll definitely need a few extra pins as well.
