I’ve never been to much of an evening-wear gal, but I thought it’s important (even if somewhat excruciating) to learn the techniques and lock them in “the bank”… So these two -surprisingly black- numbers are the result of some experimentation with different forms of silk…
*Some behind-the-scenes-candy for you… This silky “creation” was 100% hand sewn, let’s just say that my fingertips were somewhat punctured by the end…
Credits:
When it comes to coats, I must say I am a big fan of tailored classics, and if there is any chance you’ve missed the fact that I thrive on black, here is another testimony… This is the second “episode” from my collaboration with Andy to document my design work here in New York.
When I developed the patterns for this coat I was hopping to achieve a simple yet elegant silhouette that would be a tad more ”dressy” than you’re everyday coating choice, and for days one desires a dash of opulence- some fur -of course…
Let’s just say the chances are you are going to see quite a bit of this one this winter, after all cashmere, leather and fur can be somewhat irresistible…
Making a “couture” dress out of paper is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when preparing a design portfolio, BUT when you’re in school it’s really not up to you… And when I say “couture” I mean, when was the last time you’ve cut your material into triangles and hand sewn a dress out of them??? I must say, that despite the fact that this dress is rather “disposable” I’m quite pleased with how it turned out, and if I may add- Natalie has never looked so lovely…
And I would like to thank again to all the remarkable talents that contributed to this collaboration and shared their craft!
Photography – Andy Bae
Model- Natalie Egorova
Hair- Sara Ashanty
Make up – Mark Edio
And a special thank you to Daniel Silverstain that was THE BEST “model-coach” ever!
So… It’s been a while since I last shared some beauty secrets, but no worries, I haven’t forgotten my promise and I’m thrilled I finally found the time for the 3rd beauty tutorial!
You’ve probably figured out by now, that I’m the kind of girl that prefers her hair up, say 90% of the time! I mean, what can I say, it’s quick and most importantly keeps my hair out of my way when I run around at yet another crazy day… So, for this tutorial, I’ll share with you the tips and tricks from my beauty experts (read more about the A-List Girls here & here), for both hair – how to perfect the bun?! And make up -how to achieve that perfectly drawn eyeliner?!
Shall we?
For the BUN, the secret is AIR. You didn’t see that one coming ha? The trick is, after you pull your hair into a high pony-tail, “fluf-up” the hair with air, while your head is up-side down. And THEN when it’s all airy and much more full looking, you gently twist your hair in a bun and secure it with boby-pins in a discreet way… You see, I was always tightening it too much…
About the Make-Up… Most make-up artists I worked with in the past month will testify that I’ve been absolutely obsessed with the black eye-liner! I mean, it’s such an iconic look and let’s face it- quite flattering for most gals out there.
So when I asked Angela what product does she use to get the perfect line, she said it’s actually a combination of two- both gel and liquid. First, to create the general shape you apply the gel liner (with a special pointy brush, you can get either at Sephora or practically in every pharmacy) and later you frame it with the more precise liquid liner. And for us beginners there’s also the correction phase… Nothing to be ashamed of! Sometimes even the most experiences make-up artists use the Q-tip to perfect and correct!
As for the bright lip- in case you were wandering- we used Impassioned by MAC.
Hope you like the end-result!
Photos by Andy Bae, Hair by Sara Ashanti and make up by Angela Wang.
Ever since Alexander Wang sent down the runway an army of beauties in loosely braided hair in his Spring 2010 collection, ”the braid” was on my mind, and after my hair grew out to the right length, it became one of my “go-to” looks for everyday school/work run-arounds (As seen here & recently here). It always makes me feel like such a Russian girl, and smile when I see a reflection in the windows, because if you would have told my platinum blonde chopped version 5 years ago I would be wearing my hair in a braid (in my natural color!) I would probably burst in laughter, but hey, here we are…
So, although it’s one of my favorites, I always felt as though I never really got that ‘wow’ effect I was looking for, I was always missing a tad of volume and that intentionally messy texture that seems so effortlessly chic… And now with the help of Sara Ashanti, that’s been “quietly” making history in New-York City in the past two years and climbing her way to desirable jobs with the top magazines (VOGUE, ELLE, Vanity Fair and W just to name a few) in the industry, I was hoping to get that little “extra” under my belt, or should I say, on the top of my head…
So the first secret, and you might have guessed it by now is Volume. The way to get it is through a combination of the right products and a little bit of heat (using the blow-dryer). First you need to have:
If there’s anything I learned about hair from this day, it’s how crucial it is to prepare your hair even before you start styling it. I’ll walk you through it. step by step…
Step 1 : APPLY
On wet hair, apply PHYTO Volumizer Spray ( a real magic-worker by the way) only to your roots ,to literally raise the hair from the root up, and as for the rest of the hair ( excluding the roots), to achieve that texture I was talking about before apply the Full Volume Mouse. A word about the Mouse, when I asked Sara about the brand she recommends she said it really doesn’t have to be Fekkai or any other brand, as long as it’s in a medium price range and up (you certainly don’t want to get that 1.99 bottle from a company you’ve never heard of before) it should do the trick. Sara herself is constantly trying new products as they are being released.
Step 2: BLOW-DRY
After you’ve applied the products as directed, turn your head upside down (no kidding!) and blow dry it while lingering a bit longer on the roots and “massaging” the hair upwards, to help it raise and dry in the direction we want.
Step 3: TEASE
This is probably my favorite step, and not just because of the name! This is where you get to play around with your new special comb (you can find it practically in every pharmacy or even on Amazon for less than 5$, totally worth the investment!) and comb the hair in the opposite direction. It really is amazing how much volume you can get that way even out of the finest hair. Note to do the teasing after you’ve decided where will you part your hair into two sections.
Step 4: BRAID
After we’ve given the hair texture and volume, and even teased it for heights in never seen before we can safely braid away! Make the braid loose and intentionally sloppy, to get that “”" effortless”" look (now you understand how not quite effortless those looks going down the runways really are…)
Eh – Voila! I don’t know if Alexander (Wang) will look my way when I pass by him on the street, but I sure am feeling just a tiny bit more ‘Runway Ready’ than before!
Stop by tomorrow, to get all the make-up secrets from our make-up artist – Angela Wang!
Photo by Andy Bae
