It can happen to even a veteran NYFW show-goer: We're often so swept up in the beauty of it all that we can overlook what really goes into creating a 20-minute fashion show. Luckily for us, style blogger Nashelly Messina went behind the scenes with fellow E! Style Collective member Marc Mena, lead hairstylist for the Idan Cohen fall 2015 show at Lincoln Center. The two gabbed, laughed and even brought you genius hair tips straight from the fashion front lines.
Nashelly: How'd you come up with this hair look?
Marc: I worked hand in hand with the designer to come up with the look. The collection definitely serves as inspiration for the hair looks, and his collection is filled with gowns that are very embellished with lots of sparkle, so I wanted to keep the hair very fresh, clean and youthful. I went with a sleek look, but with movement and volume at the roots. I also added a central part to add a bit of an edge.
For those of us without a glam squad behind us, how'd we get this look at home?
To achieve a sleek look that doesn't look flat, dry the hair and prep it with a volumizing mousse. After it's dry, part it in the middle and flat iron it to give it that sleek and shiny finish. If you have fine hair, use a volumizing mist spray. If you have thicker hair, use a volumizing mousse. My main tool is using a toothbrush to help comb down baby hair and flyaways. I wanted to give them a very clean hair line. Dip your toothbrush into the pomade, and it will help brush away flyaways.
It's crazy back here! How do you keep calm under the pressure?
I'm always calm. As a head stylist I have to set the tone for my entire team, which means staying focused and relaxed. I have a great team behind me, which makes it easy for me to keep my emotions under control. And after all, it's just hair and we're just having fun with it.
If you could have fun with hair and make it extravagant for a particular show, what would you do?
I would give the models waist-long hair—I would give them a cross between a horse and a female walking down the runway, where the hair is flowing and bouncing away. I just love long beautiful hair.