The Hair At Carolina Herrera Spring/Summer 2014

As always Carolina Hererra delivers an elegance with her latest collection that captivates even the most jaded among the fashion-weary flock at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

A few hours before the show began, my colleagues and I gathered around Orlando who did a demo of the look.

First we brushed and blow dried the hair, removing all knots and kinks. We then generously sprayed Spirulina Hair Spray thorough each model's hair.

To achieve the look, Orlando had us all do a side part...and in typical Orlando-style, he paid close attention making sure each head was perfect. That's one of the things I enjoy about working with him...his laser-like focus and attention to detail. We then back-combed the hair section by section.

Orlando advised us to use hairpins sparingly, so we could avoid unnecessary bumps or pulls.


Starting with the left side, we did our first twist, then moved to the right and did our next twist
Orlando mentioned that the idea was to simulate "...sea shells, the long ones that swirls."

And to avoid it looking too "classic," we created two little shell-like curls at the top of the twist.

In the end it was a beautiful, (hint - not easy to do) hairstyle that complimented Ms. Hererra's elegant designs.

Posted by Unknown at 9:24 AM - 2 comments

Orlando Pita And Joe Martino Take Karen Elson From Short To Long!

Last season Joe Martino at Orlo Salon cropped Karen Elson's hair into a much sought after bob. This season Orlando Pita and Joe Martino lengthened her hair at DVF!!

Watch them work them work as an amazing team!

Great job guys, and remember you saw it on Comesse!

Posted by Unknown at 9:20 PM - 0 comments

DVF Spring/Fall 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYC

"Young, confident and independent. You weren't only chosen because you're beautiful, but because of your personalities"

That comes from the kickoff speech to all the models at DVF this morning. So without changing each model's natural hair too much, we were instructed to highlight their inner beauty. 

Confident women or independent beauty was what it was all about at DVF. 

Orlando Pita Started us off doing a demo showing us exactly what he wanted.

First we applied a layer of the Biosilk Hairspray, then working towards creating an "S" wave, we all grabbed big sections of hair as we primarily used curling irons to achieve this look. In his demo, Orlando made it clear not to style the hair into a barrel curl or curls that were too tight. 

 For this show we used a Mason Pearson brush to add body and some fullness to hair.

And voila!

Here is Orlando Pita and Diane Von Furstenberg just be for the show!

Amazing show guys!!!

Posted by Unknown at 9:11 PM - 0 comments

Hair At Derek Lam Spring/Summer 2014 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

"Structured ease" was one of the terms Derek Lam used to describe the vibe of his Spring/Summer 2014 runway show and each model's hair was styled to follow suit.

Orlando Pitdid his usual demonstration for us, showing the techniques, tools and products that were needed.

The hair was first lightly brushed with a Mason Pearson brush and then sprayed with a Phyto Finishing Hair Spray to give it structure and body. 

We then styled it with the fabulous T3- Micro Hair Iron, alternating the direction of each wave.

NO BARREL CURLS! That's right guys...this is the look that will define today's modern girl.  

The hair was then put into a ponytail, keeping it, "...structured with an ease..."

Great job guys!!

Orlando Pita, Derek Lam and Makeup artist Tom Pecheux.

Posted by Unknown at 8:40 PM - 0 comments

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week NYC Spring 2014

With the "fashion buzz" in the air, everyone is gearing up for yet another amazing week of style, beauty and high drama in NYC. I'm excited to share that I'll be making "hair magic" as part of a team assisting Orlando Pita during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

We'll be working on an exciting lineup of shows for the following designers: Derek Lam, Diane Von Furstenberg, Carolina Herrera, Oscar De La Renta, Michael Kors and Philosophy.

What we will be doing stays secret till Orlando gives us our instructions. To see what's happening backstage, follow Orlando's Instagram and Facebook pages at orlopita.

Here's a backstage recap of hairstyles from the last shows I assisted.

Carolina Herrera

 Oscar De La Renta

Derek Lam

DVF

Michael Kors

Posted by Unknown at 5:20 AM - 0 comments

Must See Video For CR Fashion Book Issue 3- Hair By Orlando Oita

Photography Max von Gumppenberg and Patrick Bienert
Film Jordan Backhus
Starring Lily Donaldson, Xiao Wen, Karolina Kurkova, Jessica Hart, Irina Shayk, Nadja Bender, Sasha Luss, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Lindsey Wixson Lakshmi Menon, Soo Joo Park, Ashleigh Good, Candice Swanepoel, Stef Van Der Laan, and Anna Ewers
Makeup Aaron de Mey, Beauty Curator for Sephora
Hair Orlando Pita for Orlo Salon
Manicure Mar y Soul for Chanel Beauté
Prop stylist Philipp Haemmerle
Music “Peanut Butter” Alison Valentine

Posted by Unknown at 9:55 AM - 0 comments

Five Basic Tools I Must Have For Fashion Week

As Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week approaches, my colleagues and I start prepping our kits for the main events. Every year we are led by Orlando Pita to showcase what's hot for this season.

As the years pass, hairstyles change and hair products come and go. Sometimes we discover new styling products and tools that work better than last year's favorites. Sometimes we find our favorite product is discontinued.

Here are five basic products that are a "Must Have" for 2013. So from my personal styling kit to yours.. here we go!

1) The Alligator Clip or Dragon Clip - To work at the speed we need to, it's important to get the excess hair out of the way and have it stay there. The alligator clip, (also called the dragon clip) is super strong. It holds hair in place firmly, allowing you to work on wet or dry hair swiftly. When the pressure is on backstage, the last thing we need is hair falling out of a clip.

Tip: When working on hair that's fine, a smaller clip with less tension maybe a better option. Also when styling hair that's already blown out and you're working in the hairline, I recommend duckbill clips. The last thing we want to create are indentations on fine hair with a clip that has too much tension. Working smart is equally as important as working fast.

2) Wooden tooth brush - Don't worry, this is not a time to worry about dental hygiene. This is for hair. ;)

When we smooth dry hair for an ironed look or a chignon, those pesky fly always can ruin a perfect finish and show up in photos. Using a tail-comb or teasing brush for this could disturb the finish even more. This toothbrush has very soft bristles so it helps polish hard to reach areas. Because of its size, it gets to the fine or short flyways without disturbing the rest of the hair.

Tip: At the end of every fashion season I wash mine with a strong detergent (liquid dish-washing detergent) compared to my daily hair brush detergent. (shampoo then barbacide)

3) Bungee hair elastics - I remember many years ago being part of a video demo, styling a ponytail with a regular ponytail holder. It was a bad idea.

Bungee hair elastics, when used correctly gets close to the head, without leaving a bump at the base of the tail. It's the only thing I now use. They not only hold well and are easy on the hair, they come in a variety of colors.

Tip: Be careful where you buy them. There are different brands for sale but the quality is not good. I get my supply from Paris, from co-workers who travel for shows there. I'm sure their are good ones in the U.S...they are just hard to find.

4) Super mate clips - I think hairstylists and clients alike have all run into this problem, clip marks in the hair when styling. If you're doing finger waves, working on the hairline (on dry hair) or pushing bangs aside to put makeup on, these clips are your best friend.

During fashion week, if we happen to do the hair before the makeup, chances are the hair will get in the makeup artists' way. So these babies are a must backstage or at home.

5) Wig Brush - When I have hair that's so thick and tangled and has to be on stage in 30 minutes, this brush comes to the rescue! It's perfect for a head full of extensions that's enough hair for three people. And if you're that client who loves to ignore your hair till the last minute, enjoying the tangled, textured hive, then you've met your match!

Tip: Don't let the name deter you. However don't let this take the place of your daily detangling brush. The wig brush is primarily meant for the situations mentioned above.

Well that's all for now folks! Stay tuned for images from New York City Mercedes Benz Fashion Week!

Posted by Unknown at 10:51 AM - 3 comments

Calm Natural Skincare Helping Women At Homeless Shelters

As I continue my workshops for women and girls living in shelters, it becomes clearer that their is a huge demand for support to these ladies.

After doing several workshops with the women at Win around inner beauty and hair care, I started to receive requests to do some on skincare. I decided to reach out to several companies, but as I needed a high level of donations to meet the demand, finding a suitable match was not an easy task...that is until I met Jyl Bonaguro, founder of CALM Natural Skincare.

When I explained to my new friends at CALM Natural Skincare what I did with the families at the shelter, they instantly said yes. Within a week the samples arrived as promised.

I can't tell you how appreciative the women at the shelter were to receive the gifts. Everyone was given a cleanser, a moisturizer and a mask. During the workshop, we decided to bust open some of the products and give ourselves facials. :)

The first thing I noticed was the natural, clean smell...I mean it even looked edible. Sold in either powder or liquid form, they gently clean and moisturize skin. Their products are packed with over 60 natural ingredients, helping skin maintain its natural integrity and shine. Another great thing about CALM Natural Skincare is their love for the environment. The entire line offers refills to avoid increasing plastic waste on the planet and the packaging is "space friendly." Gone are the days of a few products taking all the room on your counter top or cabinet.

I can't thank the people enough at Calm Natural Skincare for the wonderful gifts they gave to these women, showing them that complete strangers do care.

For those who want more info, here is a video on the birth on Calm Natural Skincare and their line of products. And please, please, please if you become a fan, like their facebook page.

Posted by Unknown at 8:35 AM - 0 comments

Help For Beauty School Students at JP McCaskey High School In Pennsylvania.

I want to share with you all an amazing  experience I had with a class of students at a beauty school program at JP McCaskey High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Their teacher, Andrea Fitzgerald contacted me asking if I could direct her to someone that could help with supplies like hair brushes, blow dryers, curling irons, etc. so the students could get the proper training. She further expressed interest in more education for the students, but did not have the budget. 

Having attended a similar program (West Valley Occupational Center) in Los Angeles for my beauty school education, I related to the challenges they faced.  The first step was to get supplies donated. Having never done anything like this before I knew it would be a challenge, one that I was happy to take on.

The first company that came to mind was T3 Micro.

You see, T3 has been a regular sponsor for some of our favorite shows during Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week.

I love their products so it was a natural choice for me. I explained to these wonderful people at T3 the situation at the school and my willingness to help. I also told them that I would personally take the products to Pennsylvania, they were game!

Last week I traveled 3 hours  to Lancaster  with the donated equipment.

Here's a video which further explains my initial interaction with the Mrs Andrea Fitzgerald and our plans. 

Once at the school I saw the excitement in the kids faces. The workshop started  with an introduction of myself and my journey through the beauty industry. We discussed the the important things to do while in school that will help them after graduating. The simple things like constantly practicing on their mannequins hairstyles they see in magazines, or cutting the hair for family members and friends as soon as they can.  We talked about the importance of not losing your individual creativity. Beauty school training can be a standardized and rigid training process with so many "do's and dont's" being taught as guidelines to create a cut.

Here are images with the excited students with their new tools. They were beyond ecstatic!!!

 I followed this by doing a haircut and style using T3- Microfiber tools.

 I closed out my visit with a surprise bonus from Orlando Pita, who graciously donated gift baskets to the top two students, Michelle Gonzales & Nghia Nguyen with the best attendance. 

The students wanted to say a big thank you to T3 ...here they are!!

Already I've received feedback from Ms. Fitzgerald saying, "The kids are super excited and anxious for my return!"

Well since my visit I'm even more committed to helping those in need. For those who are interested in seeing how they can help out, please contact me.

I want to once again thank Ms. Fitzgerald for contacting me and having faith to ask for help. And a big thank you to T3 for their incredible donation to the school program. And lastly a special thanks to Orlando Pita for his gifts to the two students who had the best attendance.

Posted by Unknown at 8:42 AM - 1 comments