Another season, another New York Fashion Week: Men’s has come and gone and we are still elated from all of the excitement.
This season AXE teamed up with the CFDA and Cadillac House as the official grooming sponsor. We got to go backstage at the Gypsy Sport Spring 2017 Presentation, curtsey of AXE to check them out in action. We talked hair and grooming with lead stylist Lisa-Raquel and AXE representative Kristen La Rose. After the backstage madness ended we stayed to experience the nonconformist designer’s show. Check out our exclusive interview and our review of the collection below.
Lead Stylist Lisa Raquel and Team
Interview – Lisa-Raquel and Kristen La Rose for AXE
On the show’s inspiration
Lisa Raquel -Today’s inspiration for this show is soccer vs. Anime. For about one-third of the models, they brought in wigs attached to bald caps. The other third is basically natural texture. So we’re working with natural texture using our Axe products and we’re doing a few haircuts as well.
On the products used
L.R. -To achieve the looks we use two of our Axe products. We got the “Clean-Cut Look” and the “Smooth Look” from our “Signature” Collection. They are both pomades and work really well for shaping and styling the hair. The Smooth Look is lighter than the other. It’s good for kind of blending the hair, especially the hair that’s been barbered through and good for when we want to add a little shine to it. The Clean Cut Look I used for defining some of the curls just with my fingers and shaping the hair together so it’s not freezing. We also have some Afros, which are beautiful. So we kind of just left those alone and just played with it with our fingers.
On Favorite Axe product
L.R. -I really like the “Messy Look” – Flexible Paste from our “Urban” Collection. It’s one of my favorite products to work with because I feel like it really works for everyone. You can style your hair in all different ways. It’s good if you want to wear your hair messy and for those who want to wear their hair to the side or back or slicked down it’s really a universal product. Axe has a line that works for all different hair types, which is really good and you don’t find that as an over-the-counter product that you can pick up at your local drug store. With the full line here in front of us, everything works for somebody.
On Favorite Hair trend for Men
L.R. -My favorite hair trend for men is shaved on the sides and longer on top. Just kind of long enough to push it back or wear it to the side so it’s slicked over. That’s my favorite look right now.
On Teaming up with Gypsy Sport
Kristen La Rosa -Axe partnered with Cadillac House and the CFDA to support this platform. What’s cool about Gypsy Sport, in particular, is we also support platform 3 and in the past two seasons, they were at platform 3. So this is actually our third time working with them. They are so much fun and it’s really a cool label. We really do love working with them, they are so easy to work with.
Collection Review
Rio Uribe self-directed designer behind the Gypsy Sport brand is known for celebrating individual identity and expression. This New York Fashion Week: Men’s Spring 2017 season wasn’t any different. The Soccer vs Anime inspired collection was a mash-up of soccer, football, mesh, and reconstructed basketball jerseys embellished with fringed tassels. There were also an array of sports bras, tunics, jersey shorts, and zippered tracksuits with matching backpacks. Spunky floral anime prints and vivacious global map prints were standouts along with Uribe’s meticulous layering of lace. The collection’s main colors were red, white, blue, yellow, and beige which gave us a patriotic feel. Gypsy Sport continues to set itself apart and is a brand to watch.
Get the AXE hair look from the show
1) Begin by working AXE Natural Look Softening Cream throughout the hair from root to tip to accentuate natural waves
2) For darker and coarser hair use AXE Signature Smooth Look Shine Pomade to work in on the sides to give it that silky and lustrous sheen and comb up with a pick
3) Soften up any last fly-aways with AXE Natural Look Understated Cream to tighten up the sides while still playing on the natural movement of the hair
