Dennis Basso presented his Fall/Winter 2016 collection on February 16, during NYFW. We got a chance to go behind the scenes with Olivia Garden and Red Door Spa to get the scoop on all things glam for the show. See our exclusive interviews below.
Anne Maza for Olivia Garden
For those who may not know, Olivia Garden is a leader in high-quality tools and products for professional hairdressers. Tell us about some of the tools provided here for the show
Anne Maza – The look today is a very sleek down low ponytail in the back with a part down the center. We provided a detangling brush. Very important when the models come in they might be coming from another show with something in their hair already. So the stylists have to detangle the hair. Then we have a thermal brush to smooth out the hair. So the detangling brush is our Divine 1 Wet Detangler and our Heat Pro is the thermal brush. Then to make a center part the stylists use our CarboSilk Tail Comb. Then they use our 2 1/2 inch Healthy Hair Boar Bristle Brush to really smooth out the hair right along the part and all the way down as they pulled the hair back into a low ponytail. Then they tied it off with an elastic band.
Where can we find Olivia Garden Tools & Products?
AM – Our brushes are high end and they are available at Ulta Beauty as well as other high-end salons & retailers.
How crucial is it to use the right tools?
AM – I think it’s really important to use the right brush for your hair type. When I’m at the gym I see people using just the wrong brush and I just want to go up and say I’m sorry, I don’t know you but let me make your life easier. So it’s really important if you want to create volume or curls that you use a thermal brush, a metal barrel or ideally a ceramic barrel. So that it heats up with the blow dryer and it achieves that result a lot faster. If you want to straighten your hair at some point you want to use a brush with bora. Boar is a natural bristle and it makes the hair silky and shiny, seals the cuticles, and just makes the hair look gorgeous.
Timothy Wandrey – Hair Lead
Tell us about the hair Inspiration for today’s look
Timothy Wandrey – A lot of the inspiration is based on the look of the clothes. There are really large fur collars on some of the pieces and just a lot of fur in general. So we wanted to keep the look strong so that when the model is walking down the runway it’s not distracting with the hair. It’s pulled back into a low ponytail, that we’re going to tuck into a lot of the big fur collars. We wanted to find that balance between a natural lived-in texture and, also a little bit of strength. We kept the band uncovered so that way it feels like if they have done it themselves but with a little more strength to it.
What products did you use to achieve this look?
TW – We kept the products simple. We used the Kérastase Volumifique Spray. We use that roots to end throughout the blow-dry process. We used it to prep the hair and get it ready for the ponytail. And we finished it off with holding spray. A lot of product is not a part of what people are doing now.
What has been your personal experience collaborating with Dennis?
TW – This is my first year working with Dennis. We went out to his showroom out in Long Island City. He brought this old warehouse space that’s just like unbelievable. It’s one of the coolest designer warehouses that I’ve ever seen in my life! Everything is made in New York and for me personally that’s really really cool. I believe on having everything locally made so it’s just really been a great experience.
Buffy Hernandez – Makeup Lead
Tell us about the look for today
Buffy Hernadez – The look today is very light, natural skin, flawless, as if the models just woke up and got out of bed. Very dewy skin. Not a lot on the eyes. Very light lip. A little bit of contour to bring out the cheekbones. Highlight above the cheekbone. A filler through the brown. And that’s it! Very simple, clean, soft, refreshing, and dewy.
What are some of the Techniques used to achieve this look?
BH – Techniques, I think the key with foundation is just to be very sheer. We use either Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference BB Cream or our Flawless Finish Foundation. I like to use my fingertips opposed to a sponge or a brush because I can actually feel the foundation and see how much is going on to the skin. Whereas a brush you kind of lose the touch because you have a tool in your hand. First I initially start with a brush or a sponge and then eventually I’ll go to using my fingertips making sure it’s not too heavy or thick. For the contour just very, depending on the skin, either warm or cool tones. And just a little bit of darker bronzer, Elizabeth Arden Sunkissed Pearls Bronzer right under the cheekbone. The lip prep we did because the models are wearing no lip. We used our Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and we prep that with the skin care right over the lips. Towards the end of the application, we just blotted it off so the lips are nice and moisturize and then apply Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Translucent Powder.
Photos by @withlovetammyb