Jeanie Syfu, TRESemmé lead hair designer, spills the details on the look for Marissa Webb at New York Fashion Week S/S ’17.
Can you talk about the creative process between you and Marissa for the overall look?
Jeanie Syfu: We started with the hair test, but about two weeks before that we were having a conversation through email about what I was into, what I felt like doing this season. We were just kind of going back and forth. Then the day of the test, we had a starting point, and we just tweaked all the little details that we had.
Did Marissa come to you about ideas first? Or do you guys feed off of one another’s ideas?
Jeanie Syfu: It depends! It’s different every season, because we don’t really talk about her inspiration for the collection. It’s kind of like she says, “Oh Jeanie, I haven’t seen you in a while! What are you into?! What have you been working on lately? What do you like?” So I always have a file of pictures, and I tell her what I’m really into, or what I’ve been working on all summer, and about how I love the way girls are wearing their hair all natural – like non-fussy hair – and then it’s kind of like she let’s me know what she’s interested in from there. We just kind of go back and forth, so it’s really interesting because I don’t really see anything [from the collection] before the hair test and then it all makes sense. I’ve been doing her shows for many seasons so I know her aesthetic. I know what she likes, and she’s really into the texture. And you know, I love doing it, and it’s always fun.
In terms of the details, can you tell me a little bit about how these looks were created?
Jeanie Syfu: We made a lot of the texture with the dry shampoo, and just rubbed that all throughout the entire head. Then, we made a messy, deep side part that goes horizontal after the crown that kind of has a zig-zag. Then, we took two parts and created a ponytail, and that’s kind of your foundation that’s going to hold the twists together. After you do that, you twist back the smaller sides and make flat twists starting at the ear and just twist it down to the ponytail, and then you clip it. You then take the larger side and twist that back. The reason why we do it in that order is because the larger side covers the center of the ponytail and gives you extra lift, so it’s clean, seamless and, you don’t see everything that’s happening behind. So we’re not using any pins. Once you create that ponytail, you’re able to pull it apart and it’s not going anywhere; it looks really soft and effortless. And I was honestly thinking that there are a lot of girls that don’t know how to braid their hair, but twisting is so easy!
This seems like a style that could easily translate to bridal, or even just dressier evening hair, no?
Jeanie Syfu: Totally! You can put hair accessories into there, flowers around the nape. You can do it with waves and pull it back, too.
What were the key products in making this season’s looks?
Jeanie Syfu: I used TRESemmé dry shampoo, extra firm hair control hair spray, and the mousse!
