Bridal Fashion Week 2012: Delicate Twists, Pretty Chignons and Buns, and Gentle Waves

“I wanted to create bridal hair that was fresh, cool and simple,” Gray said.

He used Moroccanoil Frizz Control and Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream then blow-dried the hair straight. Next, Gray created soft twists on each side all the way down to the neck and overlapped the two roped ponytails.

Gray then used a large darning needle and sewing elastic to sew the ponytails together—a foolproof method for hair to last and stay put throughout an entire wedding.

When you’re getting married you want to bullet proof, you don’t want to be worrying that things are coming undone,” Gray said.

After sewing the ponytails, Gray then finished off the chignon by twisting the ponytails together and pinned at the base of the neck, followed by spraying Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong to ensure the hold.

“Once you’ve got that foundation (from sewing the ponytails), it’s up to you how you can roll and twist and we’ve just used a few small pins and popped them in,” Gray said.

He also shared a trick on how to get hair to stay by spraying pins with hairspray and then placing them in the hair, to ensure not only the hair holds, but the pins do too.

To soften the hair and make it appear more modern and natural, Gray created texture at the rope section by pulling out fine sections of hair with his fingertips.

“The key really is about foundation product. When you’re trying to achieve any sort of hairdressing no matter how simple this looks, all these little soft bits I can pull quite firmly because the hair has some guts, and the guts comes from the product,” Gray said.

To complete the bridal look, Gray added multiple silk white flowers to the hair to change up the typical one flower behind the ear style. He used the sewing method again by sewing the flowers together and then sewed it into the hair. He placed the flowers in different directions for each of the three models to follow the angular, twisted rolls of hair.

Designer Angel Sanchez described his bride as “a balance between the modern and classic. On her wedding day she wants timeless elegance with a unique modern twist.” With that direction, hairstylist Leonard Zagami created young, romantic looks with textured waves which were then accented with unique silver-headband effects inspired by the textures and beadwork of Sanchez’ gowns.

Zagami applied Moroccanoil Curl Defining Mousse on damp hair, mostly on the roots and the top for a subtle lift.

To create a natural-looking hold and to hydrate and smooth the ends, Zagami combed Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream through the rest of the hair. He then blow-dried the hair, lifting the hair with his fingers first at the top of the head and then through the sides and back.

Once the hair dried, Zagami used a 1½-inch curling iron to create soft, randomly textured waves, a very delicate and soft detailing very suitable for weddings.

Zagami wrapped hair around the curling iron for a few seconds without clamping and left the ends a bit straighter. He then pulled and loosened some of the waves to produce a mixed texture look.

Zagami took a fresh approach to the everyday tiara and jeweled hair combs by applying silver gel in subtle patterns all around the hairline, then wrapped a 1½-inch plastic headband around the hairline, which was then tied at the base of the neck.

Zagami went for a jagged pattern on the silver headbands to accent details in Angel Sanchez’ gowns.

Finally, to hold everything in place and lock in the contrasting waved textures, Zagami sprayed Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong throughout all the hair. He loves this product because, “It’s a really workable hairspray and leaves the hair soft, lets it move and gives it a natural-looking shine.”

Hairstylist Tamara McNaughton incorporated designer Isaac Mizrahi’s inspiration from celebrity photographer Cecil Beaton circa 1930s on her black-and-white portrait photography and more generally the glamour and consummate chic of a world seen in black-and-white.

McNaughton created beautiful, free-spirited buns that honor the collection’s inspiration, Cecil Beaton. “It’s the idea of a girl who has the audacity to take a shower, throw her hair up in a bun, put on a beautiful dress and head out the door,” McNaughton said. “It’s the perfect look for brides because they don’t need to worry if it moves when they’re dancing. If it moves, it’s beautiful.”

“We wanted looks that were simple and elegant, but not too done,” McNaughton explained. “To balance the graceful, feminine lines of the gowns, I created a bit of squared volume at the crown, brought the hair close to the sides of the face, and designed twisted loose wrapped buns softened with natural-looking flyaways.”

Before the models were made over by McNaughton, she advised them to use Moroccanoil Repair Shampoo and Conditioner as well as Moroccanoil’s Intense Hydrating Mask the night before to ensure the hair was already smooth and flawless.

When McNaughton finally got hold of the models, she first applied Moroccanoil Treatment on damp hair to nourish, strengthen and restore the quality of strands before she styled.

Next, she used a dab of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream and then blow-dried the hair back and away from the face.

McNaughton then blended Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream and Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong in her palm then raked it through the front of the crown to add a bit of texture to the hair, to make it appear as if the model had just jumped out the shower. She then added a bit more height, creating an almost squared shape at the crown.

Pulling the sides tight, McNaughton emphasized the square volume on top and brought all the hair to the nape of the neck, created a ponytail tied with spooled elastic, double-knotted it and cut the ends.

Next, McNaughton twisted the ponytail loosely then wrapped the hair around the base of the elastic band and secured the bun with pins. To complete the style, she pulled a few strategic flyaways out with her fingers and then sprayed Moroccanoil Luminous Hairspray Strong to keep everything in place.

To generate these low, twisted chignons, hairstylist Brian C. Hawkins looked to designer Anne Bowen’s new bridal collection for inspiration. The end result was vintage-romance, since Bowen’s collection history always showcases a beautifully vibrant, yet soft and romantic, collection with vintage detailing.

Hawkins used products from the Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger line to create his textured, gentle chignon. First, he worked the HydroCream Whip throughout the entire hair to create a base and get the desired texture.

Next, Hawkins used a pump of the Styling Treatment Oil to enable a soft, silky texture to the hair and a rich shine. It also helped control any unwanted frizz by hydrating and smoothing the hair.

Lastly, Hawkins applied the Texturizing Sea Spray to help build the texture and achieve a soft, feminine feel but without leaving the hair hard or crunchy—it leaves the hair very touchable.

Hawkins then blow dried the hair and parted the hair off to the side and then twisted the two sections of hair together to create a twisted ponytail. To ensure the twist does not come undone, Hawkins advised to keep the twist tight as you work your way down to the ends.

After twisting, Hawkins coiled the hair into a low chignon at the base of the next, which made a classic hairstyle a little more interesting.