Haus Alkire: Taking Manhattan by Storm


New York City's artsy SoHo area was the scene for the debut of Haus Alkire's Fall 2013 collection.

Leggy models strutted about TIGI Academy's chic Broome Street space, which served as an oasis of calm during the frenetic buzz that typically surrounds Fashion Week. Models were primped and prepped in a rather serene setting-an assembly line of topnotch hair stylists and makeup artists working their beauty magic on the models.

The fashion collection was inspired by the power outage that blacked out much of New York City during Hurricane Sandy in the fall. As long-time residents of New York City, the Haus Alkire design duo ventured into the storm, using their cameras to capture the lone and mysterious silhouettes that appeared in windows illuminated by candle light. Drawing inspiration from the "beauty in the eeriness" as well as the movie "The Elephant Man," the collection plays on the contrast of beauty and darkness.

TIGI US Creative Director Heath Grout was the lead stylist for the show. The hair featured bold contrasts in texture and shape, further establishing the Haus Alkire theme of creating beauty out of a dark moment. The overall look was sleek, structured on the top and offset by a textured, elongated bun at the nape.

How-To:

1. Prep hair with CATWALK by TIGI Your Highness Root Boost Spray, applying heavy at the root and lighter throughout the shaft
2. Next, part the hair down the center and brush the product through
3. Blow-dry the hair in layers using a round brush, smoothing the hair to the head
4. Pull hair into a ponytail at the nape of the neck, covering the ears while leaving the top bit exposed, and secure with elastic.
5. Part the teased pony into two sections-back brushing one to create texture and keeping the other smooth-set both sections with CATWALK by TIGI Session Series Finishing Spray
6. Braid/twist the two sections together and fold the pony/braid onto itself before using the excess elastic to tie random sections haphazardly-keeping the base of the twist quite thick and tapering off at the ends, forming a cone-like shape and set with CATWALK by TIGI Session Series Finishing Spray
7. Finish the look by applying CATWALK by TIGI Session Series True Wax and then CATWALK by TIGI Session Series Transforming Dry Shampoo through the center part, as well as the textured part of the pony to create a matte, "dirty" texture.

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