BLACKlog: On Set: Ryder Salon Blacklog Editorial behind-the-scenes by Grant Fell.

The Fashion Collection at Britomart Brought to You by Westpac | Britomart, Auckland City.

The latest news from Britomart is that Zambesi, Kate Sylvester and World are all moving down there in March, and there are many more exciting developments planned in the near future.

We’ll be keeping you updated on the progress of the new salon right here on this site.

Shot out in the Waitakere ranges, this story features some of the amazing tinsel creations from the Assistant fashion Editor at Black Magazine - Jess Grubisa. Photography by David Shields, Hair by Greg Murrell and Lydia Mahon, Styling by Rachael Churchward and Makeup by Stacey Lee-Ghin.

Some of the young guns of Ryder collaborated with Fashion Industry New Zealand to style the models for the finalists in this years DHL Export Scholarship.
Each of them directed the look of one of the finalists at an announcement at The Langham Hotel, Auckland on 30/11/2011 in front of Industry guests. All models are from Red Eleven, M.A.C did the makeup and photos are by Lisa Gladkova. The Winner - Nyne, from Hamilton won a generous cash prize to assist them in further exploring their export opportunities.

Blak: Finalist. Hair by Lydia Mahon

Lela Jacobs: Finalist. Hair by Jannine Jones

The very talented Jess Grubisa had her Graduation show from Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design recently. As she is a friend of Ryder and Assistant fashion editor at Black magazine we were happy to help her out with the hair for her show. We also shot some of the garments recently for the next issue of Black Magazine.  In her own words  “Rags to Riches” explores contrasting class systems and aesthetics. I wanted to explore representations of wealth i.e the colour purple, silk, excess of gems, in contrast to lower-class connotations i.e denim, Hessian, plastic gems, and tinsel, to create a tongue-in-cheek approach to status, class and wealth.”

Lydia Mahon and Kerry Irvine came up with a textural look that was sewn to the head at the back.   Silver hair grips were used as a decorative element to provide a shiny counterpoint to the hair texture.

We hope you are not too inconvenienced and thank you in advance for your patience during these works,

The latest Metro magazine is on the shelves now with hair for the “Celebrity” issue by the fantastic Nicholas Macaulay. Gilda’s hair has never looked so good!

You may have noticed a new Antique and Interiors store in Herne Bay recently. Longtime friends of Ryders’ Greg Murrell, John McLenaghan and Bob Gilhooly are ex-hairdressers who cut their teeth in the Antiques business in London by taking over a business named Hawkins and Scuffell. Returning to New Zealand a few years ago, they set up Mrs Jones Antiques, Retro and Kiwiana in Warkworth. Now they have brought their eclectic and eccentric vision to Herne Bay in the latest incarnation of Hawkins and Scuffell. It’s well worth a visit.

Hawkins and Scuffell,
236 Jervois Rd,
Herne Bay,
Auckland 1011.
+64 9 3611006
 www.hawkinsandscuffell.co.nz

Next time you visit us, consider a trip across Albert park to the newly re-opened Auckland Art Gallery afterwards. The space available for displaying art has been doubled and the visual connection to the park has been enhanced. The gallery is open every day except Christmas day from 10am-5pm.

The latest collection from Huffer is loosely inspired by all things Russian. After meeting with show stylist Zara Mirkin, Greg created a look that worked with the nomadic inspiration behind the styling. This look had to accomodate the extensive use of head wraps. A wrapped bun was created at the crown , the hair at the sides was clipped back and the remaining hair at the back was left to float freely creating a modern up/down hairstyle.

How to do the hair: Women’s

1) Prepare hair by spraying Kms California AddVolume Volumizing Spray into the hair and blow-drying it with hands to create volume.
2) Put a small amount of bend in the hair using a conical tong in about 6 sections concentrating on the mid-lengths.
3) Take a circular section to encompass the area from the high crown to the occipital.

4) Lightly back-brush this area in sections towards the roots starting at the roots and moving upwards until all of each section has some back-brushing in it.
5) Next, texture set this area by clamping flat-irons on it and allow to cool. Brush this area out. There will now be extra volume in this area.
6) Pull the Ponytail up and lightly brush the surface area outwards from the roots right around the ponytail.
7) Now take a small amount of hair in a ring around the textured ponytail and brush this unaltered hair in the join the ponytail. This covers the textured hair within.
Spray this area with Dry Wax by Kms California and start twisting it towards the roots and then begin pinning it in place with U-Pins taking care to create a voluminous feel.
9) It is important that this area has a pleasing shape so view it from all angles . It should be
10) Now lightly back-brush to the roots a small square section on the diagonal between the bun and the top of the ears on each side of the head.
11) Brush the hair from the front hairline and sides towards the back of the head and spray with Kms California HairStay Medium Hold Hairspray.
12) Next, take U-pins and pin through the surface into the backcombing underneath in an upwards diagonal line to affix this area to the head. Take care to loop each pin into the previous.
13) Take the mid-lengths of the hair that is coming from the front and sides and pin it together beneath the bun at the occipital.
14) Finish by adding flexible matt hold with Kms California Dry Wax.

How to do the hair: Mens
1) Lightly mist the hair with Kms California
2) Now apply Kms California Curl-up Wave Foam liberally for texture and style hair to suit the model
3) Leave to set by letting it dry naturally.

Greg Murrell

Greg Murrell is a Fashion Week original who this year is busier than ever coming up with looks to complement designer styles. Murrell and his Ryder Salon styling team are working on the Stolen Girlfriends Club show tonight and Huffer tomorrow. He is also creative director for the KMS California hair team on the week’s Contemporary Salon shows, giving him a range of established and emerging designers to work with. His first show of the week was Ingrid Starnes yesterday.

“I think it’s important to work with each brand’s aesthetic, but for the [hair] look not to become predictable,” he says. “In the back of my mind are feelings about trends and movements that I have noticed, but sometimes I just have to disregard what is happening elsewhere and find solutions that appeal to my sensibility and work well for the designer.”

Where are you at?
For Huffer we are moving things away from the expected, and with Stolen Girlfriends a new imagining of their rock and roll aesthetic is planned. It was also exciting to work with Ingrid Starnes for the first time on her contemporary salon show. Ingrid was after a look that had a nice floaty and free texture which was pulled back from the face and fastened in a loose deconstructed chignon at the nape. Strong but sensual.

Explain the process of coming up with a look?
We will usually meet up about a month before the show and start talking about the themes for the collection. We then meet for a hair and makeup trial on a live model about two weeks before the show to test it all out. We keep working on variations of the agreed look until we choose the right feeling. Often it is dependent also on the makeup look.

What happens backstage?
We usually have a two to three-hour call time before the show. Generally we will have the show look storyboarded out and team members are assigned tasks. As director I supervise this and help the team of between six and 10 people to complete the look to my satisfaction. I generally do the finishing.

What was the very first fashion show you worked on?
I think it would have been an in-store for Zambesi in Vulcan Lane in 1997. I did some braided looks from memory.

What was the most memorable show you’ve done?
There have been many shows at Australian Fashion Week over the years and it is hard to pick one, so I will pick the two shows that I did for Zambesi at London Fashion Week. I love that city.

How has NZFW changed the game?
Well, before NZFW, we didn’t really have an organised and cohesive fashion industry. We just seemed to have people who made and sold clothes. With NZFW, the media suddenly became interested and it became possible for specialists such as hair, makeup, lighting, show producers and so on to work with fashion in a much more regular way. The level of professionalism grew accordingly.

Do you take a different approach for Australia?
I still prepare the same way but the reality is that it is not in Auckland so I don’t have all of my trusted lieutenants with me. I usually take three of them with me and complete the team with associates from Sydney.

What’s new in terms of products/techniques?
KMS California is relaunching at Fashion Week with brand new packaging and formulations. I’m excited to be able to get my hands on some of their new products.

A last line on doing fashion shows?
It’s really fun to work on a creative project where other specialists are doing their thing as well. It’s very satisfying and it’s also a chance to stretch out a little and do something you wouldn’t usually do in the salon.

- Janetta Mackay

SGC’s signature uncontrived rock and roll hair was updated for this season with a style that featured hair pulled back off the face and fastened at the back of the head with a series of 3 simple knots sewn to the head. The resulting ponytails were pinned to the knots and the ends allowed to drop towards the hair that was free at the nape.

How to create the look.

1) Lightly relax any wave or curl in the hair with flat-irons.
2) Apply SilkSheen styling crème to the hair for light hold.
3) Working with any natural partings or growth patterns , take a triangular section of hair from the high recession on either side of the head to the low crown.
4) Tie a knot towards the roots by pulling the ends through to form a small ponytail.
5) Lift the knot upwards and temporarily affix to the head using a sectioning clip to get it out of your way before doing the next knot.
6) Take your next section from the low front hairline on either side of the head back to the occipital. Knot, ponytail and section away as before.
7) Take back the remaining hair and create the last knot at the high nape being sure the leave some hair out at the nape to float freely.

Now take out the sectioning clips and allow the top 2 knots and ponys to drop.

9) Tension the knots to the head and use hair grips to fix them in place.

10) Take the top 2 ponytails and affix them closely to the knots using hair grips for effect.

11) Next, take a blunt needle and some linen thread and sew underneath the knots to secure them to the head going from side to side in a figure of 8 pattern.
12) When complete, remove the hair grips and apply Kms California Dry Wax to achieve the desired finish with matte surface texture.

For designer Ingrid Starnes, Ryder Hair Director Greg Murrell designed a look that was swept back off the face and fastened at the nape of the neck in a loose and messy chignon. The overall look has a sculptural feel with a sense of freedom to the hair texture. Strong but sensual.

How to create the look:
• To prepare the hair, apply Kms California Add Volume Volumizing Spray liberally through the hair and blowdry with a round brush for volume. Lightly back-brush the surface of the hair if necessary to create a hair texture that is not too perfect.
• Pull the hair back into a ponytail at the nape using an invisible hair elastic.
• Take a fine section of hair and wrap it around the hair elastic to disguise it. Affix this in a place with a fine hair clip.
• Take the ponytail in one hand and start rolling it under from the end towards the head.
• Next, start pinning the hair so that the chignon is attached to the head.
• Keep pinning until it feels very secure and the shape does not look too wide from the back.
• Now pull at the chignon to loosen the surface texture and create a dis-sheveled feel.
• With a brush, lightly brush against the hair on the surface of the head to create a loose slightly fly- away texture.
• Then finish by lightly spraying the style with Kms California Dry Wax for a flexible matt hold.

We have now upgraded our Facebook group to a page. We’re right here: http://www.facebook.com/RyderSalon

We’ll be keeping you regularly updated with all the interesting things we’re involved in.

Plus! Anyone who likes us on Facebook between now and September 1 will go into a draw to win one of three Parlux 3200 Superturbo Hairdryers worth $350.00 each. You know, like the ones we use in the salon. These are the lightweight version, so they are perfect for home use.

Get liking, people!

One of our first things that we want to do when it’s cold and dark is to light a beautiful scented candle. Ex Ryder staff-member Tiffany Jeans has created a bespoke candle range that has an old -worldy look to it using skulls and dolls heads. They are very fragrant and have a long burn-time.
Your quest to find that curio that you didn’t know that you really needed ends here.
Available at Simon James, The Department Store, Takapuna.

http://www.curionoir.com/index.html

Here are their entries:

Fraser Foulagi

Tom Agolli

Kelly Main

Casey Olver

‪Sesame Street:Song: I Love My Hair‬‏ - YouTube.

It’s always a fantastic moment for us when one of our own officially becomes a fully fledged stylist. At this moment the hours and hours of training all pay off  and we are super happy to give the anointed person our blessing. This time it’s Jannine.

Pretty much a natural hairdresser, Jannine is amazing with Colour and has honed her Styling ability on many fashion shoots and designer look-books for brands such as Huffer and Stolen Girlfriends Club.

Hailing originally from Liverpool, she has an innate fashion sensibility and an incredibly peaceful way about her.

Adding to all of that, she now cuts hair really well.

Book in to see her.  We’re sure you will love the experience.

Here’s an example of her beautiful work:

Photography by Petrice Rhodes, Styling by Rachael Churchward.

Just out is the latest edition of Black Magazine, with hair on many of the shoots done as usual by our very own Greg Murrell.

Their biggest issue ever, it also marks their fifth anniversary which is quite an achievement. Support local and buy yourself a copy of a world class fashion magazine produced here in New Zealand today!

Both friend and longtime client of Ryder, Artist Michael Parekowhai is representing New Zealand at the Venice Biennale with a series of works entitled “On first look into Chapman’s Homer”. It’s on right now until the end of October at the Palazzo Loredan dell’Ambasciatore. Many visitors to Ryder will recognise Michael’s work adorning our walls as part of an ongoing collaboration.

We were privileged to attend a preview of the latest work at a showing at a warehouse in Henderson, Auckland before it was shipped off to Venice.

But the exhibition features a ‘surprise’ element in Venice for those who had viewed the work earlier .  The intricately-carved Steinway concert grand piano, He Korero Purakau mo Te Awanui o Te Motu: story of a New Zealand river, has been repainted a deep red from its original black colouring.

As Michael said “The artist must always have the last laugh”.

The new colour scheme reflects the flag of the Venice republic (red and gold) and the brass inlay is now gold, a clever feat of alchemy; “Alchemist is an anagram of St Michael”.

Reflecting on the installation in Venice, Michael Parekowhai said he is waiting to see how the work unfolds. “After the event back home in Henderson, the installation is now in its intended location and the emphasis is now on its reception in Venice.”

On first looking into Chapman’s Homer pays tribute to the poem of the same title by the nineteenth-century English Romantic poet John Keats. The work references notions of discovery, exploration, and the cultural interplay between the old and new world.

Music and performance are a central aspect of the installation, of which Parekowhai says, “While the objects in On first looking into Chapman’s Homer are important, much of the real meaning of the work will come through music, which fills space like no object can.”

In addition to the carved Steinway concert grand piano, there are two concert grands fabricated in bronze supporting two cast bronze bulls. On one piano a full-size bull rests on the closed lid (A Peak in Darian) with its massive body suggesting the folding forms of landscape. On the other piano (Chapman’s Homer) the bull is standing firm offering an eye-to-eye challenge for anyone prepared to take a seat at the keyboard. The installation also features a figure from the Kapa Haka series (Officer Taumaha) and two small bronze olive tree saplings (Constitution Hill).

Thanks to Creative New Zealand for some images and words.

Here are some more pictures of the work:

Many of you will have already met Mina and Zico, our sometimes resident Griffon Bruxellois puppies. Owned by Ryder owner Greg Murrell and his partner Melinda, they sometimes come along to work with Greg, partly to help with their socialisation and also because we just like having them there!
Brussels Griffons are a breed of toy dog named for their city of origin: Brussels, Belgium.
Mina and Zico are short haired smooth coat Griffons known as Petit Brabancon. Known for being highly personable and affectionate dogs, Griffons like Mina and Zico appreciate all of the attention that you care to give them!
Come to think of it, Why don’t all hair salons have resident dogs!????

Here at Ryder Towers we are always looking at how we can improve our service options. With that in mind we are pleased to announce that we are now serving loose leaf teas by Tea Total.
You can choose  Black, Green and Fruit Teas from our menu. Ask for one next time you visit.

Already well known to many regular visitors to Ryder, Fraser is now a Senior Stylist.
Fraser is a very well rounded young stylist being highly proficient in colour and styling of hair and he now adds cutting to the list of talents on his resume’. Quietly building up his editorial skills on lookbooks for Stolen Girlfriends Club and Sherie Muijs as well as being part of the backstage team for Ryder at Sydney and New Zealand Fashion Week, Fraser has an imbued fashion feeling to his work as well as an innate sensitivity to the needs of salon clients.
What’s more, he will make you laugh! Go the Fou Fighter!!!
He’s waiting for your call.

Recently, one of our favourite young designers, Sherie Muijs showed her Spring/Summer collection to a select group of invitees at Auckland’s historic De Bretts Hotel. The hair team was headed by two of our young stars, Jannine Jones and Fraser Foulagi. They came up with a nice loose Fishtail braid at the back of the hair to fasten it away from the face that was designed to look like it was created the day before.

Here’s some backstage shots by Guy Coombes:

Here’s a story and some backstage images from the Black Magazine Blog about the Stolen Girlfriends Club show that the Ryder team did hair for at RAFW.

BlackLOG: RAFW Beauty: Stolen Girlfriends Club backstage by Greg Novak.

Here’s some images from Crane Brothers Winter 2011 Campaign. Hair By Greg Murrell, Photography by Karen Inderbitzen-Waller.

YouTube - Stolen Girlfriends Club New World Supermarket Show.

Like everyone else, we were  stunned about the earthquake and its terrible aftermath but we were also a little unsure as to how we could help.

That’s until we were contacted Big Little City with their request to donate something for their Trade Me auction.

So we donated a haircut with our very-own Greg Murrell and a set of GHD Straightening Irons. A total value of $500.00.

All proceeds go to the Red Cross Christchurch Earthquake appeal.

This auction closes Monday 7 March at 8pm.

You can join the bidding here:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Health-beauty/Hair-straighteners/GHD/auction-358053728.htm

So come on people, let’s make Christchurch some money!

We love you Christchurch!

Kerry Irvine has recently joined the team at Ryder. And we’re so happy about it!  A hairdresser of many years’ experience, she is very proficient in cut, colour and styling. Not withstanding all that, she is an incredibly nice person, is well-travelled and has amazingly eclectic music taste. What more could you want from your new stylist? Kerry is available for bookings now. Get on the phone!

Well, it’s that time of year when we all take a much needed break.

Ryder will be closed from 2pm on Friday,  December 24, 2010 until 9am,  Tuesday, January 11, 2011.

Our phones will be answered from Monday, January 10,  2011 onwards.

We wish you all of the compliments of the season and oh yeah, have a great holiday!

See you all in 2011!!!

Stolen Girlfriends “Last Nights Party”NZFW 2010 from Maxy on Vimeo.

Hot off the press and available at all good magazine retailers  is the new issue of Black Magazine.  With fashion shoots from New Zealand and around the world, you need to check it out!  A digital version is also available at Zinio.Com   http://nz.zinio.com/browse/publications/index.jsp?productID=238208355     in PC, Mac and Ipad formats.

Also, have a look at the Black Magazine Blog;  http://blacklognz.blogspot.com There are regular updates as to what is going on in the world of Black and much more.

Here at Ryder we work very closely with our friend’s at Black . In fact, the  Hair Editor for the magazine is Ryder’s very own  Greg Murrell.

Below are  some of Greg’s hair looks for Issue 13 :

ghd have released the latest version of their styling iron. New features include new technology in the plates, a swivelling power cord connection, sleep mode and a new rounded barrell design.
We now have gift packs available which feature these new stylers.

The Midnight Collection Classic Gift Set: Including a styler pouch and 2 sectioning clips for $329.00.

The Midnight Collection Deluxe Gift Set: Including a travel hairdryer, a styler pouch and 2 sectioning clips for $359.00.

Available now from our reception, they make the perfect xmas present!

We are super pleased to announce that we have made the Ryder environment a Wi-Fi zone,  so next time you are visiting and would like to do some work or merely surf away, bring your laptop along.  We have also purchased some of Apple’s super cool iPad’s which are now  also available for your use. Just to make visiting us just that much more fun!

We are now stocking the Cloud Nine Micro Styler which is a straightening iron which is only 6 inches long which makes it perfect for travel or for use on small areas of hair such as fringes or for shorter hairstyles in general.  Featuring universal voltage,  a heat guard to use when the styler is cooling down and hibernation mode,  this compact device is available for purchase at Ryder now for $120.

The 2009 Ryder brand campaign which celebrated our 10th anniversary has won 2 awards at the AGDA 2010 Design Awards held in Brisbane on Saturday October 16.
Our graphic designers, Alt Group won distinction awards for our 10th Birthday Graphic Identity and for this very website! They actually won a whole lot of other ones too. They are very clever.  Congratulations alround. We love working with ALT!  Our designers were Shabnam Shiwan and Jinki Cambronero.
Check out the results here:     http://awards.agda.com.au/results

Here’s some images from our latest  collaboration with Stolen Girlfriends Club.

The hair brief called for a look that was simple and clean from the front but had a more messy counterpoint at the back, as though the model’s had slept on their hair. Sweet Pea Flower’s were added to the back along with little plastic cigarettes. Sweetness contrasting with low rent. The hair was finished with Kms California Dry Wax which helped give the hair a flexible matte hold.

Hannah Rickman from Ryder has won the 2010 Goldwell Color Zoom Award - New Talent category. 

Hannah was presented with her award at the awards night in Sydney recently.

She now travels with her model Kate Webby to Paris in October to compete in the global final.

Jannine Jones of Ryder was runner-up and Fraser Foulagi also of Ryder won the People’s choice award.

We’re really proud of these young hairdressers for their achievements.

It’s the end of an era here at Ryder.

Known around these parts as “Hotdog”,  Craig is moving to Prague to be with his fiance Lucie to begin the next chapter of his life. He has been part of Ryder for nearly 10 years now, initially as a stylist and for the last 5 years as a partner.  We pay tribute to him here as he  has played a huge role in Ryder’s success  and we thank him sincerely for that. But as they say, there is nothing surer than change itself.   We are very sad to see  Craig  go but of course,  happy to see him embrace his new life.  We’re sure you will all join with us in wishing him all the happiness in the world.  We’re sure  going to miss you buddy!  You’ll have to come back one day to finally get that Mustang finished!

For those of you who are now left without your favourite hairdresser, we would love to carry on Craig’s great work.  Contact our reception for a recommendation to another Ryder stylist.

Here at Ryder, like most people we are  interested in how we can reduce chemical exposure in our lives.   There is a now a great consumer  desire for more natural hair products, including hair colour. Hair companies are investing millions in the race to develop hair colour  that does not contain any known  potentially harmful chemicals but will also perform to the levels of colour coverage, condition  and shine factor that we currently enjoy. It would be great to be able to claim that we have a fantastic  all-natural hair colour that will colour as well as the colour that we currently use. But that doesn’t exist yet. 

One step along the way is the introduction of Elumen by Goldwell.  Elumen  is an ammonia and peroxide free permanent hair colour that delivers fantastic colour vibrancy with healthy hair results. It has colour brilliance, vivid gloss and superb durability without compromising the hair structure.

This is a specialised and concise colour range that is tailored to certain types of colour service so if it is of interest to you, ask one of our colourists  if it would be a suitable choice for you.

We offer a gift voucher service and we have just produced a new version. They come attractively packaged in a folding card and envelope and are available in any dollar value that you specify.  They are always available from our reception.

We think that Nicholas Macaulay must be the coolest man in Auckland. Why? Because this guy drives a 1987  Ferrari 412. It has been his dream car since like, well forever. So recently, one came up for sale and Nic,  after some deliberation decided to buy it.

The Ferrari 412 is a front engined 5 litre V12 2+2 coupe’ designed by the famed Pininfarina.   Only 576 were produced between 1985 and 1989. Finished in a deep blue exterior and a tan leather interior, Nic’s one is a mint example. Think about it, the guy drives up to the dairy in a Ferrari!  That’s cool.

We are very pleased to announce that 4 young Ryder stylists make up 4 of the 5 finalists in the Goldwell Color Zoom Challenge 2010,  New Talent category for New Zealand.  Our salon colour partner,  Goldwell hold  a global cut and colour competition each year. Entrants compete in 1 of 2 categories - New Talent or Global Creative in  each country for  the right to represent their country at the global final.  Which is being held in Paris this year.  Basically,  Goldwell come up with a master trend each year and entrants must follow this brief but put their own interpretation on the trend. This year the trend is “Just Naked” which heralds a much more naturalistic approach to cut and colour. Just what we like!

For many of our finalists, it was their first ever shoot.  They all have under 5 years hairdressing experience. They will all be in Sydney on July 18 for the announcement of the winners from Australia and New Zealand. The winners then fly to Paris with their models in October for the Global Final.  We are really proud of these guy’s and our fingers are crossed.  Go you good things!

YOU CAN VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE ENTRY IN THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS!

To vote,  Follow this link:  http://www.colorzoom.com.au/ViewStylist.aspx?Category=nz%20global%20new%20talent        You can only vote for one entry!

Here are their entries.

Photography by Petrice Rhodes,  Makeup by Chay Roberts for M.A.C ,  Styling by Lucie Babickova.

       Hair by Jannine Jones                     Hair by Lydia Mahon

       Hair by Fraser Foulagi                   Hair by Hannah Rickman

Remembering Tomorrow
Spring/Summer 2010/2011

“This seasons direction was influenced by workmen’s uniforms, reflecting on traditional designs and functions of clothes, particularly in shirts, whilst also taking into consideration modern ideas and ways to wear these original designs today.
This season again hones in on traditional tailoring and classic cuts.  It’s deceptively simple with subtle details, beautifully cut and the finishing is impeccable. ”

Hair by Greg Murrell
Makeup by Karenina Jackson
Styling by Rachael Churchward
Photography by Russ Flatt

If there was a World Cup for dressing glamorously, New Zealanders would be eliminated in the first round. Why, asks Cathrin Schaer, are we so reluctant to get dolled up?

In a small cupboard above a designer boutique in Auckland, hidden treasure is hanging. Gowns covered in sequins, ruffles and lace, frocks that are strapless, shoulderless and shameless and dresses that took every trick in a seamstress’ book to conjure up.

The couture-like creations draw gasps from anyone who discovers them upstairs at the Carlson boutique on Ponsonby Road.  “These are amazing,” one woman gushes as she molests the fluttering silks and crushed velvets. “So amazing. What are they doing here? Does anyone ever wear them?”

The designer herself – Tanya Carlson - just nods her head. This is the standard reaction from people who get to see the one-off ball gowns, wedding dresses, and cocktail frocks she  has made in the past. A few fashion weeks ago, Australian boutique owner Elizabeth Charles, who runs two exclusive US stores   specialising in Antipodean designer clothing  visited Carlson’s workroom, saw the dresses and asked the designer what on earth such beauties were doing “in a place like this.” “She told me, “you should be making these in LA”,” Carlson recalls. Because there were plenty of customers for that sort of glamour in California, the retailer told the designer. “I don’t make [these kinds of dresses] unless they have been commissioned,” Carlson continues. “I’ve worn a couple of them myself – to fancy dress parties mainly. And they have been lent out for film shoots or hired out for events, like film premieres. They have been taken overseas too, to be worn at glamorous events – because you just don’t get that level of dressing up here.”

 Carlson says New Zealand women just don’t dress up as much as some other nations. As a rule, we are not a particularly glamorous bunch.

And there are some fairly straightforward reasons for this. Firstly we don’t have that many events that require that much dressing up. “Glamour for New Zealanders is usually what people look like at the horse races or at a wedding,” remarks Greg Murrell, well-travelled owner of Auckland hair salon, Ryder, whose former position as the creative director of international hair product firm, KMS, has seen him attending – and styling hair at - glamorous functions and fashion shows all around the world. “And I think its best left there. We don’t have the urban density of many countries; we don’t have the centuries old tradition of urban promenading.” By this, Murrell means the traditional walk, and socialising, around a city square that takes place in warmer countries such as those of South America, where it’s all about showing off to, and gossiping about, the neighbours.

 Showing off  is traditionally anathema to your average New Zealander. Carlson believes this is why, generally, a lot of folks react badly to the styles displayed by some of our more dressed up socialites .  It just seems a tad too, too much.

Murrell has his own theories on the national anti-dress ups attitude. “I think it is true that most New Zealanders don’t want to stand out from the crowd. And I think that’s a result of our egalitarian heritage.” But he doesn’t mind. “I think it suits us to be like that. We are a pragmatic, practical people,” he concludes.

“Uber-casual,” is how local fashion stylist, Ana MacDonald puts it. “We are just a very practical race. It’s that Number 8 fencing wire thing.” Additionally MacDonald points out that it is more difficult to get hold of the outfits one might categorise as wildly glamorous – they’re not something our local labels usually specialise in.

 But should the whole nation be written off as a bunch of tracksuit pant-loving, sequin-hating, jandal-clad frumps? Will New Zealand women ever work out how to “dress up”? And finally, does it actually matter? Does anyone care whether New Zealanders are glamorous or not?

To find the answer to that question, it might be a good idea to go back. Way back. To the origins of glamour, in fact.

 Linguistically at least, glamour originally comes from somewhere equally unglamorous: ancient Scottish. In that language, the original words - grammaye, grammar, grimoire and glomery – all meant something along the lines of an enchantment or a spell. A later version of these, glamer, meant “the influence of a charm on the eye.”

In his 2008 book, Glamour: A History, Stephen Gundle returns to the first use of the word in a poem by Sir Walter Scott. In the 1805 poem, Scott wrote that: “Glamour … could make a ladye seem a knight, the cobweb on a dungeon wall seem tapestry in a lordly hall,” and “a nut-shell seem a gilded barge.”

Gundle, who is a professor of film and television studies at Warwick University in the UK, writes that glamour is “a magical power capable of making ordinary people, dwellings and places seem like magnificent versions of themselves. From its origins,” he explains, “glamour has been associated with dreaming”.

Charting the history of glamour in a review of Gundle’s book, Pamela Church Gibson, of the London College of Fashion, reports that glamour emerged “with the transfer of power from the aristocracy to the bourgeoisie, the role of the modern city as a site of social display, and the new culture of spectacle and consumption that followed the Industrial Revolution and political upheavals of the 18th century.”

What she means by this is that when  peasants made it to the big city, they had more reason (lots of people they didn’t know but wished to) and more opportunity (more social events outside the family) than ever to impress strangers. And they could do this by dressing up, by being more glamorous.

It was all about the democratization of glamour and Gundle provides some interesting examples from French history. He says that, no matter what you and Sofia Coppola might think, the French queen Marie Antoinette was not glamorous. She had no reason to be – she was an aristocrat who was born to cake eating and collecting silk shoes and, accordingly, she didn’t need to impress anyone. It was simply her birthright. She never felt that she had to charm anyone’s eye – even though it meant that she lost her head in 1793 as a result of the French Revolution against local aristocracy.

Marie Antoinette may not have thought she needed towin overher public but  Napoleon Bonaparte did and he used glamour to do so. The son of a lawyer, Bonaparte was a militarily-gifted upstart who came to rule France as self-proclaimed “Emperor” after Marie Antoinette and her aristocratic relatives had been so mercilessly disposed of. Bonaparte, Gundle says, fabricated his own myth  by arranging for grand and glamorous spectacles, which convinced the general public that he really was a worthy emperor. Another historian points out that Bonaparte was a forerunner of today’s celebrities – his fame was all about the cult of the individual. Additionally Bonaparte bound glamour up with fashion: The diminutive French fighter loved fashion and wanted to make Paris the most beautiful city in the world – in part because he wanted to keep the citizens occupied and compliant. So he did things like forbid ladies at court to wear the same dress more than once as well as blocking the fireplaces in his palace. All this meant that Frenchwomen needed more clothes – which supported a burgeoning French textile and fashion industry.

 “Glamour is a weapon and a protective coating,” Gundle concludes in his book. “The element of pretend or make-believe is a crucial part of the illusion.”

Another academic, Judith Brown, agrees. In her 2009 book, Glamour in Six Dimensions, the professor of English literature at Indiana University in the USA, defines modern glamour as a sort of disguise. It “relies on abstraction, on the thing transformed into idea and therefore the loss of the thing itself,” she writes. Brown also points out how much our definition of glamour has changed over time. At one stage it was a quality considered closer to beauty, with beauty defined as something true and natural. But over time glamour has become more artificial, more excessive and now it also has a very strong relationship with consumption (as in, it encourages us to want more).  “Glamour requires a kind of beauty - but it has no bearing on truth,” Brown writes.

You get the feeling that it might  be good that New Zealanders are not as glamorous as those in Napoleon’s court.

In the current recessionary and environmentally conscious mood, pundits have even been talking about the end of glamour. English newspaper, The Daily Telegraph recently ran an interview with Joan Collins in which the aging glamourpuss bemoaned the fact that ladies don’t dress up the way they used to. But  the  the lack of posh frocks isn’t so much about slipping standards. It has more to do with a changing culture, changing lifestyles and even advances wrought by feminism. 

Take into account the increasingly casual nature of our wardrobes, the fact that we spend more time socialising online (and therefore don’t need to dress up all the time),and a feeling that we no longer need to maintain some sort of sartorial illusion for our nearest and dearest, greeting hubby at the door, dressed in a cocktail frock and carrying his slippers and pipe for example. Consider also that when it comes to the Hollywood kind of glamour, there’s no longer a lot of mystery involved, mystery being a big part of the spell cast by glamour. When Hollywood first started presenting its young starlets as glamorous, they were able to strictly control their stars’ images, changing everything from a pretty girl’s name to her wardrobe. These days, there’s not much that’s mysterious about trackpant-clad celebrity photographed, makeup-less, slurping on a thick shake in the local supermarket carpark.

Could it be that a new, modern definition of glamour is called for this century, one that involves bewitching but also has a basis in real beauty? Rather than focussing on fuss and the impact an outrageous designer label has on onlookers, it may be worth considering the simpler things that can make anyone feel glamorous – a pair of high heeled shoes, some jewellery, a silk scarf.

“Glamour is in the eye of the beholder,” argues MacDonald. “For some people, they could be wearing a dress from Glasson’s – and if they feel glamorous, then they project that.”

And Murrell is quick to point out the difference between glamour and fashion. While New Zealand may not be as glamorous as other nations, that doesn’t mean we’re not interested in fashion. “Serious glamour does not sit well with our national psyche. Here we have a simpler, more laidback style and I think that many people do that very well. And that can be just as interesting. Glamour to me is when someone has made an effort to transcend the way that they look every day,” says  Murrell . “Not every part of a person’s appearance needs to be scaled up - restraint is a fine thing. To me, glamour isn’t about money, it’s about individual personal style .”

“We prefer a more subtle glamour,” Carlson agrees – and that’s no matter how many visitors end up awestruck by the hidden, hanging treasures she occasionally makes.

Written by Helene Ravlich on her blog  www.mshelene.com Thursday April 15 2010.

As well as being a bloody great guy, Ryder salon owner Greg Murrell is one hell of a talented hair stylist both in the salon, behind the scenes and on the runway. He has had a long-standing role as one of the key creatives in the collaborative process that goes into producing the runway shows and campaigns for my favourite local label Zambesi for many years now, so I sat him down and chatted about working with such an iconic name.

How long have you been working with Zambesi now?
The collaboration has been going for 13 years now. In that time i have been the hair director for all of their fashion week shows in Auckland, London and Sydney, their advertising campaigns and the many other events that they have been involved in.

Can you remember what the first ever hair brief you received was?
The first thing that I ever did for them was a show for their customers in their Vulcan Lane store. The look had a number of small plaits that we then wrapped around the head. I remember being very nervous but the hair ended up looking great!

Is there one aesthetic that has remained constant over that time?
Liz (Findlay, Zambesi co-founder and designer) definitely likes to have an element of long hair around the neck. That has been fairly constant. She also likes height at the crown. We have probably explored many ways of fitting both of those elements into the look. One thing I love about working with Liz is that she is not interested in hair that is “on-trend”. As soon as something becomes too fashionable or obvious she will want to head in the opposite direction. Quite often we have gone for a look that is almost opposite to the aesthetic of the previous season.

Do you think of a particular muse or reference when creating hair for Zambesi?
Well I think that the Zambesi woman is adventurous, individual, free-spirited and has an intellectual approach to fashion. The hair has never been street hair. There is usually a language involved with the hair, which helps to animate the collection. There is a merging of fashion, art and rock and roll culture that seems to suggest new ways of looking at ourselves. With some of the shows there has definitely been a particular muse in mind such as RAFW Spring/Summer 07 where we were channeling Liz’s Greek heritage and the model’s had wet hair like they had just come out of the water in the Greek Islands. They then smashed plates at the end of the show.

 We announce that we are now stocking MOROCCANOIL.

This product is a unique, ultra-light, non-greasy formula of Argan Oil that seals in shine, producing a silky result on all hair types.

During testing we were amazed at how the hair would absorb a product that is an oil.

A few drops are applied to hair after shampooing and conditioning and it can:

- Soften thick and unmanageable hair

- Restore shine and softness to dull, lifeless hair

- Strengthen brittle hair

- Protect against UV damage and other environmental factors

- Reduce drying time

Quote from Stolen Girlfriend’s Club

“So we are cutting back to our roots with this SS10 collection ‘Life’s a Beach….Watch out for Crabs’. We love the title as most people will automatically think of STD’s,  even though there is a deeper meaning involved.  Sometimes life is going according to plan, everything is perfect and then out of nowhere something happens and you’re knocked off your perch….see I told you it was deep…

Anyways!

It will be exactly 5 years to the day when we show at RAFW. What a journey it has been so far! we surfed, we stopped, we became fashion snobs, we snobbed fashion snobs, we drank, we smoked, we laughed, we cried, we loved, we lost love and somewhere in there we created a brand and learnt how to make clothes and how to run a business that has staff!

We have all come from surfing backgrounds so it seemed quite fitting to find (some) inspiration from the beach.  You’ll find a relaxed ‘surf’ vibe happening but there’s also quite a modern futuristic feel with a touch of tribal, to create a juxtaposition of hard & soft.  The contrast that we love so much!  The tribal part comes from the thinking of surf gangs/tribes that spend most of their life on the beach.  And that’s all that we’re saying!”

HAIR BRIEF

The brief from the designers was for a look that was beautiful and tribal and that had a sexy rock and roll feel which is totally the Stolen Girlfriends aesthetic.

It was decided that the hair should be quite skinny to the head and have a quite grunge-y looking loose wave that had a matte product texture that was separated and free in order to animate the beach gang story.

To begin, Kms California Flat-Out Hot-Pressed Spray was applied to the first 6-8 inches of the hair from the scalp and flat-irons are used to make the hair look very flat to the head from about the ear and above. The hair was centre-parted.

Below the ears, if the model’s hair was  wavy or curly it was  relaxed with a tong on a suitability and aesthetic basis. If the model’s hair was straight, then some movement was applied with a tong.

Below the ears the hair look was  skinny and not wide.

3 small plaits were created which didn’t emanate entirely from the scalp. They were initially loose and then got tighter. At the end of each braid, a dyed feather was  attached by tying embroidery thread around it. These 3 plaits were positioned as follows:

2 are placed on one side of the head towards the front.   One is forward of the ear and the other is placed behind it. The final plait is placed on the opposite side at the nape.

The plaits and feathers were swinging and moving around when the model walked and will animated the tribal feeling.

The hair was completed by a liberal application of Kms California Hairplay Clay Crème for separation and the right amount of rock n roll toughness.