20 looks paraded down the runway in celebration of Gary Bigeni’s 20^th year, with O&M ambassador and hair director, John Pulitano of Headcase Hair, backstage to add his style of luxe to the creative collection. Complementing Gary’s trademark prints and bright colour, a dual masculine and feminine hair look suited the collection, exuding effortless, editorial style.

“As we know Gary’s clothes are always very colourful, there’s lots of prints. It’s also Gary’s 20 year anniversary, so we’re celebrating the evolution of Gary. Who is he now? Where has he come to? We just really wanted to create a bit more of a luxurious feel to the hair without the craziness,” John said. “We’re going for a rough luxury look that’s a bit androgynous, it’s a bit masculine around the front and then a bit sleek and feminine at the back, and then there’s a natural texture through that.”

“Each girl will have a bit of her own feel, we want the girls to look really beautiful. We’ll comb it back and manoeuvre it until we get this really beautiful shape in the hair, and each girl will have her own personality with that,” he added. “We created a very streamlined look that is lifted at the roots of the hairline, then smoothed and softened towards the back.”

The hair looks add a fine point to the collection, which is an unabashed celebration of queer culture, expressionism, individuality and creativity, presented in wild technicolour. Bright, colourful makeup application in a range of hues around the models’ eyes further complemented this sense of artistry.

“Gary created this collection to champion, colour and chosen family. The hair is effortless and lived in, while the garments on the runway were colourful, eclectic and energetic. We wanted to complement rather than compete with the garments and reflect the maturity and evolution of the Gary Bigeni customer after 20 years,” John said.

The collection is comprised of classic silhouettes featuring soft tailoring and clean lines with hero polka dots and floral patterns in bold prints. The collection was created environmentally using deadstock fabrics, where silk and cotton are hand painted and digital printed in neon, lilac, blue and pink.

“The collection is entitled ‘Modern Love’ and celebrates the last 20 years of my brand history, chosen family, being queer and celebrating with colour” Gary said. “Colour represents me, I always feel a massive energy when I wear it. We created one hair look to interpret the individuality of each model. It’s sexy, interesting and shows the maturity and evolution of my brand. It’s also a celebration of love, diversity, identity, expression and chosen family.”

“A world where beauty isn’t defined by size. Where love isn’t defined by gender binaries. Where ability isn’t defined by disability and where race, colour and sexuality are celebrated in a mixing pot stirred with love. A world where you can be whoever you want to be, wear whatever you want to wear, and where you’re free to live by your own rules.”

O&M’s Surf Bomb was a hero product to lay the foundation of the hair and offer grip for more products to be layered on top, ensuring a silky wet look that stayed away from the grunge aesthetic. The brand’s Atonic Hair Thickening Spritz was also instrumental in this, while the use of C Paste Texture Cream and Surf Bomb Sea Spray were used in moderation to add a chic, modern vibe and style in a flat wave that enhanced the models’ natural hair textures.

Offering an organic, luxury feel to the whole show, the fashion and hair looks combined for a meaningful, artistic and high-end aesthetic, with models of all ages and a sense of inclusivity always pivotal. To the next 20 years of Gary Bigeni.

Get the look:

• STEP 1: Apply Atonic Hair Thickening Spritz at the roots of dry hair.
• STEP 2: Section out the hairline and apply Surf Bomb Sea Spray to the roots to create lift and volume around the face while blow drying back.
• STEP 3: Apply the C Paste Texture Cream to the sides of the head to help slick back away from the face.
• STEP 4: Backcomb the face framing pieces, to create even more lift and spritz a light amount of Sea Bomb Sea Spray on the back of the hair to help enhance the natural texture and movement.

For more information visit www.originalmineral.com

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