Aveda was the exclusive hair partner for the Iris van Herpen Haute Couture Show on Monday afternoon in Paris, France, building on a long-standing partnership cantered on high-style, sustainable luxury, and artistry.
Antoinette Beenders, SVP of Professional Global Artistry, Aveda, created the hair look alongside van Herpen – a sleek and mesmerizing, curved architectural style that complimented the couturier’s intricately detailed A/W 2023-24 collection inspired by aquatic architecture and futuristic bionic innovations. Antoinette led a team of Aveda’s leading cutting-edge artists to bring to life the technical and detailed couture hair style backstage for the show.
“Iris’s fashion is a work of art, and I aimed to craft a hair look that would seamlessly merge with her groundbreaking vision,” Antoinette said of the hair style. “The couture hair styles drew inspiration from expansive circular architectural designs, so I used an innovative clamping technique to achieve the distinct ridges along the sides, providing a three-dimensional sensation.”
Before styling began, each model’s hair was prepped with Aveda’s Botanical Repair Bond-Building Styling Creme, which adds strength and protects hair from thermal damage with bond-building molecules.
To achieve the sleek, three-dimensional couture hairstyle, Antoinette started with applying Aveda’s Botanical Repair Strengthening Overnight Serum throughout the hair, a lightweight serum that strengthens and repairs hair while adding a gentle shine. Next, she sectioned off the bottom-most portion of the hair and created a low braid pinning it flat to the back of the head, securing it using Aveda’s Control Force Firm Hold Hairspray, a backstage essential. The remaining hair of the back section was then smoothed over top and pinned underneath the braid, resulting in a smooth, round shape that closely hugged the head.
With the top portion, Antoinette parted the hair in the centre and clipped it away in two sections. These sections were generously treated with Aveda’s Control Force Firm Hold Hairspray and allowed to dry. Once dry, a flat iron and clamping technique were used to sculpt the hair into two ridges on each side, adding an artistic, architectural and couture look to the overall style.
For the models with short hair, Antoinette customized each of their looks using Aveda’s high-performing, vegan products that best suited their hair and desired couture style. She used Aveda’s Volumizing Tonic to add volume, body, and shine to fine or medium hair, Aveda’s Nutriplenish Styling Treatment Foam for luxurious hydration, natural shine and soft hold on medium and thick textured hair, and Aveda’s Invati Advanced Thickening Foam to instantly plump each individual hair strand for thicker, fuller, and more voluminous hair.
Select models wore intricate custom hair pieces designed by Malakai and Rinaldy Yunardi that meticulously adorned the head and were cleverly attached to an invisible braid.
Aveda’s partnership with Iris van Herpen continues to push boundaries of hair design, showcasing a fusion of fashion, artistry, and creativity on the Paris Haute Couture runway.
Photography: Carl Fehres @carlfehres
