It wasn’t so very long ago that we brought you Olivier’s new ‘do and the scoop on the t-shirts that followed, so imagine our figurative grab-bag of happy emotions (note: it was suggested this post be written solely in emoticons/emojis, an idea that was entertained for probably longer than is healthy) when we saw the girls at the Theyskens' Theory show marching down the runway with choppy crops matching Olivier’s in a grungy rainbow of shades. Those colors! That sexy ‘slept-in,’ who-cares styling! The scoop? Odile Gilbert cut and colored each of the 40 wigs four days before the show, and the designer doled them out during fittings with an eye to each model’s complexion, eye color, and runway look. Let’s not forget Gilbert’s infamous line way back in February 2011: “[Olivier] has very strong opinions about how the girls should look…he’d like for them to look like him.” It would appear that’s still the case.
The real question, of course, was: When could we play dress up? Sure, they wouldn’t be dyed to compliment each of our eye colors or complexions (it felt largely like the opposite), but we are no strangers to faking it, and we are nothing if not good sports. Olivier rounded up a selection, and, luckily for us, hair maestro James Pecis happened to be on hand when the wigs arrived at the Gloffice. “Oh, those are good ones,” he said, “those are well-made wigs.” He knotted our hair back and fit them to our scalps as best as he could while we tried to channel our favorite '90s grunge bands (though, you may note, some of us look like we’re in different bands than others). “I look like I should be playing bass in a jam band, like Guster,” Nick said, “or OAR.” “I look like I’m in Being John Malkovitch,” our digital director Michael noted, peering into a compact. Meanwhile, a peroxide-d Alessandra was giving Nick “Penelope Cruz in Broken Embraces,” while Emily declared it a Kate Moss/early 2000s moment. Emily, for her part, was totally on-trend with that whole washed-out, colorful hair thing that’s been happening.
Notes for aspiring wig-wearers and Theyskens wannabes: the moody “I spend the time I could spend washing my hair tuning my guitar, dude” waves were created by adding a quarter-size dollop of Kérastase’s Nectar Thermique to the wigs' ends, haphazardly curling pieces while intermittently spritzing the hair with water and raking fingers through it. James also thinks you could get a pretty similarly sexy, slept-in effect with Bumble's surf spray, and, you know, your real hair. If you’re pinched for time but want that androgynous look, just cut your hair with some kitchen scissors (or, better yet, have your friend do it), roll out of bed, shrug on some skinny (or baggy!) jeans, keep your chin down so some strands fall across your eyes, and look pensive.
As for the photo? We’re thinking ITG Christmas Cards. Happy Holidays!
—TEAM ITG
Clockwise from left: Emily Weiss, Nick Axelrod, Alessandra Codinha, and Michael Harper, photographed by ITG's own Elizabeth Brockway in New York on September 11th 2012.
