Harajuku Meets Venice Beach at Richard Chai - NYFW Spring 2011

Fashion Week is off to a colorful start - literally. “I think color is a great choice for spring because it really brightens up not only your face, [but] your whole atmosphere,” said James Kaliardos, who created four bold makeup looks for Richard Chai’s spring runway show. The common theme was “Japanese Harajuku girl meets Venice Beach,” which makeup artists achieved by adding one colorful feature - a purple or cyan lip, bright orange or magenta eye shadow - to a base of “natural, healthy” skin.

Meanwhile, hairstylist Tippi Shorter interpreted the designer’s inspiration - “an explosion and a mash up of color and texture” - through two-textured ponytails, pairing a “disheveled, day two, bed head-y deep side part mass” on top with a sleek, shiny tail. Her strategy went like this: Apply Avon Advance Techniques Volumizing Spray Gel to roots and rough dry to create texture. Spritz Medium Hold Hairspray on fingertips to gather hair into a low ponytail, securing with a bungee band. Smooth the ends with Damage Repair 3D Rescue. And for a finishing touch, one of the most creative hair tools we’ve seen backstage: balloons rubbed on top of models’ heads to create static. Amazing, no?