amika Destination: NYFW Finalists

We have selected our top finalists for the amika Destination: NYFW competition—and now it’s up to you to join us in selecting a winner! These five finalists have worked to create runway-ready hair looks inspired by their favorite designers for the chance to join the international amika team this September for an all-expense paid trip to New York City. Your votes will decide which stylist will win the trip of a lifetime—a five-day event packed with education, a pro photo shoot, and Fashion Week events.

To Vote: Head to the amika Facebook page, and view the finalist photo submissions in the Destination: NYFW Finalists photo album. Make sure to Like the photo of your favorite entry, as the stylists with the most "Likes" for their runway-ready look will be chosen a the winner.

But before you cast your votes, find out what inspired each look, how they were created, and what amika tools + products each stylist used...

Steps:

1. Begin by blow-drying hair while using the Power Cloud Dryer and  Straight Up Smoothing Balm. 
2. Next, after using the Heat Defense Serumr, part the hair and hold it up with the Straightening Tension Comb and create curls with the 25mm Barrel Curler.
3. After the entire hair is curled, secure with Touchable Hairspray, and straighten hair along the hair line with the Titanium Glide Obliphica Styler.
4. Section hair and begin to braid on the side.
5. Finish this look by adding a flower for summer, and once again spray Touchable Hairspray to secure. 

Steps:

1. Prep the hair with Straight Up Smoothing Balm.
2. Blow dry the hair using the amika Power Cloud, and infuse hair with the Oil Treatment
3. Curl hair using the 32mm Tourmaline Curler. 
4. Using the Touchable Hair Spray to set, brush and mold hair into a high bun. 
5. Apply additional Straight Up Smoothing Balm to the hair, before using a hair extension to finish the base of the bun. 

Steps:

1. Begin by prepping the hair with Blow Up Spray and Oil Treatment. 
2. Spray hair with Perk Up Dry Shampoo and texturize using the Titanium Glide Obliphica Styler. 
3. Use bobby pins to create zig-zagged figure-8s into the hair. 
4. Backcomb to add body and shape, and use Touchable Hairspray to hold the look in place. 
5. Finally, create a fishtail side-braid, and once completed, pull pieces from the final look to make the style look undone. 

Steps: 

1. Create a center part at the top of the crown, while separating hair from ear to ear into neatly clipped and secure sections. Apply Heat Defense Serum to each section. 
2. Beginning at the nape of neck, using the 3P Triple Barrel Curler, take 1" sections and soft-set the hair—working up to the crown and repeat on the sides.
3. When curls are set, remove the clips, shake out the curls, and gently run fingers through hair.
4. Create a diagonal ear-to-ear part, and clip sections upwards.
5. Securely clip the back of the style up, to ensure it will not interfere while styling the front section.
6. Begin with the right side, and back comb the hair from the inside, and smooth with comb out brush and begin to roll inward to create first victory roll. 
7. Repeat on other side. 
8. Take down the hair in the back and slightly back comb hair to create volume. 
9. Set the look with Touchable Hairspray. 

Steps:

1. After prepping the hair with Perk Up Dry Shampoo and Oil Treatment, use the 25/28mm Curler to create curls.
2. Take two diagonal partings from recession to just in front of the ear, and style a fishtail braid. Smooth the braid with Leave In Cream. 
3. Tease hair at the crown and spray with Touchable Hairspray.
4. Begin to pin hair at the sides, and then take sections from bottom, and gently (and randomly) pin hair until it is all up—creating a draping effect.
5. Finish the look with Touchable Hairspray.

Fashion Week S/S'13 Hair Trends

 It doesn't matter if you are sitting front row, styling hair backstage, walking the runway, or watching live on the internet, all fashion lovers ravenously consume all of the newest fashions during fashion week. It's a lot to digest, we know! But we've followed all the major fashion weeks (NYC, London, Milan, and Paris) and have compiled a list of the trends that we'll be seeing next season. And in our favorite fashionable category of course, hair!

Natural Texture 

Marni

Rebecca Minkoff

First for a reason, this is not only a trend but somewhat of a theme that seemed to encompass/inspire many of the other trends we saw on this seasons runways. We touched upon this concept in our post "Undone is the new Done-Up." What this trend is showing us is that hair doesn't need to be over-styled to look good, less can be more. Go ahead and let it get a bit wavy, let your ends curl a little. Embrace a bit of frizz and a few wispy fly-aways can be quite sexy. This is probably one of the easiest trends to rock, just let your hair air-dry and use your fingers to comb through some of your favorite styling product.

Side Parts

Michael Kors

Diane von Furstenberg

No wonder side parts were all over the runway this season, it happens to be one of the most flattering frames for all face shapes. Wear this simple accent with just about any hair style and instantly elevate the level of interest of your look. If every hairstyle could be summed up in one word, the side part would be like adding on a perfectly placed accent mark, there's just something about it that exudes an air of romantic elegance.

Center Parts 

Stella McCartney

Gucci

Now that we think about it, there may be a toss up between "Side Parts" and "Center Parts" for the biggest trend of the S/S'13 season. Ironically it's a battle between symmetry and asymmetry! Does it not seem that the center part makes a comeback every other decade? It epitomized the hippie-chic of the 70s, was a staple for the sugary-sweet 90's pop starlette, and here we are in 2010's and the center part is back with a vengeance! This trend is certainly inspired by the more natural/effortless theme that seemed to encompass all the hair trends on the runway this season. And if you pull it back in a pony... well, it doesn't get much easier than that!

Side-Swept Bangs 

Rodarte

Marc Jacobs

The blunt bang has been pushed to the side--literally. Side-swept bangs were one of the biggest trends to hit the runways this season. There were two distinctly different variations on this trend. One is a more traditional take on the side bangs, elegantly swept across the forehead. The other being an edgier sleeker look for which the hair is slicked completely to one side of the head. Don't have bangs? No worries! The great thing about this trend is you don't actually need bangs to pull it off. Often the hair is just styled to mimic the look of actual bangs.

Slicked Back 

Alberta Ferretti

Nanette Lepore

This trend is for the person who doesn't like to hide behind their hair. As a hair style it is the epitome of bold confidence because you're pushing all your hair back and really putting emphasis on your face and bone structure. The ultra-shiny rendition of this look was accompanied by a more voluminous, but just as sleek, version that included a low quiff. Make sure to stock up on hair gel before next season gets here!

Head Scarves 

DKNY

Diane von Furstenberg

All we have to say is THANK GOODNESS our go-to lazy day hair-do, the top-knot, is still on trend for next season! But it's been seriously upgraded with the edition of the head scarf. There are only so many ways you can wear a top-knot, but the edition of the head scarf makes this look totally customizable! So many different colors and prints, not to mention there are a slew of ways to go about wrapping your scarf to achieve an eclectic bunch of looks. And by no means is this look synonymous with the top-knot, it works just as well with your hair down. Honestly though, who saw this one coming... it just screams, ultra-cool.

Pops of Color 

Anna Sui

Vivienne Westwood

Hands down the most fun of all the trends we saw on the runway this season! We do recall a few scoffs when Kelly Osbourne revealed her lavender locks a while ago, well she's off somewhere saying "I told you so" this season. One of the most talked about shows of S/S'13 was Vivienne Westwood, who took retro hairdos and powdered them pastel. Anna Sui went neon, and model Chloe Noraggard's bold look during the Nicole Miller show turned out to be the most talked about hair of NYFW. The great thing about this trend is you can play with any shade you like, go hyper pigmented, or keep it subtle; you can't go wrong!

(images: via style.com, realbeauty.com, vogue.com)

Jean Paul Gaultier is soo 80's

The models in Jean Paul Gaultire's S/S'13 show may have been walking forward down the runway, but their fashions were a step backwards in time. Gaultier's entire collection was a nod to the 80's and some of its most infamous fashion icons. It's quite the clever idea, don't you think? Gaultier, no doubt had a field day creating a collection that includes everything from menswear  to electric blue bikini bottoms! And is it just me, or does this entire concept not seem like a delightfully subversive act from the designer who knows how to take a cliche like, "O that's sooo last season," and turn it on it's head?! JP never disappoints. Can you guess the who's-who of 80's celeb fashion icons that inspired this collection?!

This is just a taste, check out Jean Paul's 80's extravaganza in its entirety here!

(images via: Style.com)

Undone is the new "Done-Up"

Karen Walker SP'13

"Shhh please, with your silly little questions," was exactly what I thought when someone had the nerve to ask me, "Why do you do your hair, just to make it look like you didn't do your hair?" ...If you, like myself, neurotically followed all the runway looks from NYFW SP'13, the answer is no doubt quite obvious. Undone is the new done-up! 

Natural seemingly effortless hair flowed all over the runways at NYFW. There was clearly a lot of thought behind these undone tresses, all inspired by the concept that "less is more." Many of the looks seemed as though they didn't even require a tool to style... blasphemous, I know! Finger combing, natural texture, fly-aways, and (dare we say) even a bit of frizz were fully embraced at the latest edition of NYFW!

Donna Karan SP'13

Calvin Klein Collection SP'13

Proenza Schouler SP'13

And no this adorable head scarf is not just Lindsey Wixton's way of looking chic while getting her pre-runway primp on, this was the actual runway look for Marc by Marc Jacobs SP'13. Talk about, "Oh I just threw myself together (and ended up looking fabulous), no big deal."

xo Q!

(images via Style.com)