Beauty and Grooming

Behind the Scenes: Hair and Now

Meet the Gene Juarez crew leader behind Seattle Met’s future-40s fall fashion hair and makeup looks

October 22, 2009

 

I know I’m supposed to let it all look really easy, but I’m here to tell you that fashion shoots, like the one we produced for fall at Sound Transit’s brand new Tukwila light rail station for our October issue, are toilsome affairs. They’re challenging and rewarding in the very best ways, but they’re backbreaking. And exhausting. The model is the only one who gets to feel a little glamorous and even that is fleeting. Homegirl valiantly changed in and out of designer clothing in the parking lot, okay? Charged with guarding the gorgeous goods at our makeshift ‘wardrobe staging area’, my intern sat baking in the cab of my black pick-up all day. And the fearless Gene Juarez Team Artistic crew, ran here and there wielding spray cans of hair-stiffening matter and tubes of orange lipstick. In honor of that, this edition of Behind the Scenes brings you a conversation with Gene Juarez Creative Director and Team Artistic co-leader, James Todd.

Wear What When: Our directive to you, on the morning of the shoot, was to go Lady Ga-Ga by way of the Andrew Sisters with the hair. The sexy-future-40s Zac Posen dress that leads the spread kind of guided us

James Todd: We loved the film noir concept of many of the fall collections! I was lucky enough to work NY Fashion week for the Zac Posen show with famed editorial stylist Odile Gilbert and we did strong, brave updos. For Seattle Met’s shoot, with the amazing set of the transit center, a strong film noir look with an eighties Blade Runner-ala-Shawn- Young vibe felt truly of the moment.

Wear What When: How can this style be reinterpreted as a wearable look for an everyday client at Gene Juarez?

James Todd: Right now in the October issue of Harper’s Bazaar, model Jessica Stam is wearing a variation of our look and its seems elegant and smart with her amazing face.

Wear What When: What’s the key direction for fall hair at Gene Juarez?

Gene Juarez Salons and Spas Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham


James Todd: Two main looks illustrate the GJ fall trend of texture. The first look from the Gene Juarez fall direction shoot (shown here) is set on the beautiful beaches of West Seattle. We photographed Northwest women – four models living in our region – wearing personalized haircuts, rich colors, and casually sexy wind blown styles timed for everyday. Dressed in layered ensembles, wardrobe styled by our very own Team Artistic.

WWW note: The layers in that last look include those painfully gorgeous leather leggings from Veridis that I blogged about here. Love them!]





Gene Juarez Salons and Spas Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham

Gene Juarez Salons and Spas Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham

The second trend (below) is the iconic wave set of the much-celebrated 1940’s. We staged this look on a downtown Seattle roof to in order to pay homage to the Seattle skyline in a way rarely seen. Here the wardrobe trend of smart tailored clothing and chic silhouettes shares the stage beautifully with wavy, bouncing hair timed for an evening out in the bustling action of our city.

Gene Juarez Salons and Spas Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham

Gene Juarez Salons and Spas Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham

Wear What When: Any GJ products we should look for to achieve these kinds of looks?

James Todd: Our favorite new addition is Ocean Texture Mist in the Gene Juarez Haircare Collection. It is a spray into wet hair styling product that leaves the hair malleable with the tosseled feel of being at the beach. Another is our super light GJ Illuminating Mist sprayed on top of our finished wave sets for light reflection and maximum color shine.

Wear What When: Switching to makeup; for our Seattle Met fall shoot I was inspired by the orange lips at Dries Van Noten for F/W 09 and that was my main cue to your team. What colors are key for GJ makeup artists this season?

James Todd: We believe lipstick is the key make-up trend for Fall Winter 09/10. The make-up artists at Gene Juarez can custom-blend any lip color imaginable! Our message to women is to ‘just wear it’. The intense color wardrobe trend can feel costly and fleeting but an amazing pop of color on the lip is a reasonable economic investment and can simply be washed away at the end of the day.

Wear What When: How about as we go into the holiday season? What makeup or hair trends are you excited about?

James Todd: Lashes! Lashes! Lashes! Visit the new GJ Lash Bar where every lash imaginable is available with all the tools and tricks provided by our make-up artists and you can feel of the moment and special! Also, for a girls night out, think of taking the hair off the face like the girls seen here (below) getting out of the taxi! (Our GJ team shot this right downtown outside the Hotel Monaco on Seattle’s bustling 4th avenue!) The sleek off-the-face look can feel new, rich, and timelessly chic!

Gene Juarez Fall Direction; photo by Neil Latham

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For another example of a Seattle Met-Gene Juarez Team Artistic collaboration, visit our Spring Fashion feature from April 08 - still feels current to me!

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