THE CRAZY YEARS IN PARIS:
INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED HAIR ARTIST MARISOL SUAREZ RETURNS TO LOS ANGELES WITH RENÉ FURTERER TO SHOWCASE AND DEMONSTRATE VINTAGE GLAMOUR FOR BRAND AMBASSADORS AND TOP HAIRSTYLISTS
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On Sunday, April 19, 2015, 200 top hairstylists gathered at the Avalon Hollywood, one of Tinseltown’s most historic landmarks. The theatre at Hollywood & Vine has been a show business epicenter since opening in 1927 during the silent film era. Entitled Parisienne des Années Folles (The Crazy Years in Paris), the evening began with a festive cocktail reception in the venue’s Gatsby-themed gallery. There, Pierre Fabre USA President and CEO Laurent-Emmanuel Saffré, René Furterer Vice President Francois Viargues, and the René Furterer team greeted guests.
The impressive roster of attendees included René Furterer Ambassadors and top hairstylists from high-profile salons such as C The Salon in Studio City, CA, Cristophe Salon in Beverly Hills, CA, Opulent Salon in Bakersfield, CA, Ubuntu Hair Studio in Solana Beach, CA, diPietro Todd in San Francisco, CA, H Studio Salon in Mission Viejo, CA, Rodney Gentry in Scottsdale, AZ, Jovie Salon in Dallas, TX, Monica Foster Salon in Palo Alto, CA and Showroom 383 Salon in Mill Valley, CA.
As the guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and mingled with the René Furterer Team, they were surrounded by brightly lit columns and vignettes and impressive visuals of the René Furterer ABSOLUE KÉRATINE collection, the brand’s luxurious spring launch.
Hair Looks:
Following the cocktail reception, attendees gathered in the venue’s theater for the highlight of the evening, Marisol Suarez inspiring the audience with her demonstrations of hair looks that represented the essence of Paris in the 1920s, all created exclusively with René Furterer’s versatile styling products and Marisol’s unique artistry and imagination.
Backstage, top hairstylists and René Furterer Ambassadors Adrien Flammier of Atelier Emmanuel Salon + Day Spa in San Francisco, CA, Nicky Bangles of Showroom 383 Salon, Andrea Hicks of Soda Salon in Atlanta, GA, Claudio Lazo of C The Salon, Monica Foster of Monica Foster Salon, Sami Eid and Michelle Hsiung of Cristophe Salon and Vanessa Ramos of Ubuntu Hair Studio lent their talents to assist Marisol.
With the crowd anxiously awaiting Marisol’s presence and talent on stage, Francois Viargues welcomed the audience, saying how excited he was to be back in Los Angeles and how pleased he was to once again present the “incredible” and “amazing” Marisol. “Not only is she highly respected by her peers in the industry, but she works with her heart,” said Francois. “
Her outstanding career and international accolades are impressive and we are thrilled to have her here with us tonight.” Before the presentation began, Francois also took a moment to express his excitement of the night’s theme: “The Crazy Years in Paris” or “The Golden 20s.”
“This decade in Paris was so special because of the innovation, fashion, music, art, and architecture. The inspiration came from around the world from Africa and Russia to the United States-and people wanted to feel beautiful, sexy, and free. We’re delighted to bring this time period alive on stage tonight.” With that, Francois said, “Please enjoy the show!”
Following the enthusiastic round of applause, and with “Willkommen,” sung by Alan Cumming from the musical Cabaret playing on the soundtrack, a trio of female models, all clad in black, silky, lingerie-inspired garb and showcasing sleek finger waves and pin curls adorned with sequins and glitter, and a duo of male models, both clad in crisp tuxedos, graced the stage.
Adrien Flammier and Nicky Bangles then made their entrance. In sync with the beat of the lively song, and with the help of the two stylists cut and styled the male models’ hair, creating a reflection of how women began to gender-bend in Paris in the 20s. (Think Marlene Dietrich wearing one of her iconic tuxedos.)
As the “Cabaret Boys” exited the stage, a trio of female models showcasing vintage pin curls entered the theatre to the tune of “You Turn Me On” by the Girls of the Crazy Horse, Paris. Following right behind was Chuck Hezekiah, National Educator for René Furterer, and the evening’s emcee, escorting Marisol onto the stage as she galvanized the audience with her charm and incredible energy.
Speaking momentarily to the night’s “liberating” and “glamorous” theme and “how important it is to know your history” and “how fun it is to break the rules once you do,” Marisol then launched into her first demo.
Demo One / The Wave
Marisol began the first demo by describing the inspiration of the look – the wet set – a style taken from a period after the ’20s when women started wanting to look more feminine.
With the majority of the hair prep with René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing conditioning spray – no-rinse and René Furterer VOLUMEA volumizing foam – no-rinse done backstage prior to the presentation, including setting and releasing the pin curls, Marisol then took a brush to the sides and back of the head to create fuller, fluffy waves to the parted look.
By using René Furterer NATURIA dry shampoo, she was able to give the hair a bit more texture and grip.
As the looser waves were created, Marisol set them with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY, giving the hair movement, elasticity and bounce.
Next, Marisol applied her own black, sequined finger wave comb accessory to the right side of the head. Explaining that a fingerwave is actually “an accessory in itself,” she emphasized the importance of combining classic techniques with modern ones to stay fresh and inventive.
To add a bit more excitement to the look, Marisol then created an updo without actually putting the hair up. This effect was done by twisting and pinning up sections of hair in the back of the head and using bobby pins to secure each section into the shape of a horseshoe. Hair toward the front of the face, on both sides, was kept down.
Finally, Marisol set the hair once again with René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY.
Demo Two / The Braid
For the next demo, Chuck told the captivated crowd that National Geographic was Marisol’s favorite reference while in beauty school. This is where she discovered her love for the braid. As he explained what braids signified for women in the African culture, a trio of female models, showcasing French braids with a modern twist, entered the theatre to the beat of the cabaret tune “I’m a Good Girl.”
Marisol then began the demo.
First, Marisol described the different types of braids and different types of effects with braids being done by hairstylists now. The model she was working with on stage showcased multiple simple French and inverted braids, which had been prepped previously backstage.
Next, Marisol began pinning the loose parts of the braids and attaching them in loops around the head. This technique gave a flirty and fresh feel to the classic braid look.
Marisol then went on to explain that braids are a “great way to experiment” with hair color and other fun effects like sequins and glitter.
Using a jar filled with glitter mixed with René Furterer VEGETAL SCULPTING GEL, Marisol sponged the sparkly concoction around the model’s scalp. The René Furterer VEGETAL SCULPTING GEL helped make the glitter really stick to the head and hair.
Last, Marisol sprayed René Furterer VEGETAL FINISHING SPRAY to hold the style in place.
Finale:
For the event’s finale, three female models showed off Marisol’s extraordinary braided crown wigs and were then joined by the male and female models who displayed the styles influenced by “The Crazy Years in Paris” to take one last walk on stage as Amy Winehouse’s sultry “Back to Black” played on the soundtrack and black and white visuals of the Eiffel Tower flashed in the background.
Ending the successful presentation on a high note, Francois Viargues gave the closing remarks in appreciation of Marisol Suarez, her team, the René Furterer team and all who helped to make the event a stellar success.
At the cocktail reception following the event, the hairstylist attendees were thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Marisol. Speaking for many of the hairstylists and salon owners who attended the event, Gerardo Benedetto, a René Furterer Ambassador and owner of Benedetto Salon in Seattle, WA described the evening as “beautiful and inspirational.”
Gerardo also said that he was “looking forward to utilizing Marisol’s techniques in his own work at the salon,” specifically the innovative details Marisol demonstrated with the braid. Andrea Hicks, recalling her experience on stage with Marisol, told us, “Marisol is an amazing individual, encouraging, friendly and kind. I felt at ease working with her today. My most favorite moment and best experience of the night was assisting with the finale look – the showcase of Marisol’s legendary crown braid.”
When asked what about the event he was most proud of, Francois Viargues noted, “I’m proud of seeing how excited and inspired the René Furterer Ambassadors and top hairstylists are by the show tonight. And I’m so proud of the work that Marisol created.”
All photographs by Yuri Hasegawa for René Furterer.
