Opulenza by Richard Ward
"I wanted a rich Diva look", says Richard Ward of his collection of couture hair. Shot in Milan, the photos show hairstyles that are created using traditional methods with contemporary twists, combining the looks with strong surges of color.
Full-Volume Hairstyle
The Cut: The hair is cut into long, deep layers in preparation for creating this full-volume style of lush curls.
The Color: The model's hair is colored a rich, dark-chocolate brown and highlighted with extremely fine highlights to give the hair a lustrous glow.
The Style: The style can be created using large rollers with on-base positioning for maximum volume and lift. The hair is set with a strong hold mousse and when styled, the curls were defined with a smoothing serum to add extra gloss and depth to the hair.
Hairstyle with Box Layering
The Cut: This is a basic layered bob with box layering at the upper sections of the head to offer volume to the style. This cut works exceptionally well with fine hair.
The Color: The color is a very pale blonde that is almost platinum. In fact, the already pale base color is highlighted with thin platinum locks for added depth.
The Style: Towel-dried hair should be treated with leave-in conditioner and maximum hold styling product. The hair is then blow-dried holding the roots up for maximum lift and carefully formed into sweeping curves. The hair can be lightly backcombed to create support in the style and assure longer-lasting lift. Use an ultra-fine misting spray to secure the finished style.
Beehive & Pompadour Updo
The Cut: The cut here is a standard long blunt cut.
The Color: The model's hair is a natural looking honey blonde with soft highlights to add depth and light.
The Style: The style is a tribute to the 60s beehive/pompadour looks, with the top an crown sections backcombed and styled smooth on the surface, and gathered at the back of the head then finished in a cascade of soft, yet fully-defined curls. The hair on the sides is smoothed back, with one side featuring a pony-tail that is wrapped at the base with a strand of the hair itself and ending in a clutch of soft, smooth curls.
Twists & Coils Updo
The Cut: Again, this model's hair is a standard long blunt cut.
The Color: The color is a cool dark blonde with lots of shiny golden highlights that add shimmer and shine to the hair.
The Style: The style is a nest of upwardly styled twists arranged into large, loose coils. The twists offer a rope-like effect to the hairstyle. To create the style the hair should be prepped when towel dried with a leave-in conditioner and styling product. The hair can be blown-dry until mostly dry, but still damp enough to be smooth when twisted. The loose ends of the twists and occasional strands are curled into drooping coils.
Backcombed Curls
The Cut: The hair here is cut into a very long layered style, with added box layering to round the silhouette of the top of the head.
The Color: The rich chocolately brown color of the hair here features soft highlights to give the hair a warm glow in the light.
The Style: This hairstyle is created first by blowing out the hair (prepped with leave-in conditioner and styling gel) using the fingers to create the maximum amount of lift. Soft curl is created using Velcro rollers (jumbo-sized) and a diffused hair-dryer with hairspray. The curls are backcombed to maximize the fullness and volume, and the finished style is misted with fine mist spray and fingered to define the curls.
Updo with Finger Waves
The Cut: This cut is a long layered cut.
The Color: The hair is a natural blonde (neutral base) with paler highlights for added depth and dimension.
The Style: This hairstyle uses finger-wave styling at the top and sides in decreasing ridges from the front to the crown and nape area. The long ends of the hair are rolled onto medium-sized tools at the back. Once the hair has dried and set, the finger-waves are softened and repositioned carefully and the curls are pulled out and back combed to create full-volume tufts.
Updo with Smoothed Back Hair
The Cut: Once again the hair is cut with a long blunt cut style.
The Color: The color of this model's hair is a cool sable black. The hair also appears to have been treated with a clear-gloss additive to give the hair additional shine.
The Style: Towel-dry hair is prepped with leave-in spray and styling gel or mousse and blown dry to a smooth, straight finish. The hair at the top and crown of the head is backcombed lightly to give added height, then the hair is smoothed back on the top and sides and gathered back at the nape area and twisted into a single, long twist that doubles back and is secured using pins and other appropriate accessories.
Gingery Red Hair
The Cut: This is another style based on a long, blunt cut.
The Color: The hair's color is a soft gingery red with soft highlights to give the hair fire without brassiness.
The Style: The hair is prepped with leave-in spray and styling gel and blown-dry with a lot of lift. The hair is also backcombed to add more fullness then clipped on each side with barrettes. It is doubled under and secured into the barrettes as well. The updo is finished with a misting of hairspray and smoothed with a styling brush.
Hair: Richard Ward
Make-up: Dyves La Medica assisted by Sonia
Styling: Gianantonio Allievi
Art Direction: Tim Frisby
Photography: Daniele Ciprani
