If anyone can inspire a woman to embrace a natural curl, it’s John Pulitano. The in-demand hairstylist, who has worked the international runway circuits and is also co-owner of Sydney’s Headcase Hair, is an expert when it comes to transforming flyaway frizz and lacklustre locks – Pulitano is convinced the process should be effortless and toxic-free. Cut to Australian Fashion Week, and the stylist is backstage, bringing wizardry to OROTON’s Resort show in his role as hair director and educator for O&M. It’s part of an exciting collaboration with the leading haircare brand known for using minerals and native Australian ingredients in place of harsh chemicals. Here, Pulitano shares a few secrets for creating the runway look at home
Can you talk us through the collaboration with O&M, and the hair trends you created for OROTON’s Resort show, what was the feeling?
“One of the reasons we love to work with O&M is because it's all about using clean hair products that really do their job. We’re focused on using non-toxic products, I think it’s just so important to include them in your hair routine, and that also ties in nicely with OROTON’s philosophy. I worked with the brand last year [on its Fashion Week show], so I understand the clean aesthetic, at the same time we felt it was important to push the looks forward and continue the story, creating a mood that revolves around natural texture. The feeling is not too done, there is still lift and volume, but the look has an edge to it. For the show, we created a number of different styles, some models with their hair up in a bun, some with their hair down and low side parts, and it was all a little nod to the 50s but with an editorial twist.”
How did that vision come to life backstage, and which products and techniques did you use?
“We started by spraying the hair with the O&M Atonic Thickening Spritz and Surf Bomb Spray, which gives the hair this wonderful texture and also keeps the hair in place when you're blow-drying it. To finish, we then sprayed O&M’s new Spray Wax into the roots, which is brilliant without feeling greasy. We used it to create that slightly more lifted feeling in the hair, it’s as though you washed your hair a couple of days ago, it’s a great texture and not too done.”
Can you tell us how those ideas translate into real life, what are your tips for achieving the runway look at home?
“You can recreate this look so easily, which was part of our thinking from the beginning, we wanted to come up with these relaxed looks that people would want to wear – having said that, the hair had to have an edge for the show, a little more confidence, we had to strike a balance. It's an easy process to create the look at home, simply start by blow-drying in the two O&M products, the spritz and then the spray to create texture and lift, follow through with the soft spray wax, and it's as easy as that. It’s important not to over work the texture, you just want to enhance your natural wave and bring that out in your hair. Sometimes we might take an iron to enhance the natural texture, but it's certainly not about making it look too finished at the back otherwise you’ll lose the essence of its relaxed feeling.”
Do you feel there has been a mood-shift with our approach to hair post pandemic?
“Definitely. I feel like we are starting to see a slightly more rebellious approach to hair, a bit of attitude. I think women are feeling more comfortable creating these relaxed textured looks, allowing their hair to look a little more lived in. Obviously, I still feel that regular haircuts are important, they make such a difference in terms of framing your face, but it’s important to go with a style that looks as good naturally as it does styled. Then try experimenting with natural products like the ones from the O&M range to really enhance your natural texture. After everything we have been through, I think people just want to go out and have a good time and be a little rebellious with their look in a beautiful way.”
