In this world — with its growing trend toward virtual reality, television, video game hookups, the Internet, and mobile phones — one notices another trend, at least in high fashion, of returning to things long since familiar, invariable, and reliable, to old values which, arranged anew and revised, beget new trends. Kyiv’s Wella Ukraine Co., commemorating its fifth anniversary, offered the local public an opportunity to acquaint itself with the new fashion trends expected to dominate the next millennium.
The show lasted and hour and a half, staged by Iryna Yudenko with true taste and sense of proportion. It could be divided into three chapters dedicated to various coiffure trends and varying in the form of presentation, from the traditional models’ parade to the public demonstration of hairstyling virtuosity, which was perhaps the most spectacular part of the show. Incidentally, the whole great number of hairdos, some quite sophisticated and time-consuming, was performed by just six coiffurists, all well-known, members of the Intercoiffure’s Ukrainian branch: Vyacheslav Diudenko, Natalia Balabanova, Olena Dyshkant, Iryna Zaitseva, and Myla Maksymovych.
COLOR IS NOT EVERYTHING, WITHOUT IT EVERYTHING ELSE IS NOTHING
They say that these words belong to Georg Steyer, a member of the founding family of the Wella Concern who uttered them fifty years ago and proceeded to develop a new hair dye. At present, dye plays perhaps the most important role in the art of coiffure and the show in Kyiv offered vivid evidence.
SIMPLE BUT WITH TASTE
One of the dominant trends is a return to a simplified style. Easy-to-handle and convenient hairdos make it possible to change the style from athletic to carelessly exquisite. This was demonstrated in a matter of minutes by hairstylists using just hair spray, combs, and their hands. Such hairdos characteristically play with shades based on natural color and bleached hair, using combinations of brown, deep red, dark violet, honey- caramel, amber, and gold.
HUNDRED PERCENT MEN
Fashion, particularly in Ukraine, often ignores the stronger sex. Meanwhile, it is true that handsome and well- built men can use a great variety of hairstyles, shapes, lengths, and silhouettes. The main thing is to have every model stress his own individuality. New barbering techniques are employed, securing the hair’s softness, unevenness, and movement. The finishing touches to this part of the show were applied by garments supplied by Kyiv designer Oleksandr Hapchuk. Incidentally, he provided the costumes for all the male characters in the recent popular television series Bourgeois’ Birthday and we all remember that practically all of them were real men.
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Where would we be without it? The authors of the show thought it was like a manifesto voicing their protest against consumer terror and levity of fashion. You don’t want to fall prey to either? You have the best choice of comfortable and somewhat conservative garments and hairstyles with prevalent simple and precise lines gravitating toward geometrical forms, contrast combinations of proportions, with the details kept in classic black, white, red, and gray.
GAMES FOR GROWNUP GIRLS
Every woman, whether aggressively seductive, self- confident business lady, or harried housewife, sometimes wants to feel like a little girl, naive, vulnerable, and at the same time playful, a kind of Barbie that every man will want to protect and cherish. It appears that all she has to do is change her hairdo: an explosive bouffant adjusted to the texture of her curls, with shades of golden blonde, gold and red copper, golden brown, and brownish red. One more indispensable component is satin ribbons and bows. By the way, the pop star Anni Lorak had this coiffure and looked smashingly touching. She and Viktor Pavlyk, together with the rock groups Four Colors, Cappuccino, and the Delstar dance group provided music for the show.
TO THE SOURCES
Modern hairstyling relies on a combination of Western, Oriental, northern, and southern cultures. Latter-day Amazons use their hair to portray their roots, exotic lianas with knots, braids, and wickerwork. Stones, beads, shells, dry plants, feathers, leather, and fur are used as ornamentation. Any length of hair is eligible, and the main thing is originality in how one looks wild. Color is also borrowed from nature, with prevalent rich chestnut and red, warm wheat, and tender honey and light chestnut.
OUTER SPACE DESIGN
This part of the show featured the hairstylists’ ideas that seemed strongly influenced by Star Wars, alien civilizations, and visitors from parallel worlds. These hairdos were dominated by outer space design, using only synthetic materials and without any natural components. The sparkling texture of coiffures was dominated by shimmering silver, a little on the crazy side but very beautiful.
FLYING DROPS OF CHAMPAGNE
The finale was dedicated to high fashion symbolizing grand femininity, with coiffures made of long hair. Here were elegance and exquisiteness, an atmosphere of luxury and perfect glamour, the bourgeois style at its best. Here gold, champagne, chocolate, and cognac combined with gems, diamonds, or other precious metals and stones are the best fitting colors. The designers are certain that somebody will someday sport all this.
