One of our favorite questions to ask hair artists is, “What inspires you?” And while muses like nature or runway fashion often crop up as answers, rest assured this was the first time anyone cited Voronoi cell patterns as an inspiration.
While delayed at an airport, Nicole Gary, BaBylissPRO Director of Shows and Education, scoured Pinterest for stimulation. “I found myself saving images with a similar yet specific pattern,” she recalls. Intrigued, she investigated further and discovered she was looking at Voronoi cell patterns—and you yourself actually see them every day in the salon. “It’s the pattern created when bubbles form,” Gary explains. “Since we’re in the business of shampoo and conditioner, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have a pattern that represented the reason why I’m doing what I’m doing.” Thus, her latest collection, Coronation, was born.
If you think her concept is advanced, wait until you hear about the execution. Working with an engraver, Gary applied perfectly aligned individual hairs coated in Aquage products onto 12x24-inch sheets of a thin plastic substrate. Then, each sheet was custom-cut with a laser. “I knew that free-handing something of this intricacy would be impossible,” she relates. “I gravitate toward any pattern that is highly detailed.” And we’re certainly glad she does.
“My dad owns a collision repair facility and has all types of presses and machinery at his disposal, so I called and explained what I was trying to achieve,” Gary explains. “He suggested I contact an engraving and laser graphics center. Luckily, the engraver I spoke with was up for the experiment and we tested a piece. I fell in love.”
“I’m always inspired by the challenge,” says Gary. “My favorite reaction to these hairpieces is, ‘That’s hair?’ Luis Alvarez has taught me to be highly creative within definitive boundaries—thinking inside the box, so to speak. So if I’m choosing to create something avant-garde, I wholly embrace what the term avant-garde actually means.”
“I am beyond honored to represent BaBylissPRO, a company that has such deep lineage in making people feel beautiful,” Gary shares. “I love the people I work with and for. They push the creative boundaries and are graciously humble to share the knowledge they have. BaBylissPRO represents innovation at its finest and houses brands that are nothing short of amazing. I am forever grateful to be part of it.”