Dedicated to an open-book journey driven to expand the mindset and forget preconceived notions of creativity, Emiliano Vitale, Creative Director at é SALON in Sydney, Australia, collaborated with hairdressing icon Robert Lobetta on Fluidity, his latest collection. Fascinated by the concept of time—how we all age at the same rate, yet each of us holds a unique perception of time—Vitale wondered, “What does time look like, and if it was an image, what would it be?” He knew that each look needed to have its own unique movement and texture, and he instructed Lobetta to capture select images with a subtle blur to translate the notion of time and movement, giving each one an otherworldly effect.
Woven Tapestry
Elaborately embellished African tribal hairstyles are re-imagined for the modern age. To create the interesting texture shown here, netting was placed over the hair, pulled through using a crochet hook and removed.
Strength Through Spirit
To capture a tribal feel, Vitale applied mousse to colored wefts, cut them into different lengths and frayed the ends so they looked rough and undone.
Feather Wonderland
Inspired by feathers and birds in flight, Vitale cut wefts into two-inch wide sections before spraying and ironing them until they were stiff. Then he cut each weft into desired length and frayed the ends lightly to give a feathered look once they were applied to the hair.
Jagged Notches
Tribe is a word that resonates with Vitale at this stage in his life. "I gather endless inspiration from African tribes- the natural textures and textiles used in the creation of headpieces and accessories," he says. Here, he applied mousse to wet hair and twisted the lengths into dreads, then cut jagged notches into the fringe to create balance and proportion.