For Haus Alkire's Fall 2013 show, Catwalk by TIGI Creative Director Heath Grout prepped models' hair at the New York City TIGI Academy, his third season working with the fashion designer couple. Inspiration for the fall 2013 collection came from photos Jason Alkire captured during Hurricane Sandy—like a candle lit in a dark window—which were manipulated into layered prints and incorporated in the clothing design by his wife and fashion designer Julie Haus.
For the hair, Grout said that after collaborating with the clothing designers, he took inspiration from the less-polished tresses of the bride in Tim Burton’s animated film The Corpse Bride. “It’s dirty, slept-in hair, with an element of creepy, but also beautiful,” he said. To achieve the look, Grout relied on TIGI Catwalk Session Series Transforming Dry Shampoo to reduce any shine. After making a sharp center part, Grout applied Your Highness Root Boost Spray from the roots to the mid shaft for a super-flat style. Session Series True Wax was applied from the part, down 2 inches. Then, strands were swept back into a very low ponytail at the hairline so hair graced the face right below the ears. The pony was split in two; one half was backcombed with a Mason Pearson boar-bristle round brush, for a flat and matted texture rather than volume, while the other half was kept smooth. The two pieces were joined into a two-strand braid and were secured at the base with an elastic. Once the ends were backcombed, the ponytail was then folded back on itself and tied with multiple elastics to create a cone-shaped bun. Some strands were pulled out at the front for a wispy, cobwebby effect.
MAC Cosmetics Senior Artist Fatima Thomas was the creative force behind the makeup. Once an eggshell matte-finish was achieved on the skin, brows were painted ash brown, lids took on a seafoam powder and foundation was applied to lips. Mascara, eyeliner and contouring weren’t used for an overall beautiful but not girly look of feminine strength.