Monday, July 30, 2012

HAIR, Th-HAIR, and Everyw-HAIR

Do you ever get the feeling that you just don't belong?  The feeling that even after triple checking your ticket, you're almost positive that you have been invited by mistake.  You know, the feeling you get when you show up, to a sea full of people with asymmetrical haircuts and layers of avant garde, black clothing, and you're wearing a cap, a plaid jacket and a red bandana?  

Yeah, I get that feeling too.

I decided that instead of running from situations where I get that feeling, I am going to start running towards them.  Sometimes the wacky tackiest thing to do is step outside the box and attend an event that soars far outside the wacky tacky radar.

When our friend, Amber, a very reputable sales representative for a very well-known line of quality, salon products, invited us to the huge hair show hosted by her company, honestly, I wasn't that excited.  Then I remembered that episode of Ricki Lake where stylists were competing in a hair show; I vaguely recalled a pair of hair chaps and a working fountain on top of someone's head and said, "I'm there!"  

"Weaven Steven" on Ricki Lake

It took some convincing from Mary to get me to go after Amber informed me that there was absolutely no chance that one of the models would show up wearing hair epaulets and there would most certainly not be a weave with a built-in engine from a model helicopter that made the multi-color ponytail spin.  Even when we pulled in the parking lot, I wondered if I was going to be bored out of my gourd.  My attitude immediately changed as we walked through the doors.

Representatives from
Monsieur Tiny's Maison des Coiffures
Do we look legit or what?

Upon entering, the energy was great; the music was playing, the crowd was wild, and there were snacks everywhere!!!  We had to sign in and I was caught slightly off guard when we were asked to identify the salon that we represented - this was, after all, an industry event.  Without hesitation, I listed myself as the proprietor of Monsieur Tiny's Maison des Coiffures.  The young woman at the check-in table seemed appropriately amazed that I would attend this shindig and I detected a air of deference (and maybe a small salute) as she handed us our passes specially-marked "General Admission."  My ego was slightly deflated when Mary informed me that general admission was not a commissioned office of distinction, like General Colin Powell or General Ulysses S. Grant.  Nevertheless, I was glad to have come.  We quickly found Amber and started making the rounds. 

Amber and her all-access pass.  
Whither thou goest, we couldn'tst follow.

It was apparent, or should I say "app-HAIR-ent," that 60's was the theme for the evening - at least for Mary and Amber.

Mary and Amber do the double-reverse bouffant twist with a jack knife.

We made it just in time for the runway show that included highly-stylized hair trends meant, much like haute couture, as inspiration for what will become more wearable trends in the future.  The show also represented the best of creative North American stylists who were competing for prizes, trips, and bragging rights.  The show wasn't just about hair though; there were aerialists, b-boys, contortionists, live demonstrations of styling, models falling on the runway, people spinning inside of giant Hula Hoops, and dancing shrimp!  Here are some images from the show; please forgive the crummy quality.  You already know that I'm not a gifted photographer and while they looked pretty solid on the little screen on my camera, the photos are a little lacking in a larger format.

Seriously, dancing shrimp.  Relative to what, I know not.
For some reason they appear in the photo like they're glowing under a black light.
Mary said that halfway through their performance, one of the shrimp's leotards split
right up the rear seam.  Fortunately, no efforts to devein the shrimp were attempted.








The end of the show resulted in awards, tears, and confetti! We took the opportunity to walk around, talk, and take some photos with some of the creative minds and the models.




From the front

And the rear
There were so many cool photo ops that we had to snap a few photos of the dress I made for Mary.  Pretty soon thereafter, the confetti proved just too alluring and she didn't want to stand still.

She wore an eyelet lace, trapeze-style, 60's dress in bright yellow with bell sleeves.

Getting a little too party time in the confetti blizzard.

Other people saw how much fun the confetti could be,
 and they joined in the confetti-angel making.
Believe it or not, the strangest part of the evening was not lying on the floor making confetti angels, it was the amount of attention we were getting.  I guess we stood out in our kooky get-ups, but I never get a second glance from anybody.  All night long people were complimenting us and  telling us how cool we were.  Trust me on this one, I have NEVER been the cool kid, so between the hair, the confetti and the compliments, the evening was the height of surrealism in action.


It may not have been Ricki revisited, but it was a great opportunity to see how a creative industry celebrates its talent and skill.  Next time you reach for the teasing comb and Aqua Net, just remember those intrepid hairstylists that paved the way for your crazy hair.  Thanks, Amber, for the amazing evening and helping me take a giant leap outside the wacky tacky comfort zone!!!

Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!
"Hair" - Zen


Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

20 comments:

  1. This looks so dang fun!

    I am with you on the running towards situations where I may not fit in. I started doing that in my teens and never looked back. I now kind of have the idea that I'm the one in the know, and they are all really the outcasts. I'm in my own brain bizarro world.

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    1. It was dang fun! I can't say why exactly, except that it was just a crazy place full of crazy people...and cupcakes!!!

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  2. How very swank and cool! Hobnobbing with the big wigs!

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    1. Hahaha..big wigs! It was pretty cool, hopefully will be invited back next year!

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  3. This is amazing. I am a hairdresser and went to a mostly black Beauty School in Pasadena. I did a few hair shows! Thankfully, my parents owned a costume shop and I already had extensive knowledge of wig-workings. You did a great job!

    I will NEVER forget the look on the older black lady faces when I would come up, punk rock girl with green hair and all to do a press and curl. "I don't want this white girl", they would say. "She's going to burn me." Little did they know, I too am the baddest white girl with a hot comb!

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    1. Do you have a portfolio from your beauty school days? You need to do a blog on your coolest hair-dos. I'm sure you knot on blew people's hair dry, you also blew their minds!!!!

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  4. Good for you for breaking out of your comfort zone! I have often been the over dressed girl in the cocktail dress and updo, while everyone else is in jeans and a stained tee shirt. I refuse to feel out of place because others don't want to be fabulous! Love the yellow dress as well, I would try to mop it if I thought it would look good on me...

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    1. Thanks Michelle!!! It was a good experience to go someplace new and exciting!

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  5. Why wouldn't you get complements! You guys always look great, and you put so much effort into every look. Remember - a day without dressing up is a day wasted.

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  6. That looked like so much fun. I did a hair show back in the day and I had a blast. Too bad my mom took one photo of me and all the rest of the film on the guys with no shirts on!

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    1. It was a lot of fun! If you can find it, you'll have to post your photo! Strangely enough, no one has ever asked me to be a hair model...hahahahaha!

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  7. You, Mary and Amber look fantastic! Your blog invites me into the hair show - how fun! The descriptions and pictures are the best. So glad you were there!

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  8. That event! This post! Just what I needed. What a classy, uproarious and downright fascinating affair. That line about deveining the shrimp - hilarious. I wish that I could be a tiny mouse that lives in your vest pocket so that I could ride along with you on these adventures.

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    1. Thanks Eartha!!! We were just talking about how this blog makes it look like everything is sunshine and confetti (not an entirely realistic representation of our REAL life), but it is my escape from the boring/normal/terrible aspects of life. If I could write about the crummy stuff with just one ounce of the humor and heart that you do, I might give it a whirl. I'm sorry to hear about the house/pet troubles and I'm glad I could make you smile. Anytime you are in California, you are more than welcome to go on any of our adventures. In turn, if I ever make it to Tennessee, I am inviting myself on your adventures! I will bring a sledge hammer, trowel, and goggles.

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  9. oh wow! i would love to go to something like that! when i first read "hair show" my first thought was that helicopter landing pad hair style! i mean it! We must have been watching the same sad day time tv.

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    1. Hahahaha, that's awesome. I guess there is something about helicopter hair that really resonates with viewers!

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  10. Haha...good post. Weaven Steven made it even more hilarious!!

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    1. Thanks!!! Because of Ricki Lake and Weaven Steven, I really thought that every hair show would include multi-color weaves. I was wrong, but the show we went to was a lot of fun!

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