Big waves on Dima Sheikhly for Valentino, by Deena Alawaid
Deena Alawaid, hair stylist and founder of Collective salon in Dubai, made her seasonal pilgrimage to Paris Fashion Week FW22 last week, this time to tend to the locks of the Arab world’s most photographed street style stars and industry celebrities. Read on for her exclusive behind-the-scenes photo diary and creative notes for her week in Paris.
“Dima Sheikhly was attending the Loewe show here. It was a day time show so the look had to be simple enough for the timing, yet still have a PFW element. We opted for a loose low braid and wrapped cord around the top to keep it casual, but still tie it into the final outfit.”
“Mayah was attending Isabel Marant show. The vibe was fun, energetic and cool. She actually had a shoulder length cut and no fringe. So we thought the more dramatic the change, the better. We used Bellami hair extensions here to create a sharp micro fringe and a long twisted ponytail.”
“This was Ola attending Elie Saab. Sometimes the client already has a vision of exactly what they want, but need the artistic hands of a professional. That was the case here. Ola wanted exactly this and so we did it. The key product here would be Pop & Lock Glossing Serum by Color Wow to control frizz.”
“Nathalie was attending the Loewe show here. Again, the show was during the day and while we wanted to focus to be on her outfit, we needed to somehow bring the freshness of the look all together through her glam. We opted here for a straight and clean semi wet look. This keeps her hair away from her face, glossy and easy for her to wear from day to night. My pro tip for when doing a deep part – use the arch of your brow for guidance and always go left to right for the most flattering parting.”
“For Dima’s Dior look, we had an idea of a 60’s girl. We wanted to make sure the outfit had the moment it deserved. It was fun. It was playful. And the 60s flicked ponytail with a satin bow fit perfectly.”
“I had this moment before I even went to see Rania where I just knew she could pull off a snatched look. I often ask to see the looks and create mood boards for clients during fashion week to make it easier for them to know what they like. I always take the time to do this for everyone. As a stylist, it makes your job easier and makes the client feel super special. This was one of the looks on both of our minds prior to our glam session so it felt natural to go with it.”
“Reem Suwaidi was attending Elie Saab here. I spent the entire week with Reem and it was really nice to have her trust entirely. I prepared a mood board every night depending on her looks snd we would create two to three looks a day. This one specifically we knew we wanted to fit the vibe of the show. It should be effortless, yet sharp, chic and detail oriented. We opted for a middle part low bun and actually had two braids wrapped around the bun to keep her hair fashion forward, yet make sure the main focus was always her outfit.”
“I remember the first thing Zeynab El Helw said to me about her look was that I was free to decide and that fashion week is the moment she likes to go all out for her glam. I love this because it’s so true. It’s a moment we as artists also use to showcase a variety of our work. Her look here was super cool – biker boots, leather pants, an oversized coat. Everything felt big so I knew the hair should be small to balance it out. I drew inspiration for this from several places — I loved the idea of a geometric shape which seems controversial for hair but also super interesting. That’s where this look was born.”
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