Hansen and Gretel brought soft yet assured femininity to day three of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia in a collection encapsulating the experience of womanhood.

Titled ‘Eve, Hansen and Gretel’s 2018 Resort Collection explores the female identity, tracing the ever elusive journey of womanhood.

The Collection: The collection posed the question: is a woman’s actuality resolutely defined, or is she an ever-evolving sum of her parts. “Eve is all about different expressions of the feminine personality,” said designer Ainsley Hansen. “The Resort ’18 line ventures to find balance between nostalgic romance and bold sensuality.”

Snake print two pieces, austere white pinafores and sheer slip dresses appeared alongside an array of fabrics (think: satin, shimmering jersey, sequinned and sheer) and prints with a  leaf print, red and blue stripes, and soft tartan work appearing as a recurring motif throughout the collection.

The Hair: To complement the show’s aesthetic, Hair Director Garreth Lenagh (KMS Global Artist and Creative Director at Prema) opted for three distinct looks, each working with the models’ distinct characteristics.

“What we’re looking at creating today for Hansen & Gretel is really working with girls’ natural texture. If she already has a bit of movement, we’re enhancing that. We’ve got three looks: the first look is natural, the second is a low ponytail and then we’re moving through into a more established look of what we’re calling a grunge curl.”

The looks included a soft, natural wave which progressed into a half up look secured with rope detailing. The third look, aptly titled a grungy curl, repped a grungy, lived in texture – the perfect juxtaposition to the garments’ soft attribution.

“The Grungy Curl is both edgy and sexy, strong yet soft,” said Garreth. “It’s a look that gets better the longer it’s worn; “It’s feminine and fierce at the same time. [This look] isn’t about perfection, it’s lived in and unique”

How to create The Grungy Curl: Step 1: Start with dry hair and prep with KMS Therma Shape Shaping Blow Dry and blow dry using fingers, not overstretching any natural movement.

Step 2: work through the whole head with a small tong alternating direction, spraying each section with Therma Shape Hot Flex Spray.

Step 3: Dress out the curl with a wide tooth comb. Using Tame Frizz De Frizz Oil and Hair Stay Working Hair Spray define curls and control frizz.

Step 4: Create a left side part. Then working from behind the left ear scrunch and twist small sections of the hair and begin sewing the hair with clear cotton thread with a plastic needle, using fingers bundle the hair at the roots and continue sewing random sections towards the nape. For a more intense look use a bright leather or rope thread.

Step 5: Finish with a light spray of Hair Play Dry Wax at the roots along fringe line to create lived in day two grunge.

Visit: https://www.kmshair.com.au

Image Credit: Monica Buscarino for The Journal