80s shapes, custom wigs are among 2017 trends

And, as usual, fashion is way ahead of us.
                 

Although there are a few things we will carry with us in 2017 - respect for the plus-size model (thanks, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue diva Ashley Graham), the no-makeup movement (via Alicia Keys), and our love of the pantsuit (hello, Hillary) - to the rest, we say bye-bye.

The first order of business is ushering in the new power suit, said Sidney Morgan-Petro, retail editor for WGSN, a global trend-forecasting firm. The rise of athleisure-inspired comfort combined with the modern working woman's desire to appear powerful and grounded, as well as ethereal and feminine, is behind this new look.

Women's wear

"There will be an insane amount of stripes," said Ann Gitter, owner of Center City boutique Knit Wit, "not just the thin ones, but lots of bold ones - vertical and horizontal combined, black and white, blue and white. Men's shirting elements will continue to up the ante in women's wear."

Of course, this onslaught of menswear detailing will need to be softened with a feminine touch, said Mary K. Dougherty, owner of Nicole Miller Boutique in Center City and Manayunk. "There will be ruffles and ribbons, interesting necklines, knife pleats. It's all about the flirty, fun, whimsical, and soft aesthetic."

The light pinks and neutrals of ballerina slippers will take on a harder edge, especially in women's shoes this season, and especially on the reigning shoe of the moment - the slip-on oxford, said Elena Brennan, owner of Fabric Row's Bus Stop Boutique.

Beauty

"The shag is back," said Roxy Brennan, stylist at the Rittenhouse Spa & Club, Hair by Paul LaBrecque. "We are talking long, short, with or without bangs." The cut also will pop in soft pink and green pastels.

THE BEST OF: A NIGHT OF WIGS AND WISHES

With candles lit and tearful faces, A Night of Wigs and Wishes remembered those who lost their lives over the last year to cancer. The October 23 event, held at Lucien’s Manor in Berlin Township, raised thousands of dollars to help grant wishes to cancer-stricken children and provide wigs to women going through chemotherapy. This year marked the 4th Annual Night of Wigs and Wishes event.

          

The evening, powered by the Friends Are By Your Side (FABYS) charity, kicked off with a cocktail hour and auction. While guests enjoyed table after table of appetizers and cocktails from the many different bars, donations poured in from the sales of raffle tickets and champagne glasses. As dinner kicked off in the main ballroom, guests were treated to a private concert by Paula Abdul, as well as video tributes to those who were lost this year during battles with cancer.

From the throw down alone, over $9,000 was raised. Though the final tally of donations, auctions and ticket sales is still yet to be determined, Cartier deemed the night a success. However, the success of the event is not solely determined by the money raised; As Cartier granted a wish for a little girl to visit Walt Disney World, she threw her arms around his neck and exclaimed, “I love you, Martino!”

Now that the event is over, it’s time for the planning crew to take a small break. But big plans are being worked on for the fifth annual event, coming October 2017.

See Kelly Clarkson Cover 'Chandelier' in Sia Wig for Halloween

Kelly Clarkson donned a replica of Sia's signature, eye-shrouding wig and belted a pre-Halloween cover of "Chandelier" during a Facebook live session. Standing in front of a flowered wall in her Nashville home, the singer performed an a capella version of the 2014 hit, nailing every ghostly high note and melismatic swoop.
           

"I don't know how she does this 'cause, ya know, you can't see,” Clarkson joked afterward of Sia's hair. "But it's also kind of awesome, because you're in your own little world when you're performing … I love that song. Everybody loves that song."
After the performance, Clarkson promoted her second annual all-star Miracle on Broadway Christmas benefit show, set for December 16th at downtown Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. The event, which benefits four local charities, also features Reba, Ronnie Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, RaeLynn, the Steeldrivers and Chip Esten.
Clarkson is currently prepping her eighth album, due out in 2017. The LP, which taps R&B and soul influences, will follow 2015's Piece By Piece, which drew heavily on contemporary electro-pop and EDM sounds.

Live Rich on a Dime with These Extravagant Paper Wigs

Saint Petersburg artist Asya Kozina makes paper wigs that pin together extravagance and simplicity. Crafted of nothing but paper and cardboard, they reimagine Baroque-era decadence in monochrome. Several years ago, after exhibiting miniature paper sculptures and noticing that viewers constantly wished to touch them—as though to confirm they were indeed made of paper—Kozina decided to make something people could pick up, handle, and wear. After completing and exhibiting a first set of wigs and dresses in 2012, she has continued to push herself and explore new motifs, from Mongolian wedding fashions to the Baroque wonders you see here.
           

After working on fairly traditional remakes of the over-the-top wigs worn during the Baroque period, the Russian artist decided to integrate present-day symbols into her intricate creations. Just as an 18th-century stylist might have opted to accessorize hairpieces with birds, feathers, or an entire ship model, Kozina balances planes and contemporary architecture atop her models’ heads.

Kozina works entirely by hand, from concept to execution. After studying historical materials, she draws a detailed sketch. Her husband Dmitriy then sculpts the underlying structure out of tough cardboard, while she prepares the strips that will give the wig its outer texture. “Then we add the larger elements, like curls," explains the artist, "and make changes as we go along, adding or subtracting decorative elements like flowers, feathers, and leaves."

Trio sought in Unity wig store theft

It was an odd scene Saturday afternoon at a Unity wig boutique that caters to cancer patients.

A woman, speaking rapidly and flailing her arms, came in with two men to try on wigs, said Wigs ‘N More owner Kathleen Hendrickson. She claimed to have brain cancer, Hendrickson said.

But it became apparent that the trio weren't at the boutique along Route 981 to make a purchase. Finally, after the woman ran her fingers through the hair of a long, blonde wig and admired her reflection in a mirror, the three took off with the $400 wig concealed under the woman's coat, state police said.


The store specializes in helping female cancer patients with wigs and mastectomy items. Financing programs are available to help patients purchase wigs, but Hendrickson said she didn't get a chance to tell the suspect about them because of how she was acting.

But that didn't discourage her or her employees at the store that afternoon from trying to help.

“You're going to treat them like they're sick, and you're going to treat them kindly,” she said.

Police said the two men attempted to distract the employees while the woman tried on numerous wigs. Investigators have surveillance video of the suspects milling about the boutique and the woman trying on the blonde wig that police said she took.

All three suspects are white. The woman had short blonde hair — about 4 inches long — with dark roots, Hendrickson said.

One man wore a black zip-up hooded sweatshirt with a black and yellow ball cap. He had a neck tattoo and a braided goatee. The other man wore a light blue hooded sweatshirt and had a short beard.

Patricia Field Hangs Up Her Retail Wig

“Do you mind if I have a cigarette?” Patricia Field asked, though the deep gravel of her voice indicated that the question was rhetorical. She was sitting in the basement office of her eponymous boutique at 306 Bowery, wearing a black tank-top, dark capri pants and heavy blue mascara that complemented her trademark vermilion hair: a punk knockout at 73.


Three days earlier, the “Sex and the City” costumer had made a startling announcement: She will close her store early next year, a half-century after opening her first shop. No more bedazzled hoodies. No more rhinestone bustiers.

Her decision, she said, was a matter of personal privilege, though some would call it cultural hara-kiri. Thanks to “Sex and the City,” Ms. Field has been in high demand for television and film projects, among them “Ugly Betty,” “The Devil Wears Prada” and, most recently, the TV Land series “Younger,” for which she is a consultant.

All that has taken her away from her retail operation, which she said has suffered from her absences with unpaid bills and depleted inventories. “I’m simply no longer interested in devoting the time necessary to operating this place,” she said. “I wish I could, because I love it. But it’s either me or the store.”

Beyoncé’s Wet Hair Isn’t Political

There are so many hair-care lines already. What makes yours different?
I started the hair-care line because I was looking for something that worked. I saw other products that were one extreme or the other. Either they had too much alcohol or they had harsh cleansing agents that didn't work for everybody.



I was inspired by my grandmother. She was into nutrition. She used to make these home remedies and natural concoctions, so I used to play around with them in the salon. When I created the line I wanted it to be a line that had a lot of herbal extracts and essential oils because I really like what it does to the hair. It's paraben-free and sulfate-free.

If there's a fraternity of hairstylists who tend to women of color in Hollywood, Kim Kimble might be its president. With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Kimble has styled, cut, and coiffed the hair of Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Brandy, and, yes, Beyoncé. Along the way she developed her own hair-care brand, Kimble Beauty, which caters to women of all hair textures, but especially curly hair. I talked with Kimble about how to care for curly hair, what she thinks about the use of wigs in the entertainment industry, and her thoughts on the disparaging Atlantic piece that pigeonholed Beyoncé's hair as stringy.