It’s the first night of Toronto Women’s Fashion Week and one of the most anticipated hair moments is about to happen—and I have a front row seat to the backstage action. Models are coming straight off the Lamarque runway and heading back into hair and makeup for the Joseph Tassoni show.

The makeup look for Tassoni is minimal—pinky nude lips paired with a graphic cat eye—but I’m surprised to see all seventeen models wearing wig caps. “I’m trying not to give it away,” says Cindy Duplantis, Redken’s lead stylist, when I ask her about the wigs. “We’re having a lot of fun with it because it’s nice to be able to play with colour.”

I’m intrigued to say the least, especially when I notice Cody Alexander, the official colourist for the show, and the large white shopping bag he’s holding. I don’t have to wait much longer before the first wig is revealed. It’s a platinum blond lob with bright yellow-y orange tips—and it’s stunning. 

If the colourful wigs weren’t enough of a look to turn heads, the OTT flower crowns made by floral designer Margarita Oudalova sealed the deal. “My Canadian queen was front and centre during the Canada 150 show last season,” says Joseph Tassoni, the creator of the eponymous brand. “My latest collection, ‘Winter Garden – Colours Frozen in Time,’ continues that journey.”

 

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Here’s what I learned about the wigs when I caught up with Duplantis after the show.

Why wigs?

You have to remember we can do extensions and wear wigs and I think that it’s becoming more mainstream. I think more people are seeing it as a hair accessory instead of just hiding it. So it’s a great way of getting a pop of colour into your hair without having to make it completely permanent. 

What was the process for creating the wigs?

It started with Joseph’s concept. He wanted the colours of his collection to live from head to toe. He’s playing with texture [in] the fabrics so we’re doing the exact same thing with colour. The colours are really going to mimic the outfits that they’re wearing by blurring into the fabric.  

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Image by: Larawan Photography
 

How did you decide on the actual hairstyle?

It was important to keep the length at the shoulders so the hair could touch the garments. So we purchased the lightest human hair wigs we could get and gave them more of a long bob haircut. The idea was to make it look like the colour was melting into the clothing, that’s where the idea of doing a blurred balayage or ombré into the wigs. We kept the wigs blonde at the root then blurred them into one of the vibrant Redken City Beat colours. 

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Redken City Beats, at redken.ca.