Keeping you entertained – and informed
Come with me on a historical journey into the hair fashion world.
The Helen Oppenheim Hair Fashion Photo Archives are a unique and inspirational resource for the media, movies, tv, theatre, anyone wanting a new hairstyle. There are more than 5,000 photos from the ’60s to the present, many innovative firsts, many not dated, still relevant and wearable today, even from way back then. Scroll for More, More, More.
Ideas. This is what you will find on www.helenoppenheim.com, the result of my art directing, conceiving, taking and collecting photos over decades. Yes, I’m a hoarder. I specialize in hair and fashion trends, and have photographed myself backstage at NY Fashion Weeks for years. Most fun I’ve had. There are “treasures” hidden here and there and I hope you will find the time to discover them.
I use my blog mostly to highlight interesting photos on the website, as well as whatever tickles my fancy. I am not intending to be politically correct all the time, so I may ruffle a few feathers. Be warned. But I hope to keep you entertained. And informed.
I was born in London, lived in Montreal for years, and for the last few decades in New York City. All have influenced me. I have toiled away as a journalist and PR for some of the world’s best, and have been US Correspondent for Peluquerias Magazine of Barcelona since 1982. I’m hard to please! Too honest, perhaps. So I have lots of friends, also lots of enemies and expect to make a few more of both.
Now, I’m working on my legacy, for posterity. This is a Work in Progress. I expect it will take forever. So, stay tuned…
Love it. Absolutely love it. Thank you, Mitchell Field, for this great gift of a bus with wonderful words! Click Comments box bottom right and scroll down for Comments from fans
Keep Warm Fashions For Frigid Days – 2025
Photos: Helen Oppenheim and Courtesy Vera Wang. Collage helenoppenheim.com
Wrap up with fur, best if fake, for the frigid days ahead. Get inspired with fashion blasts from the past because Baby, It’s Cold Outside.
These harsh weather Nicholas K inspirations are for urban warriors of both sexes, from their Fall/Winter 2014 New York Fashion Week Collection, which included this fake fur hood and fur headwraps. To see more of the keep warm fashions with an edge CLICK HERE
Hair: Jon Reyman for Aveda … Makeup: Lauren Anderson for Avon
Photos: Helen Oppenheim
Vera Wang’s multicolored fab fur coats, with colorful designs like works of art. are oversized, roomy, from the designer’s stunning Fall/Winter 2016 New York Fashion Week Collection. To see the hair and more from the collection, CLICK HERE
Hair: Paul Hanlon using Pai-Shau … Makeup: Lucia Pieroni,Cie de Peau Beaute … Photos; Courtesy Vera Wang
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John Sahag Birthday Today – 2025
Photo and Collage by Helen Oppenheim
Happy New Year With Bottoms Up – 2025
Wishing all my Blog Followers a Happy New Year with this 1975 photo called Bottoms Up which I art directed and fashion styled way back then. The hair, by La Coupe’s Kim Lepine for L’Oreal, was a classic one-length bob, angel curled with the bottoms up, just at the ends. The color was a gorgeous Mandarin shade, so new then it had to be flown into New York from Paris. To see the color and more versions as well as the whole collection, CLICK HERE.
Hair: Kim Lepine, La Coupe 1975 for L’Oreal … Makeup: Electa, Electa & Corrado …
Diamonds by the Yard Necklace: Elsa Peretti/Tiffany’s … Model: Paul Seigman
Fashion Styling: Helen Oppenheim …
Photo (Colorized from the original black and white, turned upside down): Klaus Lucka
Happy Holidays -2024
Illustration George Karkoulas. helenoppenheim.com
Happy Holidays to all my Followers and all the very best for 2025. This image is in honor of George Karkoulas who I honor every year with another of his gorgeous hair illustrations. You can see more of his hair illustrations in the WorldGreats album on this website – helenoppenheim.com
I will be blogging more here again in 2024, when I tripped over someone’s walker on a bus, and fell. Stay tuned …
CommentHoliday Hair Inspo Part 2 – 2024
Full Credits Archived on Website helenoppenheim.com
More hair inspo from then, all still inspirational today. These Stories appeared or will appear on my Instagram page @HelenOppenheim, just for 24 hours. They highlight some of the over 6,000 photos archived on this website (helenoppenheim.com) and they will be there to inspire you forever. All with full credits Some with how-to’s, all by the top talents of the hair, makeup, fashion worlds, photographed by top beauty talents, and me, mostly backstage at New York Fashion Weeks.
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NYFW Backstage Hair Moment – 2004
Photo: Helen Oppenheim
A New York Fashion Week backstage hair moment. Love this. Polly Mellen, the famous former fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Creative Director at Allure, and Edward Tricomi co-owner Warren-Tricomi Salons having a hair moment which also affected the model at the Douglas Hannant NYFW 2004 show. Are you sure, Mellen seems to be saying? No one seems sure, except the hairdresser, who ended up doing a great job, as always. This scene is a testament to confidence, patience, experience and a lot of caring and how it is not easy to do the hair for a fashion show at this level. This is one of the few photos I have digitalized, so far, from the shows I photographed on film in the early 2000’s. I have a lot of great photos only on film.
Photo: Helen Oppenheim
RIP Polly Mellen. 1924-2024. She great fashion editor has passed away, at 100 years old.
CommentHoliday Hair Inspo Then & Now – 2024
Full Credits Archived on Website helenoppenheim.com
Some hair inspo from then still inspirational today, as the Stories appeared on my Instagram page(@HelenOppenheim) for 24 hours. These are just some of the over 6,000 photos which are archived on this website (helenoppenheim.com) – all with full credits there. Stay tuned for more on my Instagram and Helen’s Blog.
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RIP Trevor Sorbie, Hair Legend – 2024
Trevor Sorbie Hair Photos – Collage helenoppenheim.com
Trevor Sorbie, MBE, Award-Winning Hair Legend, Icon Like No Other, passed away at 75 years old – 1949-2024. The hair world has lost one of the greatest ever. His work was beyond amazing. In my archives – somewhere in a closet jam-packed with fantastic hair images from all over the world – I have a lot of his early press releases, with some of his great innovations. Here are just a few.
Top Row: Here is how I remember Trevor Sorbie. With me, in 1996. at an industry event. I used to publish his extraordinary pioneering work in articles for many magazines and admired him and his work tremendously. Around this time, he called me and asked me to do PR for him/his products in America. I had just left John Sahag and never wanted to do PR again (!) so told him he’d have to persuade me. He replied something like, you will have to persuade me. And that was that! On the right, is Sorbie’s famous Waves of Stone, The Sphinx, 1989.
Bottom Row: The Wedge, 1974 by Sorbie when he was with Vidal Sassoon and Flames 1992.
More on trevorsorbie.com … Instagram: @trevorsorbie … facebook.com/TrevorSorbie/
CommentDear Kamala. Your Hair Needs Help.
Photos with thanks to ABC-TV and MSNBC TV
Dear Kamala
Your hair. It needs some help, It can look better than it does. It really can.
With a slightly different haircut. With different long layers. In the right places. Which can help the style, the shape, fall into place. Then styling it with the right tools and hair products is also key.
The aim should be that your hair should not only look good most of the time but it should also be low maintenance for you because you won’t have the time, and shouldn’t have to spend the time needed, for a high maintenance look.
You probably like the long flowing look but you may want to also bear in mind that a simple long bob, with the right long layers, in the right places, could make your life easier. It isn’t the only look which could work, but it is the easiest to maintain, and worth some serious thought.
I know there are challenges. Maybe Keratin, or whatever you use takes up important time. But with the right hairdresser and the serious communication between you, you can save spending too much time with your hairstyling every day – and still look good all the time. Well, most of it!
From a fan, who wishes you good luck. With respect.
~Helen
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