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
Hiroko Koshino Rakuten Fashion Week – 2023
Photos: Zigen. Collage: helenoppenheim.com
The hair at the Hiroko Koshino Show in Tokyo for Fall/Winter 2023 was something else, as were the fashions – “A Magical Mystery Hiroko Tribe.” Loved both. Congratulations to the designer, a top Japanese fashion designer for over 60 years, with Paris exposure on her resume for having the vision to innovate from head to toe, and to Tadashi Harada, who created one fabulous themed big hair look after another, which made the exciting fashions even more exciting. The show was part of the Rakuten Fashion Week in Tokyo where innovative fashions walked the runways. The Spring Summer 2024 Rakuten Fashion Week Shows will take place in Tokyo August 28 to September 2, 2023.
Hair: Tadashi Harada (@Tadashi.harada) … Makeup: Setsuko Suzuki (@ssetsu) …Photos: Zigen (@zigen’1) courtesy Rakuten Fashion Week
CommentA Fur Hat & Hair Create Ethereal Look – 2023
Photo: Doris Thompson
A hairpiece made with a fur hat that was first cut up to create texture and depth by Nazir Maherali of Vancouver, Canada, who then spent hours weaving blue hair pieces/strands with a crochet hook. The hair pieces were then set with various sized perm rods, taking them out on the day of the shoot and as the shoot went on, the curls loosened to create what he called “this ethereal and airy look.” Which was inspired by “Wabi Sabi” – beauty that is “imperfect, Impermanent and Incomplete” and modern Japanese aesthetics.
Hair: Nazir Maherali, Vancouver, Canada…Hair Assistant: Mai Nguyen … Makeup; Iris Hsiao & Racheal Wong Kiuhor … Stylist: Heather Jude … Photo: Doris Thompson
(Photo Courtesy Leann Cutler/Hair Shots 2 The World)
Oscar Hair Disappointing. Again – 2023
Photos Helen Oppenheim With Thanks to E-TV. Collage helenoppenheim.com
The hair at the 95th Oscars on March 12th 2023 was mostly disappointing. Again. Lots of fab fashions but nothing new and exciting or likely to set new hair trends. Here are just a few stars with something going on with the hair
Top Left to Right: Michelle Yeoh, Best Actress Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once – wore Dior and Moussaieff diamonds in her hair as well as her ears. Halle Berry’s asymmetrical wavy bob by Sara Seward with honey blonde highlights did make a hair statement. Gown by Tamara Ralph.
2nd Row Left to Right: Austin Butler – Elvis – set no trends but he does have great hair and always looks good. Michelle Williams, nominated for The Fabelmams always looks good in her pixie cut, here by Chris McMillan. Lady Gaga wore the most glam smokey eye make up ever – by Sarah Tanno – with a sheer black Versace gown on the red carpet, and no makeup, ripped jeans, sneakers, performing her nominated Best Original Song – Hold My Hand. Her slicked-back tucked-under French Braid by Frederick Aspiras made a hair color statement we could live without – thick blonde streaks on her dark hair. Florence Pugh’s hair by Peter Lux wore hair that could send a few ripples through the hair world – a reverse ponytail, caught with a black velvet ribbon, the ends coming forward to make bangs on the forehead. She wore a Valentino Couture gown with black shorts, Tiffany Jewelry.
Florence Pugh Cool Updo Oscars – 2023
Photos Helen Oppenheim w/thanks to E-TV. Collage helenoppenheim.com
Florence Pugh, the Don’t Worry Darling actress at the Oscars 2023 with a cool updo using long hair in a reverse ponytail secured with a black velvet ribbon to give a bang effect on the forehead. She was wearing a Valentino Couture gown with dramatic sleeves and Tiffany jewelry. Yes, that’s black shorts under the gown. And a signature nose ring in her nose.
Hair: Peter Luxe … Makeup: Alex Babsky using Valentino Makeup … Stylist: Rebecca Corbin-Murray … Photos: Helen Oppenheim with thanks to E-TV
CommentForehead Braids Florals Decorate – 2023
Photos: Fred J. DeVito. Collage helenoppenhiem.com
Braids on the forehead, neat buns and florals decorated many heads by Anthony Joseph Hernandez for Cutler/Redken at the House of Aama New York Fashion Week Show for Fall/Winter 2023. A folk tale of the Spider’s metamorphosis was inspiration for the patterns, colors, original textile elements and hair for the show with a theme – “Prelude” Aama Tales – about the survival during the transatlantic slave trade, the migration to America from the Caribbean.
This makeup look, one of two, by Maite Moreira for the New York Makeup Academy, shows duochrome eyeshadows from Jaded Blue to Green, some shine and glitter. To see more hair, makeup and fashions from this show, CLICK HERE
Lead Hair: Anthony Joseph Hernandez, Cutler Salon …. Products: Redken … Lead Makeup: Maite Moreira, New York Makeup Academy … Styling: Tiffani Williams … Florals: Ryan Norville … Photos: Fred J. DeVito
CommentFun Fashions, Buns, Veils @ PH5 – 2023
Photos: Fred J. DeVito. Collage helenoppenheim.com
The theme for the PH5 Presentation for New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023 was “This is not a Jellyfish.” The hair, by Carly Loura, Cutler/Redken. was center parted, two oblong buns, one either side of the part, which were worn outside of fishnet veiling covering the hair and the face.
The designers, Zoe Champion and Wei Lin, went “deeper underwater, into a world where plastic can be mistaken for otherworldly life forms and a place we have barely explored is being impacted by us so greatly.” 90% of the materials used in the collection were made of recycled materials. Friends and family were asked to collect plastic from their lives and the designers gave them a second life as crochet bags. For more hair, veils inspo and the fun whimsical fashions CLICK HERE
Lead Hair: Carly Loura, Cutler Salons/Redken … Products: Redken and Cutler … Lead Makeup: Molly Marie Gansfer, New York Makeup Academy … Fashion Stylist: Coke HO … Photos: Fred J. DeVito
CommentHair Jewelry from Broken Up Earrings – 2023
Photo: © Helen Oppenheim
Peter Gray used broken up Badgley Mischka earrings from the collection as hair jewelry at the Badgley Mischka New York Fashion Week “Romantic Futurism” Show for Fall/Winter 2023. He and his team burned the midnight oil preparing for the show and making hair jewelry for many models with broken up earrings and fabrics from the collection. Such a simple idea, so easy to do and jewelry in the hair can be eye-catching. To see more hair jewelry, some interesting hair, accessories, the fabulous fashions from the show, CLICK HERE
Lead Hair: Peter Gray, Home Agency … Hair Products: Intelligent Nutrients … Hair Tools: Olivia Garden … Lead Makeup: Mary Irwin, using Viseart Paris … Photo: Helen Oppenheim
CommentBadgley Mischka Face NYFW Fall – 2023
Photo: Helen Oppenheim
The face by Mary Irwin for the Badgley Mischka New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2023 Show was inspired by Tamara De Lempicka, the portrait painter loved by the beauty and fashion worlds.
“This makeup is structured but painterly, soft but defined,” said Irwin. “It’s an ultimate play on using shadow and light to create depth, almost trompe l’oeil.” ViseArt Duo Chrome gave the lid reflectiveness. The soft structure of the eye had an elongated shape, with soft dimension going up almost to the brow, hard edges softened beneath the eye where Gold Liner was blended in the lower lash. There was no lower lash mascara, the upper lashes were curled, with just a little mascara. Blush was applied as a diffusion, fair or medium skins got a taupey/neutral lip, darker skins got a berry tone patted in. To see the Peter Gray hair, the “Romantic Futurist” fashions, earrings and more, CLICK HERE
Lead Makeup: Mary Irwin using Viseart Paris …Model: Somin Park … Photo: Helen Oppenheim
CommentKim Shui Sexy Excess @ NYFW FW- 2023
Photos: Fred J. DeVito. Collage helenoppenheim.com
Sexy with maximal excess and a ’90s vibe for women who want to be free and express themselves wowed at the playful Kim Shui Fall Winter 2023 New York fashion Week Show, symbolically held at the Bowery Savings Bank.
The KS woman wore a hair tattoo stenciled on to her long or super long sleek hair extensions, by Jaylin Seng, Cutler Salon. She wore the “K” signature of the show on her nails, by Narina Chan, on her sunglasses, belts and bra as well, and on her jewelry, The Romero Jennings two toned lips for Mac Cosmetics were red lined with purple, an ombré effect. This is a ‘90s look of the past, modernized. which could trend. To see more inspirational hair, makeup, the daring flirtatious fashions and much more, CLICK HERE
Lead Hair: Jaylin Seng, Cutler Salons … Hair Products: Redken … Lead Makeup: Romero Jennings, Mac Cosmetics …Lead Nails: Narina Chan … K Jewelry: Kim Shui … Styling: Andrew Mukamal … Photos: Fred J. DeVito
CommentPeter Gray HaIr Badgley Mischka NYFW- 2023
’60s Inspo Photos Left: Richard Avedon. Backstage Photos Right: Helen Oppenheim
The hair for the Badgley Mischka New York Fashion Week Show at Spring Studios for Fall/Winter 2023 was by the one and only Peter Gray. The designers sent him the collage on the left for hair inspiration, of girls in bars and restaurants by Richard Avedon in the 1960s.
There were 40 models, and here are few of the looks the innovative hair designer adapted, making the hair interesting from every angle – front sides, back, something so few attempt to do for runway fashion shows for which we see too many safe ponytails and boring buns or nothing hair. Peter made the hair jewelry from Badgley Mischka earrings, broken up, and fabrics from the designers’ collection with the help of Jamie Hollis, Sammi and his hair team, who burned the midnight oil!!
To see more hair photos, with step by steps, details how the hair was done, the lovely Mary Irwin makeup and more on the “Romantic Futurism” Collection by James Mischka and Mark Badgley, CLICK HERE
Lead Hair: Peter Gray, Home Agency … Hair Products: Intelligent Nutrients … Tools: Oliva Garden … Lead Makeup: Mary Irwin using Viseart Paris … Photos: Helen Oppenheim
Comment