Loulou de la Falaise Gamine by Harry King – 1976
Photo: © Scavullo
Loulou de la Falasie, the French style Icon and muse to Yves Saint Laurent, influenced fashion with her flair and original chic in the ’70s and ’80s. A new book called “Loulou de la Falaise” by Ariel de Ravenel and Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni which celebrates her life, daring style, unique fashion perspective and has over 400 images and is due out in October, published by Rizzoli
In 1976, Harry King cut this gamine on LouLou for the “Scavullo Beauty” book . He remembers: “This super chic lady arrived and wanted my cut.” For more by WorldGreat Harry King, click here, scroll back and forth:
Hair: Harry King … Makeup: Way Bandy … Photo: © Scavullo
CommentSuperStar Wisp Cut A Hit – 1977
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre
Wisps of hair whispered on the forehead and cheek of this La Coupe SuperStar in 1977 – in ways never seen before, when long hair was one length, with few if any layers and no wisps.
On the way to top of the charts, this innovative style became a hit and could be worn in many lengths. Jerome Pinsonneault of La Coupe, Toronto said of the then very new innovation – “Wisp Cutting involved conducting the points of scissors in new ways, cutting hair by hair, and then carefully blending the wisps into the rest of the hair. For more versions and how-to, click here:
Hair by : Jerome Pinsonneault, La Coupe Toronto … Makeup: Electa & Corrado … Model: Kim Chi … Photos : Lorraine Sylvestre. Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
CommentRomantic Wisps Whisper – 1977
Photo: © Lorraine Sylvestre
For pure romance, long wisps whispered on the cheek, tickled the temple, kissed the nose, caressed the neck on this lovely look, just one innovative idea from La Coupe’s 1977 Wisp Cut Collection. This one was so new-looking then, who knew it would be the beginning of wisps falling all over the place because perfect hair was what everyone wore at the time.
Fine wisps were pulled out from the hairline here and there, and precision-cut into a shape, using the natural growth patterns to romantically frame the face and neck. Elmer Olsen, who created this style, advised “for long wisps to be left out for this look,the hair has to be a good length before one can start.” More, technical details, click here:
Hair: Elmer Olsen, La Coupe, Montreal … Perm: Tanya Pawley/Wella Firm and Gentle … Makeup: Electra & Corrado … Corselet Top: Pat MacDonagh … Soft Body Jewelry: Doris May … Model: Josée St-Jacques … Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre. Produced by Helen Oppenheim
CommentGrace Jones by Antonio Lopez – 70s
Illustration: © Antonio Lopez
I always loved Antonio Lopez (1943 – 1987.) His fashion illustrations inspired me, and I always loved this illustration of model/singer/actress Grace Jones with her hair which rises up to there, in colors which pre-date, by decades, the similar hair colors and looks we see today.
Antonio worked from life, and some of his best work, all of which has stood the test of time, was of Jessica Lange, Jerry Hall, Pat Cleveland, Tina Chow and Grace Jones, as seen here in the 70s, in Paris. They were subject of a 1982 book I adore, Antonio’s Girls (Congreve Publishing, Text Christopher Hemphill. )
Antonio Lopez discovered Grace Jones in Paris, while both were dancing with others, she went on to fame as much for her adrogynous amazing look and hairstyles as for modeling or her music – and she was in movies like the 1985 James Bond movie, A View to Kill as May Day. For more from the book, click :
CommentLa Coupe’s Kim Lepine On Stage in Spain – 1978
Photo: Courtesy Peluquerias Magazine, Spain
Fourth in a series featuring the talent in action working on the photos in the Archives.
Here is La Coupe’s Kim Lepine working on her wave cut, in 1978. This was the first bob with layers and it featured cut-in waves. She was on stage here at the Jornados Internacional in Barcelona in front of some 2,000 people in the audience. For the finished look, click here More of her beautiful, wearable and original work can be seen in many of La Coupe’s albums from the ’70s to the ’90s on the website. Just click away.
CommentForehead Flicks, Femme Fatale by Raphael – 1971
Photo: © Klaus Lucka
Do you know your hair history? Here’s a Femme Fatale from Raphael’s famous 1971 Collection, this one with flicks flicking on the forehead, very new at the time when flicks only flicked at the ends of long hair. For other versions of this model’s very fine hair – and other Femme Fatales, click here
Hair: Raphael Santarossa, 1971 … Makeup: Jacques LaFleur … Model: Judi MacDonald …
Photo: © Klaus Lucka
Produced by Helen Oppenheim
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Flirty Kiss Curl, Art Deco Collection – 1974
Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre … Collage: Kenchine Kurokawa
This iconic photo from La Coupe’s famous Art Deco Collection of 1974 featured an Eton Crop, inspired by the ’20s version, and a flirty kiss curl. Note to hairstylists, sometimes just a little kiss curl can make all the difference to a simple front view. For real life, a kiss curl can be very subtle but for a photo, fashion runway or the red carpet, it needs to be more like the one in this photo, to show. This look had a high, off-centre part, and a soft feather-y kiss curl, enough but not too much and it was not stuck down with sugar as they used to do. The kiss curl can, of course, work with short or long pulled-back hair. For more Art Deco photos, click here:
Hair: Kim Lepine, Montreal … Makeup: Electa, Electa & Corrado … Deco Dress: Anne Klein … Long Black Kid Gloves: Iona Monohan Collection … Model: Bijette … Deco Mirror: Erik Neil Weiss for La Coupe … Photo: Lorraine Sylvestre. Concept/Produced by Helen Oppenheim
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Détente – 1974
Photos: © Serge Beauchemin … Collage: helenoppenheim.com
The references for these interesting photos were Détente, Russia’s bid for a peaceful co-existence, in 1974 (!) and the 1974 hit Roman Polanski movie “Chinatown” which featured Faye Dunaway with some wonderful wavy hair. Both influenced La Coupe for this famous Collection. For more hairstyles and info on the photos, Click here:
Hair: Kim Lepine, waved by Antonio da Costa Rocha, La Coupe, Montreal, l1974 … Makeup: Electa & Corrado … Black Cossack Tops created by Cassar, Lily Simon for La Coupe … Rings: John Warden … Cigarettes: Sobranie Russian Black … Model: Beverly Abazar … Photos: Serge Beauchemin
Concept/Fashion Styling/Produced by Helen Oppenheim, with apologies for the Cigarettes, something I’d never use today in a photo! I had some fun with the prop styling, take a look at the details …