Padding Hair

Materials Needed:
- Padding (Tissue stuffed into tights)
- Pintail comb
- Grips
- Straighteners
- Crimpers
- Anchoring pins

How to:
1. Start by creating a middle parting.

2. Take a small section from the front of the hair on both sides. This will be frizzed using the anchoring pin technique with the straighteners.

3. Take a larger section behind the frizzed sections and crimp this. This will create more volume and texture to give the hairstyle height, structure, and stability.

4. With the left over sections of the hair, you will create French plaits. This will be where the padding will be anchored to keep it in place.

5. Once you have completed the French plaits, you can then pin the padding down with the anchoring pins. Pierce the pin through the tights and then back outwards to make sure it is tight to the model’s head.

6. Once they are secure, you can then pull the crimped hair over the top of the padding making sure it is not visible. You can then pin the crimped hair down to keep it in place.

7. You then do the same with the frizzed section of hair to give the end result more texture.

Timed Assessment - In the Role of the Hair Designer/Assesor

These images below are what my partner, Rachael created. She followed my step by step images and the instructions I clearly stated. These were in front of her whilst she created the hairstyle in the time given. Rachael turned up on time to this assessment and was prepared with the tools and materials needed to achieve the look properly. As Rachael progressed step by step, she made sure that I was comfortable in my seat and made me aware of what she was going to be doing every time she moved onto a different part of the hairstyle.

Her timing was good overall. She managed to get everything finished with extra time to touch anything up that needed to be. The extensions were one of the last materials added to the hair, and she did a great job of hiding them in my natural hair. This was helped also through my design as it was all being curled at the back so you could not differentiate the two (natural and extensions).

Rachael was sticking to the step by step which I feel helped her get through the assessment at ease. The heart shape was created well, although I feel it could have been a little more backcombed and messier.

There are a couple of other improvements I would have made if I were doing the hairstyle on myself. Firstly, Rachael had not ever practised this hair design on me beforehand therefore I had no confidence in her before the assessment as I did not know how aware she was of  timing, techniques and communication. This was another reason why I had changed my original design in the first place.

Rachael's backcombing technique did not seem to be working at times as she was not putting the comb right through the hair and back combing slowly and carefully. She seemed to be rushing it therefore the technique was not quite working. She soon picked up on that and changed the way in which she backcombed which seemed to improve it.The french plaits along the side of my head are not so visible in the photographs therefore I would have liked her to have made them a little bigger so they were more noticable. This would have helped to have shown off her own technical ability.

I changed my hair design last minute as I was so worried that my previous design would have been too technical for her. It involved a lot of French plaiting and I know Rachael was not that comfortable with that. If she had practised, I could have been there to encourage and make her feel more comfortable about completing my design. Next time, if a partner does not communicate with me, I will not change my design as this could potentially make my grade lower than it should have been.

Although I was very worried before the assessment, I am really pleased with the outcome and I think it worked in both my partner and my own favour of changing the hairstyle last minute. I feel the hair extensions were a great touch for creating a contemporary look.

Timed Assessment - In the Role of the Hair Artist

Here are the final photos from my Assessment. I was the hair artist for this and my partner Rachel designed the hairstyle. Unfortunately, Rachel turned up 30 minutes late to the assessment without a reasoning behind it. She then came in and was feeling very unwell. I had began to crimp her hair before she had to leave again due to illnesses.

It was a rather stressful day as I felt prepared and ready to get the assessment done so I did not have to worry. Then, I had to find myself a different model with a similar hair type, length and condition. This was proven rather difficult but I managed to find someone and ask politely if they would be my model in the afternoon. I was very thankful of this. Isabelle was now my model for the assessment but I followed Rachel's hair design and instructions.

It was quite nerve racking trying to complete a hairstyle on someone I had never practised on before, but fortunately I think it was rather successful.

It was quite difficult when it came to shaping the front of the hair as my new model had a lot more layers in her hair than my original model. I worked my way around this with a lot of backcombing on top of the crimping and then hair spraying the hair into place for more structure.

There was plaiting involved at the back of the head which had to reach across and be pinned without the pins showing. This was very hard as my new model had slightly shorter hair therefore the plaits only just reached diagonally across her head. It took me a couple of attempts until I was happy with the look.

I am so relieved I have finally completed the assessment for the hair as I was really quite worried about how the outcome would be as Rachel has been  very difficult to get in contact with throughout this project. I feel I may have enjoyed this project a whole lot more if I had been partnered with someone a little more reliable and committed.

Overall, I am rather proud of the outcome taking everything into consideration; last minute model change and lack of communication with my partner.

Modern Designers influenced by the Elizabethan Era

Here is a hair design created by Marc Jacobs. It looks very influenced by the Elizabethan for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is the hair colour. It is a gorgeous auburn colour and this particular colour was very admired in the Elizabethan era - many women would wish they had hair just like Queen Elizabeth's.

Also, the curl/frizz which has been created. This is a very tame and structured version to the Elizabethan era which makes it a lot more contemporary. It also has symmetry like it would back in the Elizabethan era.

The next photo is by Alexander McQueen himself. This screams out contemporary Elizabethan to me, due to the height of the hair creating a slight heart shape yet it is sleek instead of frizzy or curly which makes it very modern looking. The plaiting right down the middle also relates back the era as having middle partings was a very popular hairstyle. Plaiting also was popular which adds to the Elizabethan feel, along with the hair colour. It is a great photo but I personally would not like that to be done to my own hair! I think it may have been created by using some type of wiring underneath the hair in order for it to keep it's height along with a lot of hair products. It is a very impressive and original look.

The following image is another one of Alexander Mcqueens. It is absolutely beautiful in my opinion; so simple yet elegant. It looks as though all of the hair has been neatly pin curled and all of the attention is brought to the 'cage' accessory over the model's head. It is absolutely gorgeous and represents the Elizabethan hair adornments perfectly with a contemporary twist on it. I would be really pleased with the outcome of that look if I had created it. The colouration of the hair with the accessory on top works really well together as the blonde hair colour does not stand out too much but it is still visible that techniques have been put into the style. The hair accessory reminds me to the caul's they used to wear which were made up of a fine fabric with a few pearls in it to make it a little more glamorous. This image has taken glamorous to a whole new level, I love it. The costuming is also beautiful and works really with the contemporary Elizabethan feel.

This last image is by Katarzyna Konieczka. It is a stunning image with a contemporary Elizabethan twist on it. I feel this shows especially through the hair and the blue dress. Blue is a very royal colour and reminds me of wealth and class; like Queen Elizabeth. The hair is very simple in this image yet I feel it is a very accentuated version of how a virgin Elizabethan would have had their hair styled. It is all very big and backcombed with a gorgeous length of locks.

Best Practices (no date). Best Practices. Available at: https://brandsbestpractices.files.wordpress.com (Accessed: 3 December 2014).

(no date). Vogue UK. Available at: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2011/ready-to-wear/marc-jacobs/backstage-photos/gallery/519036r (Accessed: 3 December 2014).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/

Change of Final Design

This was a very last minute decision to help on behalf of my partner. I decided to take it upon myself to change and simplify my own hair design. This was so that my partner Rachael would feel more comfortable and at ease creating the look on the day of the timed assessment.

I did this because my partner messaged me in a tone of panic that she would not be able to create the look I had carefully designed. I am a little annoyed in having decided to change my design for the sake of my partner's abilities.

In the future, I will never do this again. I feel as though my design now does not show what techniques I am capable of but I hope this is taken into consideration. My partner never practised my hairstyle as she never attended classes when I was always punctual which is the reasoning behind changing my design so suddenly.

Rachael told me how she lacks in confidence when it comes to French plaiting so I completely took that out of the back of my hairstyle and only left two small French plaits on either side of my head. I felt she would hopefully be able to complete my hair design in time this way.

Again, I undoubtedly regret this decision of changing my hair design but I will know never to make that mistake again. After all, it was down to my partner  to commit to the project which unfortunately did not show for me.

This is now my final design. 

Final Design

Out of the three designs I created, I have chosen this design. I feel this hairstyle will show off my technical abilities as well as suit for a contemporary Eliabethan hairstyle. This is because this hairstyle incorporates lots of french plaiting and plaiting was very populur in the particular era I am focusing on. There is also an involvement of the heart shaped hair but without the frizz to give it more of a modernised feel to it.

Although the heart shape is messy and backcombed, it has great structure and will blend nicely into the french plaits as long as the pins are hidden away. As my hair is short too, I thought it would be best to stick to something close to the head to help avoid pins being shown and creating something challenging but manageable for a short hairstyle. I thought about going for a hairstyle with the hair down but I felt this would be too simple and it would not be a big enough challenge set myself and my partner.

I feel this look will be finished with the touch of the pearl headchain to give it the Elizabethan feel as well as the popularity of headchains in the era we are in now. They have become a thing of fashion for many young women.

My hair design is meant to be portraying a lady of the upper class with her hair all tight to her head. A lady of wealth and married to a rich gentleman. The updo shows this as women who were pure always had their hair down. The gold chain and pearls along the headchain are also a sign of wealth as these were very popular adornments to wear as an upper class lady of the era. The heigh of the backcombing is also to show her arrogance as she stands tall and proud with her big heart shaped hair at the front.

Practising Partners Design

Unfortunately, I found it proven difficult to ever get into much contact with my partner. The communication was very far and few between. It was only towards the end of this project that my partner even showed me any images of her design. I did not once get to practise on her real hair before the timed assessment which concerned me very much.

Due to the worry and concern of never practising on her, I took it upon myself to practise on my mannequin a number of times at home. I sent her images to make sure I was doing the correct techniques and the plaits and backcombing was all positioned the way she wanted it.

Thankfully, after one or two attempts Rachael's hair design, I felt at ease when it came to the assessment day. I had practised enough to feel confident in creating her hairstyle within a time limit and professional assessment conditions.

At home, I timed myself creating the hairstyle, and the quickest it took me was 35 minutes which I was very impressed with. This was without crimping the hair though as I could not supply any crimpers in the comfort of my own home. I took this into consideration when I was practising and added 20 minutes as a guideline of how long it would take me to crimp the front of Rachael's hair.

Here are a couple of images of me practising the hair design...