All about accessories: Hollywood's go-to hairstylist Adir Abergel gives us a masterclass in dressing your hair
Nothing is hotter than hair accessories right now. Whether it's on the runway, streets or scattered across the 'gram, more is more when it comes to bows, clips, pearls and scarves.
Virtue's Creative Director & Celebrity Stylist, Adir Abergel, said it best as he dressed the back of Miley Cyrus's messy bun with statement slides and chunky jelly cubes: 'You can never over accessorise!'
Hairstylist to half of Hollywood, Adir also tends to the hair of Jessica Biel and Kristen Stewart; creating crown's of glory with not much more than his hands and a hairdryer. He's responsible for taking Charlize Theron from blonde to drop-dead-gorgeous brunette for that Oscars moment, as well as the edgy, architectural styles often spotted on Rooney Mara.
Fast forward to today, and GLAMOUR was lucky to steal a few hours of the celebrity stylist's time (in between a flight from LA and a train to Paris) to create five fabulous hairstyles utilising the hottest hair pieces of the season.
From feathers to crowns and blingy bobby pins, 'nothing is too much' when it comes to Adir and accessories: "Don't be scared to go Liberace on it." And you'll definitely want to steal his hair scarf hacks too...
LOOK 1: Feather Fringe
Working with hair accessories is "all about finding your individuality", says Adir. "The way you play with them should really be your own way of doing it." You don't have to spend on fortune for 'on-trend' pieces either. "Just take some feathers and double-stick tape from the fabric store..."
Yellow Crystal Tiara, £295, Simone Rocha, Drop Earrings, £370, Simone Rocha, Swarovski Embellished Denim Trench, £370, Marco de Vincenzo, Feather details, Vv Rouleaux store.
The key to any look involving hair accessories is texture. "You need to create some kind of anchor at the roots and grit so it can actually stay in", say Adir. Texturizing Spray, £17, Virtue was the first product pulled from his kit to do the duty and eliminate any slip.
Replace your fringe with feathers. "Double stick it [to your hairline] and throw the rest of the hair on top of it", says Adir. "Now you’ve got this cool feather veil." Keep scissors close by to make any necessary eye-opening trims.
You don't always have to use a headband the way it was intended. "I like to put it to the side so that it's a little off-centre", says Adir, as he slides the yellow crystal Simone Rocha headband in place. "Then take some singular feathers to add some dimension and pops of colour everywhere." The more adhoc you are with accessories placement, the better.
LOOK 2: Dripping In Detail
Subtle and understated? Not today. "Think outside the box", says Adir. "Maybe get some cool blingy earrings that you can stick through your braid. It’s not just about what you can buy from a company that sells hair accessories."
Elastic with all over Pearl, £19.95, Cara at Fenwick, Metal + diamantes CHA NEL earrings, £770, Chanel, Metal, pearl + calfskin hoop earrings, £1190, Chanel, Gold + crystal metal brooch, £380, Chanel, Navy lambskin jacket, £10.620, Chanel, Cotton bows, £120 each Emilia Wickstead, Pearl & Diamante Hair Slides, £8.00 Accessorize.
Mix up your styles as well as your accessories to add height and dimension. "I separated the hair into a half-updo first, and then the back I braided in a long braid", says Adir, giving him plenty of choice for places to pin and clip accessories.
Next, go nuts. "Layering accessories and strategically placing them into one style will make it super cool", says Adir, as he places a statement Chanel clip underneath the top section of hair, and black cotton bows by Emilia Wickstead throughout the braid.
Play around with accessories of different sizes to contrast with your statement pieces. "I'm going to use these little bobbies with pearls on them to kinda break it up", says Adir. "Rather than going straight on a horizontal line, I’m playing with the angles and creating this cool architecture."
Adir's final masterstroke? Using the earrings CHA-NEL, from (you guessed it) Chanel. The CHA he places towards the top, just low and left of the half-updo. But rather than putting the NEL on the opposite side, which would be 'too symmetrical', "I'm going to put it here", he says, as he attaches it to the tail end of the braid.
LOOK 3: Crowning Glory
Thought tiaras were only for the Royals? Think again. "We’re seeing a lot of bling and a lot of big statement pieces", says Adir. Here's how to pull it off your way...
Tiara, £1,420, Denim Jacket, £1,800.00, T-shirt, £520, all Gucci.
Pick out your curls so that your hair is big, beautiful and fluffy. If you don't have curls, Adir says texture in all forms is on trend. "Whether it’s a curl, slick straight, wave or frizz, it’s all about enhancing these textures and celebrating them."
Next, pull the hair into a ponytail. "But instead of in the middle you want to put it all to the side", says Adir. "A little bit wonky, a little bit cool." If you're going for a big, curly style, Adir recommends bungee elastics, which hook around bouncy hair easier.
Once your ponytail is secure, "pick out your curls again and do some backcombing at the roots to make it more dense", says Adir "But leave a lighter density through the ends".
Now it's time for the tiara, a gorgeous statement piece straight from the Gucci runway. When it comes to its placement, Adir says to offset your ponytail by sitting on it on the opposite angle. Way more 'street style queen' than 'pompous princess'.
LOOK 4: Modern-Day Frida
"Think of hair accessories in the same way you think of earrings, this is your new jewellery", says Adir. "They're pieces you can play with and incorporate into your outfit." And scarves are the perfect way to introduce colour this spring.
Multicolor silk printed headscarf, approx. £300, Versace, Lilac crystal Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £250, Versace, Flower one Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £150, Versace, Black one crystal Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £250, Versace, 3 colours one Golden metal enamelled bobby pin, approx. £350 Versace, Leather Shirt, £225 Arket.
Any time you're creating a deep side part, use the 'high point of your brow' as a measure of reference. "This is going to give you all the drama and detail you want", says Adir. Separate the front section and clip it to the side, pulling the remainder of your hair into a low ponytail.
Adir's clever trick for a polished pony? "Put Polish Un-Frizz Cream, £19, Virtue onto a clean sponge and smooth it through the hair to get rid of frizz." It's also the perfect braid prep for a smooth finish. But if smooth isn't your style, just embrace your natural texture at the back, and get ready to braid the front section instead.
Before folding your scarf, "make sure you have the bright side up", says Adir, especially when you're working such colourful patterns like these beautiful ones from Versace and Hermes. Once you have it folded into a long rectangle, "start braiding it through the hair". Use a clear band at the end of the braid to secure so you don't take away from your accessory.
For those with lots of natural texture, amp this up around your braid by picking out your curls or adding a texturiser. But for those with a straighter style, let's make waves. Grab yourself a curling iron with a clamp and get ready to copy Adir's amazing technique (head to GLAMOUR'S IGTV to see it in action). "At eyebrow level, I take the curling iron and put it face down, then leave for a few seconds and then alternate so the clamp is facing down." Repeat until you reach the ends and then set with hairspray.
For the final touch, take your braid and pull it over to one side, securing with pins. Then "add a couple of slides and clips down the front to add a little bit of dimension and vibes." Remember, one is never enough, especially when you're working with floral clips from Versace.
Turquoise/Navy Blue Foulard Scarf, £870, Hermes, Red/light Blue Cavalcadour Foulard Scarf, £340, Hermes, “Portrait of the Fin de Siècle” earrings, £415 Completedworks, V-Neck Dress in Faded Striped Cotton, £1300 Marni.
LOOK 5: Criss-Cross Crop
Want to add elastic without losing volume? "I'm going to show you a really cool way to use two headbands and criss-cross them over the right way", says Adir. With this technique, you'll never suffer from flat hair again...
Headband, £180, Earrings, resin and brass, £300, Vest, £2,350, all Dior.
Make sure to utilise plenty of texturising products in your prep. "One of my favourite ones is the Virtue Lifting Powder (£32), which just creates that grit for fine hair, it's almost like backcombing that does it for you", says Adir. "I just do little kind of mini pumps everywhere to create some grit and movement so that when I put in my headbands, I can kinda layer them and push the hair around."
Once you've got enough lift and texture, it's time for the dreamy Dior bands. "I'm going to layer the lighter one underneath and the darker one on top of it", says Adir as he places the lighter Dior headband in the hair first. Once in place, "take a pick and undo the hair". "I’m going to bring some of that hair over the first headband and hide a few bits of it." The aim is to create shapes and silhouettes.
"Now I'm going to take the dark headband and place it a little off-centre", says Adir. To get the placement just right, he uses the pick again to "settle it into exactly where I want it to be." He then begins picking out random bits of hair, with the same technique he used for the first. The pick is an essential tool for this and a "super easy way to go ahead and lift hair from different places [without] disturbing the entire look", he says.
If you want to make the look a little softer around the front, Adir say to sweep the fringe "a bit more to the side so it feels a little bit more feminine and a little bit more gamine." Finish the style with a spritz of hairspray to add lift and secure into place.
SHOOT CREDITS:
Beauty And Lifestyle Director: Camilla Kay Bookings Director At Large: Amelia Trevette Art Direction: Abigail Volks Photographer: Fernando Gomez Stylist: Michelle Duguid Styling Assistant: Lisa Batkina Models: Verdiana, Celina, Razan @ Storm Management Hair Stylist: Adir Abergel Makeup Artist: Francesca Brazzo Manicurist: Cherrie Snow Cinematographer: Max Presky Gaffer: Jerzy Gudjonosson
Top image credits:
[Model on the left] Multicolor silk printed headscarf, approx. £300 Versace, Lilac crystal Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £250, Versace, Flower one Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £150 Versace, Black one crystal Golden metal bobby-pin, approx. £250 Versace, 3 colours one Golden metal enamelled bobby pin, approx. £350 Versace, Echec Cashmere and Silk Scarf, £870 Hermes, Sculpture gold earrings, £360 Anissa Kermiche at Fenwick, Multicolour dress, £89 Arket.
[Model on the right] Turquoise/Navy Blue Foulard Scarf, £870 Hermes,
Red/light Blue Cavalcadour Foulard Scarf, £340 Hermes, “Portrait of the Fin de Siècle” earrings, £415 Completedworks, V-Neck Dress in Faded Striped Cotton, £1300 Marni.
Inside Adir's kit and must-have products...
Lavender Hair Creme, £27, Kusco Murphy
Lifting Powder, £32, Virtue
Handy Bristle & Nylon Hairbrush, £80, Mason Pearson
Platinum Plus Styler, £175, ghd
Polish Un-Frizz Cream, £19, Virtue
Setting Lotion, £29, Kusco Murphy
