It took the spotlight away from the clothes and gave a glimpse as to what the star models would look like if they swapped hair colors for a day. With the help of Balmain Hair Couture, Creative Director Olivier Rousting caused a mini frenzy by sending Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Alessandra Ambrosio and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley down the runway. Far from being a new concept by the fashion house, the Hair Couture concept has gained a steady influence over the past 40 years. The brand currently has a range of products that are readily available to the public but sees 2016 as the year to expand and bring attention to its Hair Couture line. To raise its profile, it is teaming up with an artisan atelier to launch a custom-made hair service in Paris at 13, rue Royale. Led by Nabil Harlow, who is said to be a master hair designer, the service allows clients to color, style and customize couture wigs and hair additions that are made from real human hair. This isn’t the first time that Balmain has ventured into the wig industry. Back in 1974, Pierre Balmain and wig-maker Dick Guliker teamed up to provide the fashionable accessory. The wig has seen a resurgence of late, thanks to Rihanna, Lady Gaga and the Kardashian sisters, all of whom don the bold wigs on red carpets. And while hair extensions have become mainstream, Balmain’s new atelier is one of the first signs that the all-out high-fashion trend for totally transformative looks could be set to migrate from the catwalk to the street.
