Hot summer nights: Soleil Noir by D&M hair design

In the third of three exciting creative collaborations, Danny Pato and Michael Sisaengrath of D&M hair design in Auckland and photographer Craig Owen have created Soleil Noir, an ode to long summer nights and sexy, dressed down hair. A collection featuring model Grace Owen in three very different looks, it was shot on a balcony one balmy night overlooking Auckland Harbour as it reflected the city lights. My favourite look from the collection - seen here - is a direct nod to old school Hollywood style, but with a thoroughly modern re-interpretation. The middle parted hair falls in Rita Hayworth-style waves which have been crimped and loosened to create a wearable, easy style, with Schwarzkopf’s Elastic Flexible Hold Hairspray used to keep the look in place. The hair was protected from the heat of styling tools using Schwarzkopf Osis Flatliner, a serum which also reduces frizz and counteracts humidity. Incredibly wearable and just way too sexy for its own good, this look is the answer to the whole "I have long hair but don't feel like it's a style" conundrum.
Owen is extremely proud of the collection, after wanting to do a night time hair shoot for some time, with the model shot in a highly filmic style. “I used just the one model and the night light’s ambience to create a number of caught moments,” he told me, adding that he treats a hair shoot in a similar fashion to the way he does fashion, “drawing on the mood and emotion of the location and light, as well as the model’s own personal style”. This is the third collaboration for the trio – the first two being 2008’s Lightness of Being and 2009’s Noughts and Crosses – and Soleil Noir for Summer 2010 is my favourite yet.