- Past Q&A's
- Karen Williamson with Barefoot Tess
- Beautiful People Designer Johanna Boccardo
- Black Tangerine's Rashida Kapadia
- Colin Megaro with Planet Style Concierge
- Danielle Stevens of Danielle Stevens Jewelry
- Ellin LaVar
- JohnMarc Edwards with JME Merge
- Jamil Juma of JUMA
- Keep Me Loungewear
- KEVA by Keva J.
- Krista Ayne
- Robin Levinson with Levinson Jewelers
- LuLA by Angelica Cota
- Meira T with Meira T Designs
- Michael Papajohn
- Michele Bohbot
- Mimi Plange of Boudoir D'Huitres
- Sharon Carpenter
- Minoo Hersini of Sioloonim
- promom couture
- Lindsey Reisack with Redeux Sunwear
- Reinerland Jewelry
- Sam Kori George
- Simona Supekar from SHOP.com
What are some of your favorite hair trends (past or
present)? What looks do your clients frequently request?
Some of my favorite hairstyles of the past have been Audrey Hepburn’s short bangs, Farrah Fawcett’s hair from “Charlie’s Angels,” and Twiggy’s boy haircut. My favorite present hairstyles are Halle Berry’s short hairstyle, anything that Gwen Stefani does with her hair and Mary J. Blige’s blonde short look. My clients often ask for their hair to be styled like Penelope Cruz, Victoria Beckham, Michelle Obama and Oprah.
You came up with the concept of "invisible braids." What exactly does that entail? What do you recommend for women undergoing chemotherapy treatments?
The concept of invisible braids came about when I decided that extensions should have a more natural look. This method entails braiding the client’s hair with extensions in small sections. Then securing those sections and allowing the extension hair and the clients hair to flow freely together. This allows women to enhance the thickness and length of their hair without anyone being the wiser. However, for those clients who have had chemotherapy treatments, this method is not recommended. A person who has had chemotherapy usually finds that their hair is thinner and weaker than it used to be. I recommend the traditional method of cornrowing the hair that is remaining and attaching weaves to those cornrows. This allows the hair to regrow without the constant reminder of their treatment or illness. They are able to regain some normalcy back in their life and feel beautiful.
What are some of your tried-and-true hair care tips and tricks?
-Cover your pillow with a satin or rayon scarf; this will keep your hair from becoming dry.
-Tie your hair up at night-it will help keep your style fresh.
-Keep a sharpie in your purse for that single grey hair that got away.
-Use dark matte eye shadow to fill in thin areas of your hairline or crown of your head. The eye shadow will darken the scalp and absorb light, giving your hair a fuller look.
-For quick waves, take hair in sections and twist into chignons. Secure while you prepare for your night out. Loosen before you leave. The smaller the section, the tighter the wave.
You also have a new line of natural hair care products, TexturesTM. How did that evolve and what consumers can expect with the products?
Ellin Lavar TEXTURES was developed after many years of clients asking when I was going to create my own line of hair care products. They complained that the products on the market made their hair sticky and heavy. I wanted to create a line of hair care products that were affordable and usable by any person. I wanted them to leave hair soft, shiny, bouncy and clean feeling after use. I also wanted my products to do what they claimed on the package. I personally tested each product and approved every formula. I wanted consumers to get what they were paying for.
What are some of your hair "highlights?"
Hair highlights include: Emmy nomination for Whitney Houston’s hair in “Cinderella,” all of my appearances on Oprah, weaving Oprah's hair, flying all over the world doing Miles Davis’ hair (even for his funeral), doing Bono’s hair, Susan Taylor’s braids, Julia Roberts hair etc.
I know I would be terrified to style a celebrity's hair...do you ever get nervous, or is it styled-one-head-of-hair, styled-them-all?
I am nervous whenever I have a new client! I want to do my best on everyone and make them happy with my work. Most of the time the celebrity is calm and normal. I have more stress from the people around them. I treat everyone with respect and I treat my celebrities like the normal people they are.
Is there anyone whose main is particularly easy to manage?
Of all my celebrities, Whiney Houston’s hair is the easiest to manage. She is not overly fussy about her hair and allows me to be creative.
Off the hair topic, what are some of your favorite clothing trends this season? Any products you won't leave home without?
My favorite clothing trend this season is the platform shoe. I can be taller and comfortable at the same time. I don’t leave home without lip-gloss, mascara and dental floss.
Some of my favorite hairstyles of the past have been Audrey Hepburn’s short bangs, Farrah Fawcett’s hair from “Charlie’s Angels,” and Twiggy’s boy haircut. My favorite present hairstyles are Halle Berry’s short hairstyle, anything that Gwen Stefani does with her hair and Mary J. Blige’s blonde short look. My clients often ask for their hair to be styled like Penelope Cruz, Victoria Beckham, Michelle Obama and Oprah.
You came up with the concept of "invisible braids." What exactly does that entail? What do you recommend for women undergoing chemotherapy treatments?
The concept of invisible braids came about when I decided that extensions should have a more natural look. This method entails braiding the client’s hair with extensions in small sections. Then securing those sections and allowing the extension hair and the clients hair to flow freely together. This allows women to enhance the thickness and length of their hair without anyone being the wiser. However, for those clients who have had chemotherapy treatments, this method is not recommended. A person who has had chemotherapy usually finds that their hair is thinner and weaker than it used to be. I recommend the traditional method of cornrowing the hair that is remaining and attaching weaves to those cornrows. This allows the hair to regrow without the constant reminder of their treatment or illness. They are able to regain some normalcy back in their life and feel beautiful.
What are some of your tried-and-true hair care tips and tricks?
-Cover your pillow with a satin or rayon scarf; this will keep your hair from becoming dry.
-Tie your hair up at night-it will help keep your style fresh.
-Keep a sharpie in your purse for that single grey hair that got away.
-Use dark matte eye shadow to fill in thin areas of your hairline or crown of your head. The eye shadow will darken the scalp and absorb light, giving your hair a fuller look.
-For quick waves, take hair in sections and twist into chignons. Secure while you prepare for your night out. Loosen before you leave. The smaller the section, the tighter the wave.
You also have a new line of natural hair care products, TexturesTM. How did that evolve and what consumers can expect with the products?
Ellin Lavar TEXTURES was developed after many years of clients asking when I was going to create my own line of hair care products. They complained that the products on the market made their hair sticky and heavy. I wanted to create a line of hair care products that were affordable and usable by any person. I wanted them to leave hair soft, shiny, bouncy and clean feeling after use. I also wanted my products to do what they claimed on the package. I personally tested each product and approved every formula. I wanted consumers to get what they were paying for.
What are some of your hair "highlights?"
Hair highlights include: Emmy nomination for Whitney Houston’s hair in “Cinderella,” all of my appearances on Oprah, weaving Oprah's hair, flying all over the world doing Miles Davis’ hair (even for his funeral), doing Bono’s hair, Susan Taylor’s braids, Julia Roberts hair etc.
I know I would be terrified to style a celebrity's hair...do you ever get nervous, or is it styled-one-head-of-hair, styled-them-all?
I am nervous whenever I have a new client! I want to do my best on everyone and make them happy with my work. Most of the time the celebrity is calm and normal. I have more stress from the people around them. I treat everyone with respect and I treat my celebrities like the normal people they are.
Is there anyone whose main is particularly easy to manage?
Of all my celebrities, Whiney Houston’s hair is the easiest to manage. She is not overly fussy about her hair and allows me to be creative.
Off the hair topic, what are some of your favorite clothing trends this season? Any products you won't leave home without?
My favorite clothing trend this season is the platform shoe. I can be taller and comfortable at the same time. I don’t leave home without lip-gloss, mascara and dental floss.
Q&A With Hair Stylist to the Stars, Ellin LaVar
To say Ellin LaVar was born to style hair is practically an understatement. While most 9 year old girls are tirelessly playing with their Barbies and learning to apply make-up when their moms aren't looking, LaVar was already crafting her own method of braiding. Trying to compensate for a perm gone wrong, her technique was able to add both thickness and length and after accomplishing that, she soon developed a fan club amongst her five sisters and neighbors. By age 12, she had a chair a local salon!
Today, much to the delight of her adoring clients, Ellin is still styling, working with everyone from Heidi Klum to Naomi Campbell and has even recently developed her own hair care line, TexturesTM which addresses the special needs of curly, thick, coarse, or brittle hair.
To say Ellin LaVar was born to style hair is practically an understatement. While most 9 year old girls are tirelessly playing with their Barbies and learning to apply make-up when their moms aren't looking, LaVar was already crafting her own method of braiding. Trying to compensate for a perm gone wrong, her technique was able to add both thickness and length and after accomplishing that, she soon developed a fan club amongst her five sisters and neighbors. By age 12, she had a chair a local salon!
Today, much to the delight of her adoring clients, Ellin is still styling, working with everyone from Heidi Klum to Naomi Campbell and has even recently developed her own hair care line, TexturesTM which addresses the special needs of curly, thick, coarse, or brittle hair.
Q&A with 24-7 Style