Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Beauty, Fashion, Pixie

SHOW BEAUTY BRAIDS BY SHOW DRY

You already know I’m a huge fan of SHOW Beauty, I could wax lyrical about the products all day long.  SHOW Beauty is one of those brands that you’re either aware of because you use and love it, or admire it from afar, or you’ve never heard of it.  If you fall into the latter, then let me give you the skinny:  SHOW Beauty is a luxury haircare brand born out of founder Tamara Ecclestone’s love for beautiful products, scents and ingredients that really work.  In a nutshell, it’s like having your cake and eating it, it’s the very best of the best and it fuses the luxury fragrance industry, with the haircare market to give a truly unique range of high quality, sulphate free hair products that leave you smelling better than Harrods Fragrance Hall.

SHOW Beauty Hair Fragrance Fashion Voyeur

So, you know that there’s a range of products that’s constantly being researched and expanded because you’ve obviously read my posts on the launch of Lux Volume, SHOW Beauty and the SHOW Beauty Hair fragrance right?  Well, London is also home to the physical arm of the business: SHOW DRY.

SHOW DRY is the ultimate blowdry bar.  Not only is it home to some of the best Hair Artistes in the business, it’s also a very cleverly thought out business that’s pitched perfectly to the needs of the client.  Ecclestone frequents the salon herself and every new member of staff inducted must first blowdry Ecclestone’s hair in her signature style, as well as create a custom up do.  That’s quite the test when you think Ecclestone’s hair is literally her crowning glory.

The salons themselves are uniform, the signature black and gold detailing oozes polished elegance, whilst the blush pink cuts through with a feminine edge.  My regular SHOW DRY salon is in Notting Hill and they always ‘manage’ my hair for me throughout each season of London Fashion Week.  I’m not too proud to say that I’ve been brought forward from second to front row because of an awesome braided up do by SHOW DRY during the FW17 show season and if that’s not a high five moment then I don’t know what is.

The SHOW DRY team live and breathe SHOW Beauty.  They know the range inside out, they know the dual purposes of each product and can teach you some hacks that will change your life, like using the Moisture Conditioner as a leave in serum – seriously guys, you blew my mind with that one, cue BOOM emoji.  They can prescribe the exact product from the range for your hair’s needs, but more than that, their styling skills are amazing.

When I first partnered with SHOW DRY for show season, I was coming out of a pretty grim period with my hair, remember my post on Overcoming a Hair Disaster?  Well this was around the time of said hair disaster and I was very limited on what we could create with what little hair I’d been left with.  Because of that, we decided to shoot for some funky braids that would conceal the damage to my hair and still showcase my awesome colour.  Fast forward to the SS18 LFW season and I’ve still never actually had a blowdry by SHOW DRY (although I’ve sat next to Tamara Ecclestone whilst she’s had hers done so can vouch) and I’m back here for another braided creation.

What makes SHOW DRY different than other blowdry bars is that here, your every need is catered to.  Whilst you’re in the care of the salon, you’re very well looked after. Each station has an iPad Mini with the latest magazines downloaded for you to browse, a lightning charger for your iPhone and a range of products for you to peruse.  Your iPad is loaded with a menu from which you can select drinks like Prosecco or custom blend coffee, or light bites like popcorn and other sugary treats whilst you’re coiffed.  The salon is both pet and child friendly too with dog bowls for your furry friend and a mini blowdry menu for your mini me.

In my case, my Stylist and I browse the internet for inspiration and find two styles that will work well on my hair and decide to mash them together to create something urban looking that will last for a couple of days.  She coats my dry hair in a mixture of SHOW Beauty Finishing Oil and Moisture Conditioner to not only tame it, but to also give it some grip, and gets to work on two African / Dutch braids.  Once they’re braided back, she sets about creating two braided buns at the nape and pins them securely.  Within around 20 minutes we’ve got a cool, urban style pinned in position and I’m ready to hit up my first show of the day SEMIR x GREENCODE.

SHOW DRY Braids Pixie Tenenbaum

SHOW DRY isn’t just about the Bouncy Blowdry – which they do amazingly – they’re also able to create bespoke styles depending on what you’re up to and your own personal style.  I’m working on the improving the condition of my hair right now as it’s a little delicate, it did start to thicken up again then had a bit of a dip in both length and condition after misplaced faith in a big name North East hair salon (you can read about that here), but who knows, it may even be thick enough to sport the signature blowdry next season.

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Spotlight on: Jessie Western, Modern Day Cowgirl Dressing

Jessie Western is the smart girls choice when it comes to Western style.  With it’s ethical sourcing and manufacturing Jessie Western has garnered applause from its celebrity fans including Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner, Cameron Diaz and Kate Hudson.  In the heart of Notting Hill, this tiny, quirky store has a tapestry rich backstory behind its custom cowboy boots, leather jackets and Navajo jewellery…..

Sisters Jessie and Vicky are the driving force behind Jessie Western, for over 25 years they’ve visited the Arizona reservations, supporting Native American artists by cutting out the middle man and working with them directly.  The brand has built up a reputation for sourcing and setting rare and unusual stones in their Navajo jewellery and their passion lies in creating beautiful one off pieces like nothing else available in the UK.

Every piece of jewellery that Jessie Western puts its name to is hand-crafted in sterling silver and real Native American turquoise, not the reconstituted stuff you often find in many high street jewellery retailers.  The brand celebrates the real craftsmanship of the Native American artists they actively support and if you visit the store, Vicky is often there telling the backstory of the brand; she can tell you where every single piece in the store has come from and the story behind it.

“The Zuni people hand carve the spirit animals, “Fetishes”. The Eagle, for example is to seek a higher perspective, widen their vision… We feel very blessed to have watched so many Ceremonial Dances over the years: it’s a rich culture, and one we love. We want to share that passion, their vision and art.”

The boutique in Notting Hill has to be seen to be believed, it’s a teeny, tiny treasure trove but don’t let it’s diminutive size fool you.  Jessie Western is packed to the rafters with awesome, real Western pieces including bespoke handmade, embroidered cowboy boots, cowboy hats, jackets, blanket coats, suede skirts, ponchos and handmade moccasins.  Located in the centre of Portobello Market, it’s a must see if you’re in the capital and trust me Voyeurs, you can lose hours exploring this store.

Through my visits to Jessie Western, I’ve built up a friendship with Jessie and Vicky and I always make time to visit when I’m in town.  I love hearing their stories about visits to the reservation and the passion for their collaborations comes across in conversation as they unpack boxes to show me new pieces and tell me about the artists responsible for them.

Much of the sisters’ youth was spent on a Seminole reservation, they’ve lived and travelled extensively in the American Southwest. Jessie studied at St Martins College before being signed as a singer/songwriter to Chrysalis in LA, whilst she’s enjoyed fame and success in the public arena, Jessie has always had an active interest in jewellery design and the Western way of dressing.  Her fine jewellery collection is influenced by her love for rare stones and animals, every piece she designs is meticulously hand drawn and set with diamonds, tsavorites, sapphires or uncut aquamarines – hence the hefty pricetag.

Vicky on the other hand, is an established geometric landscape artist and studied at the prestigious Chelsea Art College.

“We’ve been going to the reservations in Arizona for over 28 years now and support over 4000 Native American Artists directly, it’s exciting to see the work of the artists, it’s always changing and evolving. The Native American Artists we work with believe wearing Turquoise protects them on their journey in life.  The silver is often punched with animal details and symbols, they all have special meanings many which have been passed down from generation to generation.”

Vicky tells me that Jessie Western clients are loyal, they enjoy coming to the store to find that ‘special piece’.  It’s easy to see why their customers keep coming back, with new pieces arriving all the time, the store looks different every time I visit and the sisters relish in showing off their latest arrivals and how to dress them.  Last time I visited I bought a leather and silver bolo tie and a pair of boot harnesses for my cowboy boots after a personal recommendation from Jessie and every time I wear them I get loads of compliments.

If you’re looking for a way to emulate true Western style, not just as a passing trend but with real, long lasting, quality pieces, then Jessie Western should be on your radar.

Pixie xo