Amidst all of the big stage presentations by the major brands on the Premiere Orlando floor, Aveda stood out from all the others in terms of overall concept and style. Located between bright, colorful jumbotrons from neighboring stages, Aveda’s steampunk-inspired set-up called “Gangs of Aveda” featured gas lamps, a trompe de l’oeil victorian cityscape, and raw wood features to create an effect that was both minimalist and opulent at the same time.

This juxtaposition of two contradictory elements was the crux of the overall creative concept for Aveda’s 2011 Premiere Orlando presentation. “Steampunk” is defined as a style (represented in fashion, art, and literature”> that combines elements of the industrial revolution, victorian era and futuristic sensibilities. It is romantic, yet modern; delicate, yet edgy. Aveda’s cohesive Steampunk theme put forth an innovative and truly unique aesthetic that was much deserved of all the buzz it received.

From concept to execution: creating Steampunk hair

The underground Steampunk culture has been around for the past two decades and Aveda was faced with the challenge of creating its own unique vision of Steampunk hair. Hannah Cannon of the Aveda stylist concept team responsible for creating the show’s looks explained that their goal was to create a look that was both sleek and smooth but retained a lot of volume. The result: high-drama, multi-textured coifs that lent themselves perfectly to the overall show concept.

To create the styles that relied on the fusion of both straight and curly textures, Aveda stylists crimped and teased models’ hair into geometric shapes using styling aids with a lot of hold and finished them with smoothing serums to give them a high gloss and sleek finish.

It was refreshing to see Aveda, a 30 year old company known for its quality and wholesome products, push the envelope and show us an innovative, fresh and forward thinking presentation.