To say we’re more obsessed with bareMinerals’ founder Leslie Blodgett than we are with the product itself would be a lie, so we like to say we love both equally.
She’s a sun-kissed blonde, straight-across—no muss, no fuss. She came into the office wearing a red cardigan and ate Sour Patch Kids waiting for hairstylist Didier Malige to give her a haircut. Not necessarily something drastic—but something new. Spring may have arrived with a hefty dose of snow this year, but once the seasons change, it’s hard not to feel like a little personal change is in order.
Eventually Didier walks in and there’s Louise, hunched over, playing with her split ends. Maybe expecting someone with layered, voluminous head of hair ready for experimentation, instead he got the epitome of Midwest simplicity. She recently graduated with a degree in photography (eventually she plans on working as a photojournalist) and made it through the four years of school cutting her hair maybe once. Her daily routine consists of washing and leaving her hair to air dry without brushing, in hopes of keeping any waves.
“You should be a bit more wild,” Didier tells her. When she says at this stage, she already feels “too old for that now,” he responds: “Are you crazy? You haven’t even discovered life yet!” Haircuts are best served with a side of sage advice, we find.
Didier is known to be scissor happy—he’s comes from the school of hairstylists in the ’60s and ’70s who made sex hair a thing. “I’m not attracted to very neat hair. I think it’s an American thing to smooth and tame. Now, you don’t see any more pictures of models with little hairs sticking out. It’s all Photoshopped out.”
He takes Louise’s hair and begins to cut long layers at the ends with scissors. “Do you want to look?” He asks her. “No, I trust you,” Louise says. It couldn’t really be called a full-blown haircut, but rather a few stylized, strategic snips to give it more body. He then soaked Louise’s hair in L’Oréal Wild Stylers by Techni.Art Beach Waves for some matte, subtle texture. Soaked isn’t an exaggeration—he kept forewarning Louise that he was really going to wet it. Windblown effects can be attributed to hosting the photoshoot part of the gathering on the roof.
“I think I’ll keep it,” she says as she looks at the photos—just before Didier sweeps it up into a different look, this one more cockatiel cum black tie updo. Inspired by Louise’s vintage Celine secretary blouse, Didier went with the 1940s feel to create the rebellious Euro counterpart to the doughnut-ified American top-knot. It’s wild looking, but at least half of the fun comes from knowing you’ve got bangs, without actually having to get bangs. Maybe next time, Didier.
Louise Parker (The Society) wears a vintage Celine top, Isabel Marant Étoile skirt, and Saint Laurent Boots. Photographed by Tom Newton.