Spanish Influence

http://laurarochaofficial.com

Finding inspiration from my roots

It's safe to say I am on a constant search to find ways to ground myself as a person and connect with where I come from–Mexico City. It's A place full of life, laughter, vibrant colors and culture; here beauty is meant to be embellished with jewels and beautiful hair pieces in celebration of the bride .In the world of Bridal it is easy to get stuck in a time capsule that can feel too traditional. Correct me if I'm wrong but in the fashion world it would be referred as “ outdated”. It’s almost as if a young bride is hesitant to express herself in how she wants to look and feel for such a memorable day . Or you can go in the direction of “ too basic'' as if the one getting married is the dress and you are just the mannequin . Well if there is one thing I have learned about myself throughout the years is that I am far from wanting to be basic, partially by choice and also t because I had to be more than that. When I got out of beauty school I started working at a blow-dry salon in Montecito, California. I lucked out because being fresh out of beauty school there was nothing more terrifying than looking for a job at a salon where you are surrounded by stylists that are well established . I was lucky to start at a new salon just beginning to establish itself as a business and truthfully there was a lot of comfort in that.. Let’s just say it was the perfect way to exercise the “fake it till you make it” mentality. There have been a number of times I have had to do that to get me out of a pickle. Going back to why I refuse to be “ basic” and break away from the traditional idea of how everyone thinks of “bridal” . While I was just beginning to learn now to be in a salon environment I was also working a second job assisting a 65 year old hairdresser from Vienna. I got the job as his assistant. My first thought was “ What am I going to possibly learn from this older man who is still doing perm sets?!” Truth be told, everything I know is because of him. The best piece of advice he ever gave me was “ Separate yourself from the crowd”. Till this day those words remind me to find ways to honor the things that drive my creativity and, through my own work and redesign,  what  Bridal  means to me .This shoot was inspired by a Spanish flare of sleek, bold shapes with the hair. It’s easy for brides to want to avoid styles that are sleek or pulled back from their face … also known as “I don't feel comfortable”. We are trained to believe that sexy hair means falling in front of our face or  wearing our hair down. Well I think that sleek pulled back hair can also speak of confidence and beauty. If the hair is carved and shaped in harmony and balance with the bride's face shape then it wouldn't be such scary territory for a bride. Bringing the right hairstyle to the right face not only allows a bride to see how features they may not  like can be softened and how those they wish they had more of can be enhanced simply by knowing how to create the illusion.. Just like magic! Let’s also add that sexy can also be the way our neck, shoulders, lower back can be. Girl, you know if you had your perfect dress with the perfect neckline showing off your best assets and you cover it all with your hair down, the only thing you are doing a disservice to is your dress. So let's step out of our comfort zone and dare to be different. In these styles, find inspiration that even around a face like the bride with the sleek side part and side bun we created softness around her face and balance by placing the bun and accessories to the side so that there is contrast without feeling like it's all “face” as we all like to call it. Or the bride with the bold chignon and a strong middle part shows that even longer face shapes can find balance without looking flat and unflattering. It’s the ability to see hair peeking from the sides of the bone to give it contrast to the face and jawline that gives it a well balanced style. Uhh I love it! Like I said it before … balance is key.My inspiration for styling is rooted in my passion for art. It’s about keeping an eye on the journey from start to finish. From the hair to the dress to the jewelry, you are left with “ow she looks beautiful” .  Sleek isn't meant to be scary, it's meant to be empowering!

Xx,

Laura