He flits between Sydney, where he can be found snipping and styling away at celebrated salon Raw, and New York, where he works backstage at the likes of Marc Jacobs and Ralph Lauren. In other words, Anthony – photographed above with Miranda Kerr – is at the top of his game.
The ultra-talented Mr Nader found time in his busy jet-setting schedule to talk insider tricks and trends …
What products are always in your backstage bag?
“I carry a multitude of necessities for those last-minute touch-ups as you just never know when you may need something from your bag of tricks. They include a face shield protector for when I’m giving the models a last-minute spritz with hairspray (yes, I respect make-up artists!), multiple different shades and sizes of bobby pins and French pins, a Mason Pearson brush, and a tail comb.”
What has been one of your favourite hair looks of late?
“The Marc Jacobs show, which is always the last show of the frantic week and also the biggest, so to be working on this show is a hairstylist’s dream. Sixty lace-front human hair wigs were coloured different ‘non-descript’ shades before the big night. Each model got her own hair spun into what we call in our industry a hair wrap, which is stuck tight to the head. Then a hair stocking was placed over the hair so no little flyaways could escape. Each model was assigned a specific wig shade that matched her garment (There were two people in charge of this detailed long list of handing out the right wig for the right model … believe it or not). The wig was then placed on the head and cut into a short shape jawline bob. This couldn’t have been cut beforehand, as you need the wig on in order to determine the desired correct length. Once cut, then the wide elastic headband went on and hair was then given one last brush so it looked super-smooth and straight.”
What are your all-time top hair tips?
- “If you have thick, coarse wavy hair and need to tame it down, always rinse your tresses in the coolest water temperature you can stand. This helps lock down the rough scales the hair shaft, which in turn reflects the light and most of all you have more control.
- If you’re wearing a ponytail, don’t pull your hair back too tight, as this can cause those nasty stray baby hairs of breakage around the hairline.
- If you’re using hot tongs or flat irons there’s no need to turn up the heat to the highest. Always start on the lowest heat setting and then work up from there if it’s needed. Show your hair some love from now and start this process and you will notice a difference.”
A model turns up to a show or shoot after partying all night … how do you quickly get her hair into fresh, clean shape?
“Dry shampoo is my weapon of choice. From here, you could whip all her locks back into a low-slung twisted bun, which will always fool the crowd. Or if you’re wanting to wear your hair down, opt for slicking all hair back and pop on a wide headband or a patterned head scarf and get that chic ’60s look going on.”
How do you advise models to look after their hair?
“To be honest these girls are pretty on top of it already. It’s really competitive out there and the models who get the campaigns are actually super-healthy. They eat nuts for protein, which are fantastic for hair, and generally have a great diet. Models don’t usually want to touch their hair on their days off which is a blessing for not only the model but also the hairstylists on the next shoot, as it’s then a blank canvas of (no product) gunk in the hair.”
Can you let us in on any special tricks you have up your sleeves for the shows?
“You know, I think the biggest trick that I’ve learnt is always ‘less fuss and less frou frou.’ So many consumers are so worried about their hair being precise and technical and in the end your hair style has been such an effort and nightmare – whereas doing your hair should and can be a fun experience.”
Which of Anthony Nader’s insider tricks and trends will you try? Tell us in the comments below!
