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Up From The Ashes
A devastating salon fire inspires Hot Tools’ Artistic Director Detra Smith to rebuild, reenergize and refocus for the new season.
Elizabeth Jakaitis・Assistant Editor
2 min to read
Detra Smith, Hot Tools artistic director, had a devastating fire in her Mouton, Alabama, salon, burning the entire space to the ground.
One of the few things salvaged from the wreckage was a picture of an angel.
“She was untouched, perfect,” Smith says. “This photo-shoot encouraged me to think of that picture and the opportunity to rebuild.”
Using this session as a way to emerge from the disaster, a collection of hair wefts is what began to toy with her imagination on creating a special occasion look that combined texture, inspired by the angel featured in the photo.
“I think of this collection as ‘Up from the Ashes,’” Smith says. “All of my life I have escaped sad times with imagination. It takes me away from danger and fear.”
Smith started to rebuild the wefts, coloring and adding desired texture. “It took 15 hours to prep the pieces,” she says. “But, like rebuilding my salon, it is all worth it.”
“Having the right tools just makes life easier for a stylist,” Smith says. Hair was crimped in inch-wide sections using the Hot Tools Micro Crimper. Then curl the ends using the one-inch NexGen Curling Iron as if it were a wand, which allows for more hair on the barrel as it’s 1½ inches longer than a traditional iron.
CREDITS
Hair: Detra Smith, artistic director Hot Tools
Photography: Roberto Ligresti
Makeup: David Maderich
Fashion Styling: Rod Novoa
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