From backstage to your dressing table
Ever wondered how fashion week hair stays big from the first look to the last? Backstage, there's no time for second chances. The hair has to go up fast, hold under hot lights and still look soft when the model walks.
Our co-founder Stephanie has worked as a session stylist backstage at London, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks.
Across every one of those shows, three tools never leave her kit. They're one of the reasons maene. exists, and here's exactly how she uses them.
What makes backstage hair last
It isn't about piling on product, it's about using the right one. Stephanie always reaches for label.m Volume Mousse. After that, volume that lasts comes down to three things: clean sections with no knots, a set that's allowed to cool completely, and a brush that shapes the curl without flattening it. Get those right and the hair holds, whether it's on a runway or at home.
1. The Detangler first in the chair, every single time
Every good set starts with good sections, and you can't section hair that's full of knots. That's why The Detangler is always the first tool out of the kit.
Its flexible metal pins move with the hair, not against it, so it works through tangles gently without tugging or snapping. It works on wet or dry hair, which matters backstage when some models arrive straight from the shower and others with yesterday's styling still in.
At home, use it to get hair completely smooth before you start sectioning for your rollers. The cleaner the section, the smoother and bouncier the finished look.
2. The Volume roller pack the wider roller behind every big blowout
This is the tool that does the heavy lifting. Backstage, the rollers go in while makeup is being done, so by the time the model is ready the set is too.
What makes the maene. roller different:
- Wider than standard rollers, for fuller, softer volume rather than tight curls
- A thermal core that heats and cools slowly, so the hair fully sets and holds all day
- Ten per pack, enough for a full head
- Soft touch velcro, which grips the hair without snagging
The step most people skip is the cool down. Style the hair, roll it in while it's still warm, then leave the rollers until they're completely cool. That's when the set locks in. Take them out early and the volume drops before you've left the house.
Shop the Volume Roller Pack, £52.99
3. The Everyday the brush that turns a set into a style
When the rollers come out, the hair isn't finished. It's a set. The Everyday is what turns those curls into soft, glossy shape.
Its extra long boar bristle and nylon pins give you control as you dress out roller sets and waves, smoothing the hair and spreading its natural oils for shine without brushing the volume away. The curved handle sits comfortably in the hand, and it works across all hair textures.
It's not only a finishing brush, either. Use it every day to smooth and care for your hair, whatever you're styling.
The backstage method, at home
This is the same routine Stephanie uses, slowed down for your dressing table.
- Prep. Work through your hair with The Detangler until there isn't a single knot, then section it, the cleaner the better.
- Style. Apply a volume mousse for added hold, then style your hair with your hairdryer, tongs or straightener.
- Roll. Take each section, smooth it over the roller and roll it down to the root. Ten rollers will cover a full head.
- Heat. Heat the thermal core of the rollers slightly with your hairdryer or diffuser.
- Cool. This is the secret. Leave the rollers in until they're completely cool, so the hair fully sets. Do your makeup, have a coffee, give it time.
- Dress out. Unwind the rollers gently, then brush through with The Everyday to soften the curls into big, glossy shape.
The full kit
Rollers, The Everyday and The Detangler. Everything Stephanie reaches for backstage, made for your dressing table. Shop the collection
