In The Press

From beauty to business

May 1, 2004
By:Frédéric Fekkai

Frédéric creates chic hair fashions for celebs at the height of the Oscar festivities.

Oscar week is always packed with star-studded events leading up to the big night. To help Hollywood's hottest stars and our other VIP clients de-stress and prepare for their big moment in the spotlight, I hosted a red-carpet, three-day retreat at my salon and spa. Joining me this year in my endeavor to create the ultimate beauty oasis was Chanel.

We left no stone unturned to help the stars get glammy and feel pampered. After jumpstarting their big day with a healthy breakfast provided by the Zone, the stars relaxed as my team got busy creating Oscar-perfect hair. Then it was on to the Chanel staff, who worked their magic with the latest beauty must-haves.

Among the many luxurious services we provided were extreme deep conditioning, blowouts and styling, private makeup appointments, eyebrow shaping, eyelash tinting, manicures and pedicures, reflexology, body bronzing and microdermabrasion. There were even complimentary Botox shots, courtesy of Dr. David Sayah from Centre Epiderme.

Needless to say, the salon/spa Oscar suite was brimming with energy and excitement, and filled to capacity with a steady stream of Hollywood glitterati. Camera crews from CNN, Access Hollywood, Good Morning America and WABC-NY rolled in to capture the action as I created looks for Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Tilley and Daryl Hannah, among others. Molly Sims chilled out with a manicure/pedicure, while Nicky Hilton and Keisha Castle-Hughes enjoyed simultaneous pedicures. Mischa Barton had her hair styled, Kate Bosworth and her mom relaxed in the spa, Thora Birch got her skin glowing with a facial, and Tori Spelling had her hair and makeup done. It was nonstop!

On the big day, I designed the hairstyle that Best Actress nominee Keisha Castle- Hughes sported at the Oscars. The look was polished, straight and feathery and was accented with a slight flip to complement her flirty, feminine dress. Above all, I wanted to create a look that was soft and pretty, yet chic and age-appropriate for this charming young up-and-comer.