Award-winning hairstylist Michael Beel shares his daily diary on the ground at New York Fashion Week.
Day 1
After arriving on the 16-hour direct Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to New York, I headed straight to the beautiful Midtown Flower District in Chelsea. There, I went to the
The next morning, my top priority was to pick up the newly unveiled Dyson Supersonic r Hair Dryer — a total game changer. This is Dyson’s lightest, smallest and most precise styling tool, designed to deliver fast-drying, smoother, frizz-free and shinier results.
Next, I went straight to my first show for the week: Nardos Imam (@nardosdesign). This was held uptown in the iconic Lotos Club (founded by Mark Twain), showcasing her fall ‘24 collection, which featured her signature stunning gowns.
Led by hair lead Brian Buenaventura (@brianbuenaventura_), we paired the gowns with soft, romantic, pulled-back buns that had an organic S-bend and a strong centre parting.
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Advertise with NZME.After the show was finished, a group of us took the opportunity to do some wig/extension shopping to boost up our editorial kits for back home. As it was the eve of Chinese New Year, we thought it was only fitting to go to the Great N.Y. Noodletown in Bowery (Chinatown), which the Michelin guide voted as one of the best Chinese restaurants in NYC. The food did not disappoint!
Day 2
I started my day with an early call time in Chelsea for the renowned Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy gown designer Badgley Mischka (@badgleymischka).
Hair lead Peter Gray (@petergrayhair) created a super sleek, modern Geisha-inspired ponytail to help accentuate the drama of the gowns. Overall, the look was high-shine and simple but so, so beautiful.
I was able to sneak in a break for a couple of hours before heading to a beautiful historic building in the Financial District for the second show of the day for designer PatBO (@patbo).
Working with hair lead Linh Nguyen (@linhhair), we created a look that consisted of a super clean centre parting and beautifully blow-dried, sleek and straight hair that embraced the hair’s natural texture.
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Advertise with NZME.The Dyson Supersonic r Hair Dryer was my lifesaver today. It’s comfortable to use and Dyson’s new heater technology is incredibly powerful, drying the hair fast and leaving it looking smooth, frizz-free and shinier without heat damage. The other members of the hair team were so impressed and can’t wait to get their hands on it.
After the show, I went to Galerie Bar at the Smyth Hotel in Tribeca for a well-deserved gin. This is the darkest bar you’ve ever been in, but the lighting was perfect to hide the jet-lagged bags under my eyes.
I then had to go back to my hotel for an early night to rest before a busy day tomorrow with another two shows.
Day 3
Today was another big day with two shows fuelled by coffee.
I had an early call time for Juzui with hair director Rodney Cutler (@cutlersalon) with Rockabilly-inspired wet looks.
To achieve this look, I used the Dyson Supersonic r Hair Dryer to get the root lift through the front hairline, which was crucial. Using the cold shot feature with the concentrator nozzle enabled me to get right into the hairline without worrying about the heat burning the models’ scalp.
The finished hair look gave the clothes a great modern edge.
The second show was a biggie: Area (@area) with hair lead Ryan Mitchell (@ryanmitchellhair) to create a cool reinterpretation of the classic ponytail. This look featured a micro-quiff, which gave the hair a square shape and pulled super low at the nape.
I worked lots of product into the hair while blow drying to help give the sides some movement, curving around the ear. The diffuser came in handy to style the more textured hair, and the wide-tooth comb attachment was invaluable to stretch out the textured hair.
I even got to go backstage for the last minute tweaks! The clothing was epic — if Beyonce wears Area you know it’s cool!
After the show, I went out with some of the hair team for some tacos and a few jugs of margaritas. Knowing we had the next day off, we decided to go out to a drag bar and dance the night away… a decision that the following morning our heads made us regret!
Day 4
Today was a day off with no shows or working backstage for me! So after dancing the night away in a drag bar last night, I definitely needed something substantial to line the stomach and a good strong coffee.
I was recommended a place called The Smith. The service was excellent and the coffee was even better. I ordered the mac ‘n’ cheese (yes, I know it’s a lot for breakfast but you know what it’s like after a night of dancing, and it was lunch time by the time I surfaced out of my room!) and Americans know how to do it well. The other items on the menu looked sublime… I would definitely recommend visiting!
After brunch, I decided to walk down Broadway to SoHo to do some shopping past my most favourite building in NYC: the Flatiron building. It’s so cool! Browsing the boutiques down Mercer and Spring Streets, and yes the credit card did come out!
I then stopped into the iconic Balthazar for a sweet treat. Sex and The City fans might know it as one of the series filming venues, and it recently banned comedian James Cordon for being rude to staff… I don’t see how anyone could be rude, as the service was excellent even when I was only getting a takeaway coffee and treat!
Now, you might not know this about me but I like taxidermy. I came across this store called Evolution, which was filled with great artistic pieces, fossils and of course taxidermy. If I knew I could get it past customs and biosecurity coming home without a hassle, I so would have pulled out the credit card again!
I finished my day off with an early night due to an early call time tomorrow, and there’s a strong possibility of snow so the thermals will definitely be pulled out!
Day 5
When I woke up, it was snowing! So exciting and so beautiful when everything is fresh and white, before it turns into grey slush! I had a super early call time for an offsite show down in the Bowery, which is such a cool neighbourhood.
For my last show of the New York Fashion Week season, I got to work with international hair legend Laurent Philippon (@laurentphilippon) we created my absolute favourite hair look of the week for designer Meruert Tolegen (@meruert_tolegen).
The look was a mix between Jerry Hall at Studio 54 and Botticelli’s angel hair!
Using the Dyson Supersonic r Hair Dryer, I created crystal-sharp partings, and the strong directional airflow made this an easy process. We then created a romantic texture with light textured back-combing to manipulate the hair, creating a big floaty dusty hair look… so dreamy! What a show to finish on.
After the show, I went and grabbed some brunch with some of the crew. I was craving some normal poached eggs (do you know how hard it is to find just regular poached eggs in NYC?!) and came across this amazing cafe called OL’DAYS. They serve great farm-to-table food and seriously the best coffee I’ve had since being here!
Then went and had a sombre moment at Ground Zero… amongst the snow and bustling city it was eerily quiet and respectful.
I didn’t want to waste a moment in this city, so after Ground Zero I hailed a cab and went to MoMA for a few hours. Andy Warhol, Banksy and more — how can you not be inspired!
After this, I went back to the hotel to meet some of the crew and decided to go eat some heartwarming Italian food near us. We decided on a place called Ulivo on W28th St, which is honestly worth going for the tiramisu alone!
Tomorrow is my last day in NYC, and I’ll be heading to the Met to take in the Fashion Exhibition, and try to pack all my shopping for my flight home.
It’s been a blast working backstage, as I haven’t been back since before Covid. It’s so nice to reconnect with some people, meet new ones and play in the city that really doesn’t sleep!
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