Mercer Studio owners Dewayne Mercer and Susie Chaney returned from Paris last week, but they weren’t on vacation.
The two hairstylists were fresh off a stint at Paris Fashion Week in France, a showcase of world-renowned fashion designers’ fall garments.
The duo styled 18 models’ hair for Chinese designer Masha Ma. They got the opportunity through Oribe, a hair product line the pair works with, which was on hand for the Parisian extravaganza.
While the event proved less chaotic than Mercer expected, Chaney explained the complexity of the process was surprising.
“It seemed very simple – just a basic ponytail – but there were more steps in that basic ponytail than I’ve ever done in my life,” Chaney said.
Mercer said this intricacy extended backstage. He explained the models ran through two backstage areas. On the first, the pair prepared most of the models’ hair. On the second – the area behind the runway – the models dressed, often frantically, before heading onto the catwalk.
“That’s where it got a little more hectic,” Mercer said. “There was more movement and more going on.”
They also learned several rules of high-fashion backstage etiquette and the formality expected of them.
“Oribe actually sent out a release to people going from the U.S. of what was expected,” like how to be polite and considerate amid the chaos of the show, Mercer said.
The pair’s history helped them stay comfortable in this culturally unfamiliar environment. Mercer trained Chaney, and they have since worked together for 15 years.
Chaney explained despite the large scale and intense pressure of the show, their previous backstage work also allowed a familiarity that helped keep them calm.
“The steps are very similar,” Chaney said. “You go back there, you’re sharing your space with a hair dresser, a wardrobe person and a makeup person. There are a lot of people under your feet, and you just sort of learn to move around it.”
Paris Fashion Week included shows from Chanel and Louis Vuitton, but the two didn’t have a chance to see other lines, as each designer holding their show at different venues.
“[Masha Ma’s] collection was smaller, so her space was smaller and her stage was smaller,” Chaney explained.
But Chaney gave credit to Masha Ma for the quality of her work.
“I do think she’s a brilliant designer,” Chaney said. “It was really my first encounter with her work, and she does really couture awesome work.”
 
—- Contact Austen Krantz at [email protected]