Céline's 2003/2004 (A New Day...) hair

[CSCfan]

Ken Paves: Viva Las Vegas

 

Karen Marie Shelton

Date: 4/18/2003

 

I recently caught up with celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves who had just returned from spending several days in the desert working with Pamela Anderson’s hair for a future calendar and some media cover shots.

 

The rigors of a totally madcap schedule combined with the dry desert air had robbed Ken of his voice. Even though he had to croak out his well-chosen words, the ever gracious and considerate Ken insisted that it was OK to do a quick phone interview to catch up on his latest hair triumphs.

 

Just when I thought Ken couldn’t possibly top the spectacular work he has already done, he went off and created something even more spectacular. What do I mean? Have you seen renowned chanteuse Cline Dion lately? If you haven’t seen her in a recent US Weekly with a beaming Ken peering into the mirror over her shoulder, on Oprah giving a tour of her home and showing off her baby, or splashed across the media, you are probably living in a cave somewhere.

 

Ironically Ken wasn’t even originally scheduled to work with Cline’s hair. He was asked to work his renowned wig design magic for the 54 members of the show’s dance troupe. As a result of his promise to design custom looks for the show (created by Franco Dragone, the mastermind behind Cirque du Soleil), which is one part Broadway and one part Las Vegas, Ken has been keeping a grueling daily commute schedule between Las Vegas and LA.

 

As if designing multiple wig changes wasn’t keeping him busy enough, Ken was eventually approached to work personally with Cline’s hair. Ken’s task was to create a new hairstyle for her “A New Day” live performances at Ceasar’s Palace Colosseum along with her assorted special performances at the Opening Night Party and on Oprah’s TV Special.

 

Since Ken enjoys working with celebrity clients that are positive, upbeat and love what they are doing, designing a new style for Cline was a perfect fit for Ken’s legendary design talents. Since Ken believes that it is “important to develop a relationship with his clients” he had a chance to “really get to know” his famous new client. After all, his amazing works of hair art ultimately spring from his “ability to really understand who his client is and what their real priorities are”. When it comes to working with his stable of celebrities Ken takes “every possible facet of their personal and performance lives into consideration”.

 

Such was the case with the celebrated songbird who is known as one of the hardest workers in the industry. Cline has undergone some major life changes over the past few years, starting with the cancer diagnosis of her beloved manager husband, Rene. Even though Rene came through the cancer scare with a clean bill of health, Cline decided to make some changes in how she lived her life. Two years ago she fulfilled her dream of having a child with the birth of little Ren-Charles.

 

Her primary life’s focus is now completely dedicated to being a great mom to her dearly loved son. Like any working mom, Cline has to make hard choices about to spend her time every day. As Ken put it, "she gives 110% of herself in everything she does".

 

Cline is famous for living life at a breakneck pace. The singer’s performances in her celebrated Las Vegas show consume a lot of time with daily rehearsals, preparation for the show and the actual onstage times. Even the business of being beautiful is time consuming.

 

When Ken was asked to create a look that would compliment Cline’s public and private lives, he talked at length to Cline to “understand the look she wanted and would enjoy wearing”. Cline told Ken that “she wanted something fresh and new” but a style that was “easy to style and wear”. Extensions were definitely “not an option” because they required such a time commitment and would blow out her time allowance of 45 minutes for daily hair and make-up.

 

Another consideration for the ultimate chop/pixie that Ken created revolved around the fact that Cline “likes to spend a lot of time in the pool with her beloved son”. A short, wash and wear cut seemed to be the perfect choice for her sun and surf off-hours. Hairstyle versatility is one of Ken’s hair design signatures. Indeed, as he went to work creating Cline’s spectacular new style he considered “all the possibilities of turning out a style that could work as easily lazing by the pool as singing and dancing in full costume”.

 

Ken created Celine's first new chop by trimming approximately seven inches off the back and around the sides and creating lots of well placed layers around the crown. He evened out the length to give it a perfect symmetry and balance. After Ken crafted Cline’s cut, celebrity haircolorist, Rita Hazan, flew in from New York City to add her magical blonding touch.

 

How does she like her new short do? “She absolutely loves it” and believes it “was a great decision” said Ken. After the first cut was made, Cline asked Ken “to take her hair even shorter and more layered at the crown”. Why? She wanted “to have more options to try different looks” and give it a “more glamorous performance aura”.

 

Cline is not one to shrink from personal change and transformation. In fact, in the early years of her career while she was pushing hard to become an International performance artist she was required to take 18 months off to completely remake and reshape her image. Undergoing a total transformation by cutting her hair, plucking her eyebrows, and having her teeth capped, Cline was willing to do whatever it took to make her dreams a reality.

 

According to Ken she “also loves to experiment with different looks for her chic new style”. With Ken’s styling genius and guidance, she has emerged with a range of versions that range from an Elvis-esque Pompador to a spiked punk rocker to a glamorous diva.

 

The fashion world has gone crazy for the new pixie crop look and is touting it as the new Mia Farrow/Twiggy. It is also being referred to, as a history making cut that will have a strong influence on hair trends in the future. The response from Cline’s beloved fans and the media has been very positive. Although some fans may have preferred Cline with longer tresses, they acknowledge and respect her new bold, adventurous style that perfectly mirrors her new direction in both her performance and personal life.

 

Ken pointed out that Cline “is a confident, strong woman. Photos really do not do her justice” Ken confided “in person she looks absolutely gorgeous”. And yes, her hair and makeup now take just a smidge under 45 minutes. As Ken explained, “much of his inspiration for Celine’s new style” sprung from his “vision of her as a spectacular performer who is strong, accomplished and willing to take risks”.

 

Not only does Ken deem that Cline is a “fantastic performer and lady” he “respects her goals to be a great mom and make time for her young son”. He also admires her willingness to make a total style change.

 

As I’ve said before in previous articles about Ken, respect is an important part of whom he is as a person and celebrity hairstylist. He prefers to only work with “celebrities where there can be a mutual respect that develops as part of the relationship”. Ken also seeks out clients that “love their work and enjoy what they are doing”. Cline fits the bill on all accounts.

 

Since the show’s premiere Ken has been jetting to Las Vegas every day in order to work with Cline’s hair before and during the show. Ken starts the process by washing and conditioning Cline’s thick, naturally curly haired strands with Kerastase Bain Satin Shampoo and Kerastase Masque Oleo-Relax, which helps condition, detangle and create silky, smooth tresses. He towel blots her hair, adds Kerastase’s Serum Oleo-Relax anti-frizz balm and blow dries it with his famous Solano blow dryer.

 

Ken then sets her strands in hot rollers. While her hair is setting Cline has her make-up applied and has dinner with her family backstage. Ken removes the curlers and then brushes and backcombs the hair to give it well-defined movement and root lift. He flat irons the bottom strands with a small-barreled iron to get a smooth finished look on the ends of the style. Depending on whether Cline wants to go with an Elvis or glamour look, he will tousle or slick appropriately, using either wax, paste or gel. When the style is finished he sprays her entire style with PhytoLaque Soie for a light but firm hold.

 

Although Cline appears to have a messy chopped pixie, her hair is actually very carefully cut and precisely sculpted. While her off-stage “mom” look is no muss/no fuss, her performance hair is very polished.

 

Lurking unobtrusively backstage during the actual show, Ken is ready to leap forward between acts to smoothe, tuck, brush, spray, twirl or tousle as required. As always, this world-class stylist and his famous round brush is never far from his celebrity client.

 

After an intense whirlwind Las Vegas evening of styling, spraying, and touchups, Ken rushes back to the Vegas airport and hops the red-eye for LA where he lands in the wee hours of the morning. Once home, he prepares for his upcoming full day of tousling, clipping and smoothing his other celebrity heads like Jessica Simpson, Lara Flynn Boyle and Pam Anderson.

 

Ken’s time in Las Vegas has involved one of the biggest wins of all time. Ken and one of the world’s most beloved singers gambled together and won with a hot new style and media and world admiration. While some might prefer winning at the Blackjack tables, I bet if you asked him Ken Paves would tell you that life doesn’t get much better than this.

 

And with Rita Hazen:

 

Rita Hazen: Zen Master of Hair Color

 

Karen Marie Shelton

Revised Date: 10/19/07 - Original Publication Date: 4/12/2003

 

Her spectacular blonde highlights have graced the tresses of many of the biggest stars and celebrities from Celine Dion and Jessica Simpson to Jennifer Lopez. Jessica has been quoted in the press as saying "The only person who I let color my hair is Rita Hazan in Manhattan".

 

Recently ensconced at her new 720 5th Avenue 11th floor salon in New York, New York, celebrity colorist Rita Hazan is yielding her color brushes on her rapidly growing legion of hair color fans that range from pierced and posh celebrities to professional women.

 

Teaming up with celebrity stylist Louise O’Connor, Rita promises her clients the escapism of a modern day Zen retreat. The elegant full service Adir which means “amazing” in Hebrew is punctuated by a punchy mix of red and orange splashes framed by gorgeous walnut floors and edgy beats on the salon’s sound system. A separate VIP Room offers privacy and customized pampering for her famous clientele.

 

Note: The original Adir Salon which was opened by Rita Hazan and Louise O'Connor eventually became The Rita Hazan Salon. Louis O'Connor started her own salon in Manhattan known as OC61.

 

New York born and bred, Rita spent the first ten years of her hair career at the world famous Manhattan Oribe salon. Although Rita professed to “prefer certain color brands like Clairol, Wella and Logics that have history on their side”, she acknowledged that her palette of “hair paints are not restricted by specific manufacturers". Rita is a modern day artist and her canvas is the strands of her very fortunate clients.

 

Until recently Rita Hazan’s identity has been one of the hair world’s better-kept secrets, This is rapidly changing as a result of her transformational color work on Oprah’s popular makeover episodes, her noteworthy hue work with JLo and her recent blonding of Celine in Las Vegas.

 

When asked about her vision for Celine, Rita explained that she was going for a “more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style", recently created by hairstylist Ken Paves.

 

Rita explained that Celine has "never been this blonde before". Her inspiration for the singer’s baby blonde highlights was, in her words “much like a sandy headed little kid playing on the beach. Kinda like the famous blonde Coppertone baby.” By weaving a glorious rainbow of buttery blonde hues throughout Celine’s strands, Rita created dramatic dimension and shimmering yet subtle contrasts.

 

Although Rita will be traveling to Las Vegas every six weeks to maintain Celine’s blonde strands, you can arrange an appointment with her by calling the Rita Hazan Salon at 212-586-4343. The Rita Hazan Salon is located at 720 5th Avenue 11th Floor.

 

Interesting....

[CellyDee87]

Thanks for sharing Mathias They called her Cline throughout the whole article

[Krys]

"Cline" seems to be a common typo

[KimboCosmo]

Boooooooooooooo

 

[Jacqui]

Ken cut her hair? Hmm..strange...because I don't think that was Celine's best hairtsyle, but he works with Jessica all the time, and she has really beautiful hair, all the time.

[CellyDee87]

Yeah this "Ken Cut" on Celine was just awful for her I think it could suit others but not her Much nicer with the long locks, CLINE'S hair is looking A+ on tour

[Esther]

Thanks for the interesting articles Mathias!

[Davey84]

still don't like it!

 

“more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style"

 

guess you should leave it to the professionals to call a hairdo that, to what the public called 'the granny-hair'

[Soloni]

thanks for sharing

[Teodora]

Nice articles. I loved the short hairdo she had in the begining of AND and the blonde highlights. It looked great and fun and cute. I didn't like the bleach blonde colour she did later, I wonder who came up with that idea... I think the hair cuts were great, the bleach blonde was wrong. But it's all in name of good fun, I love it that she tries so many different things with her hair and I understand her completely. I also get bored of one hairdo very fast, I need to change it often.

[mirage]

still don't like it!

 

“more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style"

 

guess you should leave it to the professionals to call a hairdo that, to what the public called 'the granny-hair'

 

whahha yes you have...

it's just a way of styling that can make it a granny look... ;-)

 

remember the One heart video!? loved it there...

its cool to read the ins and outs of this story... didnt knew he travelled up and down just to do her hair... lol...

 

'her naturally thick and curly hair' wanna see that

[CelineRules!]

'her naturally thick and curly hair' wanna see that

I'd like to see that too. Seems like she tried everything except her own natural style..

So typical to try to change your own style... If you have curls, you try to straighten them and the other way around..

Why not just leave it as it is? But then again, who am I to talk? I change it too..

[destin139]

i think her hair now is the best it has ever been - she looks absolutely stunning!

but i did love her short, spikey hair - i think it really suited her (i know i might be in the minority here!)

[CelineRules!]

i think her hair now is the best it has ever been - she looks absolutely stunning!

but i did love her short, spikey hair - i think it really suited her (i know i might be in the minority here!)

Well at least there's two of us

[SensationalCeline]

So Ken was what she was referring to when she said that that was the most expensive hair cut and color she got. I guess she didn't expect everyone to hate it. In certain pictures though it really doesn't look that bad.

[AlyhBdtz]

I just found this 2003 clip that I had never seen where she talks about THE hair

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B6RYOHMUxg...feature=related

Edited July 21, 2008 at 02:38 AM by AlyhBdtz

[Bellamy]

So this is the brand Celine uses for her hair.

http://www.kerastase.com/

[KimboCosmo]

still don't like it!

 

“more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style"

 

guess you should leave it to the professionals to call a hairdo that, to what the public called 'the granny-hair'

Well I do hair, and I would have NEVER done that to her

[VintageCeline]

OO she used karastases! Apparently thats really good, more expensive than your average shampoo, but good.

 

Thanks for the interviews

 

I really didn't like that hair, I don't particularly like short hair on anyone, let alone Celine!

 

x

[Jay718]

OO she used karastases! Apparently thats really good, more expensive than your average shampoo, but good.

 

Thanks for the interviews

 

I really didn't like that hair, I don't particularly like short hair on anyone, let alone Celine!

 

x

 

 

I heard that "Cline" cried and cried about her short hair- If you remember, Ken Paves had a lot more time to spend with Jessica after that- He also got cut, by Celine!

 

That haircut was awful- What talent does it take to take out all her extensions and make her look like a boy- I swear that Ken Paves gave her the same haircut he has!

[Chin]

actually, I like her short hair in "One Heart" and "Tout l'or des hommes" video...

but I just don't like her hair in Nov & Dec 2003, it just made her like an old lady

[GoldenLeaf]

I just found this 2003 clip that I had never seen where she talks about THE hair

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B6RYOHMUxg...feature=related

OMG! She looked gorgeous here!

Her hair had a perfect length and she didn't look like a granny.

[zoea2812]

I thought she looked beautiful in that You Tube clip.

[I Surrender]

nice read. thanks mathias.

[karatedude317]

Yes I remember seeing that. That was RIGHT before she made her hair brown, I think this happened RIGHT before she sang "Dance With My Father" at the Grammys. This was actually 2004, not 2003, in 2003 she cut her hair, a year later it had grown out THANK GOD.

[Lymon]

When asked about her vision for Celine, Rita explained that she was going for a “more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style", recently created by hairstylist Ken Paves.

 

Rita explained that Celine has "never been this blonde before". Her inspiration for the singer’s baby blonde highlights was, in her words “much like a sandy headed little kid playing on the beach. Kinda like the famous blonde Coppertone baby.” By weaving a glorious rainbow of buttery blonde hues throughout Celine’s strands, Rita created dramatic dimension and shimmering yet subtle contrasts.

 

All I saw was a woman who looked 20 years older than she really was . Her hair from the time she got that super short cut, to even when it grew out more, she just looked truly awful. It made her look 20 years older, and didn't "compliment her skin-tone", as the article said. Her hair now is great. The short cut in the 90's worked, but with the blonde hair, it just looked embarassing. I can't look at a single picture where she has that blonde hair from 2003-2004.

[Nmj]

interesting

[Jenni]

OO she used karastases!

 

That's so cool, we have at least one thing in common!

[GoldenLeaf]

When asked about her vision for Celine, Rita explained that she was going for a “more dramatic, yet younger, fresher look that complimented the singer’s skin tone and new super short pixie style", recently created by hairstylist Ken Paves.

 

Rita explained that Celine has "never been this blonde before". Her inspiration for the singer’s baby blonde highlights was, in her words “much like a sandy headed little kid playing on the beach. Kinda like the famous blonde Coppertone baby.” By weaving a glorious rainbow of buttery blonde hues throughout Celine’s strands, Rita created dramatic dimension and shimmering yet subtle contrasts.

 

All I saw was a woman who looked 20 years older than she really was . Her hair from the time she got that super short cut, to even when it grew out more, she just looked truly awful. It made her look 20 years older, and didn't "compliment her skin-tone", as the article said. Her hair now is great. The short cut in the 90's worked, but with the blonde hair, it just looked embarassing. I can't look at a single picture where she has that blonde hair from 2003-2004.

Have you watched this video ?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B6RYOHMUxg...feature=related

 

I think this color compliment well her skin-tone and she doesn't look like a 55 years old woman.

[SensationalCeline]

actually, I like her short hair in "One Heart" and "Tout l'or des hommes" video...

but I just don't like her hair in Nov & Dec 2003, it just made her like an old lady

 

I agree. I love her hair in that video. I do think it did make her look older than she was but speaking honestly, I really didn't mind it then and when I see old performances and pictures now I don't mind it either. It was a stage and I'll admit a bad stage but hey, you learn from your mistakes!