Jurenas-Dodsley 'stylin' in Berlin
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When you’re good the world takes notice.
Just ask hair stylist, make-up artist and freelance Essential Looks artist, Rossa Jurenas-Dodsley of Tillsonburg who recently returned from a trip to Berlin, Germany where she showcased upcoming trends in hair, fashion and makeup at the 2013 Essential Looks World Tour, February 27-March 7.
Jurenas-Dodsley has a degree in business and communications from university, but has focused much of her career on her passion for hair and makeup. Combining the two has allowed her to establish and develop a very successful career over the past 15 to16 years – one that includes working with Schwarkzkopf professionals, a large, world-renowned hair-care company, as a freelance Essential Looks artist.
The Tillsonburg native has done work from Paris, France to Prague, Czech Republic and just about everywhere in between including Italy, Greece, and Germany.
It’s no surprise then that the award-winning stylist was chosen to represent Canada at the 2013 Essential Looks World Tour in Berlin, presented by and put on by Schwarzkopf Professionals.
“I have been with the Essential Looks team for 12 years, but I have never been asked to do an international show,” said Jurenas-Dodsley. “It’s their (Schwarzkopf) show, but we work with the top designers around the world, including all of the fashion runways from Milan, Paris, and New York.
“It’s a collaboration with all of the designers - where all the top hairdressers, makeup artists and fashion stylists get together and design this show.”
The Essential Looks Tour both in North American and world tours showcases all of the latest trends in high fashion, hair and makeup.
“It’s everything that makes a spring/summer fashion week or a fall/winter fashion week,” said Jurenas-Dodsley, recalling the day she received the news that would take her work to the world stage in Germany.
“This time, I got a call that they wanted me to be a part of it, so I represented all of Canada in Berlin, as one of the top stylists in Canada.”
Participating in the Essential Looks World Tour was an unforgettable experience and one that Jurenas-Dodsley was honoured to be a part of.
“Every day was work, it was very intense. There were 12 ‘local heroes’ picked all across the world and I was the one representing Canada. We all had to bring a model,” she explained. “We did 87 models backstage there, then we had the 12 models that were our own. I didn’t bring a professional model, I brought a really nice, pleasant girl from Tillsonburg.”
During the weeklong show, Jurenas-Dodsley was given a particular ‘look’ to present for the thousands of spectators in attendance.
“It was basically following the trends. The look I had to do was called glam-chic,” she said. “It is a very glamorous, sexy, Hollywood kind of look with rich colours, so when finding a model, I needed to find somebody who could pull off that kind of look.
“It was a huge honour - to be asked to represent our country and to be on an international runway with all these top designers and hairstylists from all around the world and only a specific group picked to do this,” said Jurenas-Dodsley. “I’ve always had the dream that I would do this, I just never thought I’d be there and doing it.”
The Essential Looks World Tour presented a variety of looks and styles for the coming year, and did so in an enjoyable and entertaining fashion.
“The first night, it was a big show, pure entertainment – it would be like watching a Cirque De Soleil show but then they would add little elements. I got a five to ten-minute part on stage where I would re-style hair, show my trend and my look.
“On day two, I actually talked (to the 1,000 plus audience members in attendance). We talked about what we see coming for spring/summer in high fashion trends.”
Jurenas-Dodsley shared some of those ideas and summed it up in just a few words – lots of whites and lots of colour.
“Colour is key for spring/summer and I’m also looking into the fall/winter already, and splashes of colour are still going to be in for fall.”
“Vivid colours and pastels are huge this spring but you’re not going to see pastels everywhere in clothing but more in hair colouring, where you’re seeing a mix of pastels, and in makeup.”
Clothing and hair will see bolder colours – the reds, the purples, the coppers, a high shine and glossy look, noted Jurenas-Dodsley.
“You’re also going to see a huge trend and you can see it already at stores like H&M - it’s a layering of geometric shapes and whites in clothing.”
Having now completed her first international Essential Looks World Tour, Jurenas-Dodsley said she looks forward to applying what she has learned to her career, and continue contributing her skills, expertise and unique style to the evolving world of fashion, hair and makeup.
“It was great. Show-wise, just seeing how this kind of production it done - I worked with some of the top designers of fashion styles, makeup artists and hairdressers. Just working beside them you’re always learning,” said Jurenas-Dodsley. “Talking to and meeting these people from all around the world and working together as a team - that was pretty amazing.”