Annie Vazquez guest blogs on fashion for Cultist. Visit her blog at TheFashionPoet.com.
Wearing feathers in one's hair might be something hippies or Native Americans did years ago. But, these days, feather extensions are the "it" accessory to don in one's locks. Hollywood A-listers like Selena Gomez, Tori Spelling and Steven Tyler are all sporting them and in the last couple of months Miami gals, guys, kids and even their pooches have tapped into the trend. (And as the New York Times reported this morning, the trend is making it hard to find hackle at fly fishing shops.)
Aventura resident Marlo Planas AKA The Feathering Queen credits herself with being one of the first in Miami to offer the plumage pieces. Planas, a private behavior analyst who works with children suffering from learning differences like autism started Fancy Feathers after seeing a few girls wearing them on a trip to Vermont this past January. She and her partners Melissa Castaneda, Allie Manzini, Tatiana del Rey and Joanne Burgess launched the company in February.
Today, the sextuplet team travels around Miami installing the feathers
at people's homes, children's birthday parties, boutique events,
bachelorette and bridal showers, fundraisers and fashion shows like
Lorie Lester's Beautiful Villains show at The Stage.
The feathers Planas uses come from roosters in Colorado and are tinted
with a soy base dye. There's an assortment of sizes and hues to select
from such as neons, stripes, solids and some more natural looking.
Feathers are applied with a latex adhesive.
New Times: Why is Miami just getting into the feathering trend now if it's been around for two years in California?
Marlo Planas: I have no idea why it took so long to get here, but it
suits Miami very well because it's earthy and it's a beachy look.
We saw pics of pooches with feathers on your Facebook site. What's up with that?
I have a lot clients who get them and also like for their dogs to get
them too. It's $10 per feather for dogs and for puppies it's $5.
How much do the feathers cost for humans and how long do they last?
They last two to four months. You can wash and blow dry your hair with
them. Feathers start at $12 for a single mini accent, $15 for a single
thick accent, regular single strands are 3 for $25 and $50 for a bundle
of six. You can select whatever colors you want and mix and match.
What sets you apart from salons that are installing feathers?
We have the highest quality feathers and we don't charge an installation fee like they do. You just pay for the feathers.
How do you get feathers without looking like a hippie?
I get a lot of high end customers and they will start off with a feather
that is very subtle and very close to their hair color and put it in a
less obvious place. Then they'll come back and get something more bold
and put it in a more obvious place. I don't think you have to worry
about looking like a hippie. Everyone has their own personal style and
they can look classy. You can be as subtle or bold as you want with
them.
Do you think the trend is going to die out soon?
A lot of people still don't know about it and are just seeing it for the
first time. The feathers are also short in supply and almost impossible
to get. So I think it's going to last for awhile.
Visit the Fancy Feathers Facebook page or call 786-303-1382.
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