Fashion Week El Paseo 2011 — Monday Night’s Fashion Runway Bar

Plenty of visual feasts delighted at Monday night’s Fashion Runway Bar, the second show of Fashion Week El Paseo 2011.

The ambitious pursuit spotlighted 16 El Paseo retailers, each showing a single brand of clothes, jewelry, and accessories with a decidedly desert feel.

The fringed, long-strap leather bags from V&G Hipwear; cream-and-orange silk pantsuit from BB.one; and long, Bohemian lace inlet maxi dress from She She — all standouts — were second to the real star of the show: the models’ long, voluminous, curly hair.

“We wanted sexy, natural hair,” says Roberto Madera, whose namesake El Paseo salon styled the show. “We’ve seen smooth, flat hair forever. We went for something different.”

The slightly tousled, romantic style worked particularly well with the easy, breezy aesthetic of spring, captured by a navy-and-white-striped nautical T-shirt from Wayne’s Collection; a flowing cream-and-red zigzag print caftan from Josie’s Heart; and a simple, oversized jade-hued button down from Don Vincent Menswear that was effectively shown over leggings on a woman.

“I was inspired by a mix of the 1920s and the 1960s,” says Staci Hall, creative director at Roberto Madera salon. “Maybe a little 1970s, too. It feels very retro.”

To get the sexy style, Hall and Madera used texture-enhancing products from Davine, an Italian brand, as well as from Moroccanoil, the line of moisturizing potions popular with the likes of Rachel Bilson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Once hair was sufficiently saturated with shine-sealing moisture, Hall wrapped a tiny, half-inch curling iron around the ends and brushed out certain parts using a Mason Pearson brush. Hall, who has been with Roberto Madero for two years, learned the technique in Manhattan while studying under stylists who have worked the runways of New York Fashion Week.

The big, bouncy curls also worked perfectly with the bevy of hats shown last night, adding a bit of drama to the 1930s-inspired straw style from White House Black Market and floppy, wide-brimmed head toppers from She She and Dani C. And proving how versatile curls can be, they also looked good under Josie’s Heart’s androgynous, side-buckle felt fedora that appeared fit for Indiana Jones.

“Most girls have curly hair and don’t embrace it,” Hall says. “They straighten and flatten it until the curl is complete gone. We showed people that it’s time to embrace it.”