Ready, set, style!
As New York City's Lincoln Center catwalks were dismantled and the models were jetting off to Europe for international Fashion Weeks, Mary Tran, the winner of the Shortcuts Most Wanted competition, finally had some time to absorb what she learned during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. Day 1 was a whirlwind with Tran assisting at Kaelen, Tadashi and the Diet Pepsi Show. Over the next few days, Tran worked the Gregory Parkinson, Rachel Antonoff, Yeohlee and Sashin+Babi shows. Although that was all that Tran was scheduled for, this talented stylist proved to be such a great addition to the team that Rodney Cutler invited Tran to add another day, which meant two more shows-Levi's and GANT by Michael Bastian.
The Fashion Week experience was certainly a dream come true for Tran-a West Coast girl who is more accustomed to working with salon clients than with the glitterati associated with the glamorous fashion industry. During Fashion Week, Tran worked nine major shows, which brought her a coveted opportunity to work with some topnotch stylists, including personally assisting Rodney Cutler. The entire experience was a whirlwind of hairspray, backcombing and performing the session stylists' own tricks of the trade. "It has been amazing. There was a lot of fast energy," says Tran. "I learned a lot: how to pin hair better, how to tease hair, how to work fast and how to work with the team. It was great and I just got in there and soaked up everything I could."
Hundreds of stylists across the U.S. tuned in to watch Tran's video diary on the Shortcuts' Most Wanted website. In the video, Tran describes the atmosphere and how incredibly different the Fashion Week experience was from her usual day-to-day routine. She also provides some behind-the-scenes information on the styling required for each fashion show, revealing new techniques she picked up.
The Most Wanted site was created by Shortcuts as a platform for stylists to share their knowledge and inspire one another. A panel of judges and viewers selected Tran to assist Cutler at Fashion Week because of her unbridled enthusiasm and strong desire to learn. Tran certainly proved that she was the right candidate for the job as Tran totally embraced every opportunity that presented itself. Beyond assisting, the Cutler team even asked Tran to style some of the models at a handful of the shows.
Mary working hard under pressure at the Rachel Antonoff show | Two shows down, one more to go!! |