24h with John Pulitano

By Janna O’Toole

Harper’s Bazaar

March 2019 Issue

6AM Today’s show in Paris is Gucci and our call time is at 1.30pm. I’m usually up early, so first I’ll go for a long walk. Paris is the kind of city where you could walk around all day, especially as I am staying in the Marais district around Rue Étienne-Marcel in the 2nd arrondissement. I love the atmosphere of this area with all the great food, shops and bars.

8AM I like to pick an easy outfit to wear in a breathable fabric such as a linen shirt and pants because it gets really hot backstage and you’re running around a lot. Later in the morning, I make time to go to this cool hairdressing store Delorme, where I replenish the accessories and tools I can’t get in Australia. I look for great hairpins, brushes, clips and anything new that I might need to add to the collection.

1.30PM It’s call time for the Gucci show, which is always nerve-racking because they’re always such huge shows. Today’s location is Théâtre Le Palace in Montmartre, a great ’70s / early ’80s club-theatre, where the hair and makeup team is divided over four floors. Of course, everything seems calm to start, but as the 84 models arrive and with so many stairs I know it’s going to get absolutely chaotic. There are big sheets of paper on every wall with photos of every model and lists of model names with a description of what their look will be

3PM I sit my first model down. her name is Amelleah Thomas and coincidentally she’s Australian. A lot of the models already have super-cool haircuts and we are only enhancing their natural texture. But this is Gucci, so of course there are other really strong looks with wigs, hair-pieces, mousse and lots of hairspray to fix and sculpt. Textured, hippie-like waves were emphasised on long hairwith Tigi [Texturising] Seas Salt Spray, and quirky short haircuts are amped up and finished with Tigi Bed Head After Party Smoothing Cream to give that ‘partied-in’ feel. The inspiration behind the looks is the ’70s and early ’80s Parisian club scene, a mix of hippie and glam-punk style, which was tied to the colleciton and layered with lots of colourful textures and party glitter.

7PM It get’s really hot and pumping in the theatre. I’ve been running up and down stairs for hours. I hear someone call “first looks” and the girls go downstairs into the theatre to get changed – we are close to the show starting.

9PM Finally, we get to see the whole production come together, and it’s so amazing. Alessandro Michelle, our creative director, takes his applause and I think this has been one of my favourite Gucci shows (and I know I say that every time). Once the show is over, we head to the bar around the corner for some drinks with one of the makeup artists from the show.

10PM Tonight my friend and I are eating at Le Compas. It’s a cute little bistro in the 2nd arrondissement that looks out onto rue Montorgueil. After dinner we head off to Experimental Cocktail Club for a few drinks.

MIDNIGHT My friend is a DJ around here and he’s taking me to Silencio, a semi-private club designed by David Lynch. Everyone’s looking really hot so I’m glad I wore my new Gucci flares and shoes. It’s time to celebrate. Everyone is feeling great after an amazing day and enjoying the nightlife in a different city.

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