Big-time hair

NEW YORK - Take a look at most of the hairstyles that make it onto the Fashion Week runways and you might wonder, what's up with the hair? Why is it so messy and mussy? Do they just throw it together?

It turns out a lot of time, energy and thought go into creating those birds' nests. Yesterday, Collingswood hairstylist Kevin Gatto spent hours backstage - along with his cousin, television personality and celebrity stylist David Evangelista, and an army of assistants - creating just the perfect bulky ponytail.

The hair was meant to compliment the soft, tailored clothes presented by Project Runway alum Malan Breton.

"We are going for a '60s ladylike look with a modern twist on it," Gatto said, as he teased a brunet coif. "It's kind of Amy Winehouse-y, but very toned down."

Gatto opened Verde, an eco-friendly salon, in October. Although he is well connected in the beauty industry - besides being related to Evangelista, he studied under Fashion Week stylist Frank Rizzieri - this was his first time doing hair under the Bryant Park tents.

"Yes, I'm excited. Yes, I'm anxious. We all just want to do a good job," said Gatto, 35.

When you go to enough runway shows, themes start to emerge. For fall 2008, designers sent out an endless procession of neat, tucked-in ensembles coupled with less than perfect do's. Long curls fell every which way. Ponytails weren't necessarily straight.

One of the most popular looks on the runway this season seems to be the plump-haired bouffant popularized by 1960s icons such as Ronnie Spector.

Evangelista said he worked with Breton to come up with his messier version. Once the idea was created, Breton left Evangelista and his crew alone to make it work.

Gatto grew up in South Philadelphia in a family that was drawn to fashion. His mother, a former model, took him to Saks Fifth Avenue every weekend. While Evangelista, also from South Philadelphia, was the first to become a hairstylist, his older brother also became a stylist.

"I used to hang out with them up at hair school," Gatto said. "I wanted to do hair too. It was just a matter of time."

When he was in his late teens, Gatto enrolled in the Frank Rizzieri Institute for Hair. After graduating, he started working for Rizzieri, where he became familiar with Aveda, one of the early pioneers in eco-friendly hair products.

Gatto was in business eight years before he went out on his own. He opened Verde in quaint downtown Collingswood. Here the floors are natural concrete in the front and bamboo in the back. The mint-green wall paint is low in volatile organic compounds and the wallpaper is recycled. The lightbulbs are energy efficient.

All the hair products are plant-based, Gatto said, so animals weren't killed to make them. Shampoo and conditioner come in reusable packaging. There is no formaldehyde in the nail polish, no ammonia in the hair color. And they use washcloths instead of paper towels.

"This was just all a natural progression for me," Gatto said. "The environment is important, and more important, what we use on our bodies can be bad for us."

Despite this eco-friendly philosophy, yesterday Gatto relied on products from Evangelista's salon in New York. He came up because Evangelista asked him to be on his team, and he thought it would be good exposure.

Gatto arrived in New York Tuesday night, where he met with Evangelista and went over the styling process with him.

First the hair was rolled at the crown for volume, while the bottom was tied with a twisty to keep it flat. Once the rollers on top were removed, the hair was teased within an inch of its life and sprayed with dry shampoo to make it appear bulky.

Last, Gatto smoothed the hair into a ponytail fastened at the nape of the neck. Evangelista hovered nearby, giving instructions.

"Make sure you tuck the hair behind the ear and smooth it out," Evangelista said. "Smooth it back. Spritz and smooth it back some more."

In the end, the hair complimented Breton's jewel-toned and cloud-colored collection, inspired by Catherine Deneuve's movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

Does Gatto want to come back with his own vision?

"One day," he says. "But I think I'm years away from it. There is so much that needs to be done."