Jeanie Syfu, Master of Model Manes

By Chadner Navarro
September 13, 2011

Jeanine Syfu

Charlotte Ronson Spring 2012, hair by Jeanie Syfu

Jeanine Syfu

Rebecca Minkoff Spring 2012, hair by Jeanie Syfu

With New York Fashion Week well underway, it’s not just designers and models who are having their busiest time of the year; the city's top hair and makeup stylists are also running around the city, hopping from one show to another at record speeds. And if you’re Jeanie Syfu, Head Stylist for hair care brand TRESemmé, your week isn’t just about hairsprays and bobby pins. Syfu, as 39 year-old Florida-native, is not only overseeing model manes at sought-after fashion shows like Charlotte Ronson, Rebecca Minkoff and Tracy Reese, but she’s also serving as TRESemmé’s media representative, which means her Fashion Week is equal parts coiffing and fielding interviews.

Speaking of the latter, the uber busy celebrity stylist (whose client roster includes A-listers Sandra Bullock and Amanda Seyfried) found time to speak with us about working Fashion Week with Justin Timberlake, how playing with her Barbie as a child sparked a styling career that has her on top of the world and the product and hair styling tips she relies on most.

The Inside Source: How did you get into doing hair? Was it always what you've wanted to do?

Jeanie Syfu: I have always been obsessed with beauty, ever since I was a little girl. I remember roller setting my Barbie and waiting in anticipation to brush it out. Picture me in front of the TV with cartoons on, a bowl of cereal and my gorgeous curly Barbies! I was in heaven! In middle school, I was the beauty editor of our school magazine (when I discovered the curling iron and tweezer). All throughout school, I conducted makeovers whenever I had a chance, from home cuts in the basement to up-dos for the high school dance.

The Inside Source: How did you become the Head Stylist at TRESemmé?

Jeanie Syfu: After graduation, I started working at a salon and confirmed hair was my calling. I went to Graham Webb Academy, and started my career in D.C. By 2000, I [had] moved to New York to pursue a freelance career. Upon arrival, I continued my salon training at Tony and Guy for two years, then decided to jump into a hair care and fashion freelance career, where I was on set working on photo shoots, runway and TV. Then I landed a job assisting on “Project Runway” and was offered the position as a TRESemmé Lead Stylist. Since then, I have been enjoying the experience creating looks and sharing my hair stylist secrets worldwide!

The Inside Source: What's your favorite thing about your job?

Jeanie Syfu: My favorite is that it’s constantly changing. I never know where my job is taking me. I can be working with a celebrity for the day, leading a show during Fashion Week, sharing my stylist secrets with a magazine or traveling to a destination shoot. Because I’m constantly creating and the beauty and fashion industries are always changing with trends and innovation, I always am on my toes and never get bored or tired of my work.

Jeanine Syfu

Fall 2011 hairstyles by Syfu: Charlotte Ronson

Jeanine Syfu

Tracy Reese

The Inside Source: What's it like being a celebrity stylist?

Jeanie Syfu: I always enjoy working with celebrities because I know that their look will be seen by millions. When I have the opportunity to create a style for someone who is looked upon as a style maven, it is an honor. I really like it when a celebrity has a strong POV, because it shows me that they have their own personal style and nothing beats seeing them on the red carpet, in a magazine or on TV wearing your creation! I also have celebrity clients that trust me so much that they just let me do my thing, and to me, that’s a huge compliment!

The Inside Source: It’s Fashion Week in New York. What’s that like for TRESemmé’s Head Stylist?

Jeanie Syfu: Fashion Week only happens two times a year, but I have to say Fall/Winter season shows are my favorite. To prepare for the week, I’m in touch with TRESemmé as well as publicists and we go over the week’s events, which include shows, interviews, meetings with fashion designers and any videos I may do with the brand. From there, I do hair tests with the designers and come up with a look that compliments the collection. Once that’s established, we book my best hair stylists for each show (usually eight to ten). I also need to gather supplies (such as elastic, colored sprays, extensions, etc.) for the models, if needed. Aside from directing backstage, I’m also a spokesperson and meet with editors and bloggers who are backstage reporting on the looks seen on the models. Therefore, I also like to put a little time aside to get camera-ready. Lets be honest, who doesn’t like getting beautified?

The Inside Source: What do you enjoy most about Fashion Week?

Jeanie Syfu: My favorite thing about Fashion Week would be people watching. here is so much style, and I get inspired by all the fresh fashion trends. Of course there are the celebrity sightings too! I led the William Rast show a few seasons back and got to work side by side with Justin Timberlake. Lets just say I was very star struck and blushing the whole time!

Jeanine Syfu

Syfu backstage at Tracy Reese, Fall 2011

The Inside Source: One tip for surviving the craze of the week.

Jeanie Syfu: Bring your camera to document all the amazing things you see and most importantly, have fun! It’s work for some of us at the tents and we sometimes forget to enjoy it.

The Inside Source: Tell us about some of the fashion shows you've worked on this week, and the looks you created for them.

Jeanie Syfu: Charlotte Ronson’s Spring 2012 collection is very soft and Victorian. There are longer hemlines and sheer fabrics. To compliment her collection (and the neon chokers) we decided to keep the hair simple and understated. We created deep side parts and kept the hair over the ears and pulled it back into low ponytails at the nape of the neck. To keep the look modern, we left the texture airy and effortless with soft waves and wind blown hair to frame the face.

Tracy Reese’s Spring 2012 collection is feminine. The pieces have a relaxed feel with pops of neon. Her show has a '40s-'50s influence that is very romantic and girly. To complete this look, we decided to play with rolling the hair into these asymmetric shapes to create height and left the rest of the length cascading over to one side with a wavy undone texture. On other models wearing hats, we did the rolls lower and over to one side, some with buns. Tracy is all about working with what looks best on the models and she never likes the girls all looking the same.

Rebecca Minkoff’s “Desert Love” collection pulls references from architect Luis Barragon’s poetic use of colors. The hair inspiration was Diane Keaton from "Manhattan". So I created a full, curly "perm-like" '70s texture by spraying with a 24-hour body root boosting spray and wrapped and twisted hair around elastics. Once four "corkscrews" were fastened, we diffused the hair under high heat for about 20 minutes. Once the hair cooled down, I released the elastics and brushed the hair with a paddle brush.

Jeanine Syfu

Jeanie Syfu with models backstage at Charlotte Ronson, Fall 2011

Jeanine Syfu

Tracy Reese Spring 2012, hair by Jeanie Syfu

The Inside Source: How about some hair styling and product tips?

Jeanie Syfu: The most important tip is to always prep the hair with some type of styling product (even if you decide to skip the blow dry). By applying a product such as a volume spray, mousse or smoothing product before you blow dry, it will ensure your style lasts. This creates a strong foundation no matter how you decide to wear your hair.

At the moment my favorite product is dry shampoo—especially the TRESemmé Fresh Start Dry Shampoos. It can do so many things aside from cleaning your hair. I like the fluffy, matte texture you get, which is what I have been into lately when styling hair. Dry shampoo can also preserve your color and maintain your blowout from the day before.

Jeanine Syfu

Syfu with Annabelle Ronson, Fall 2011

The Inside Source: Do you use eBay? What for?

Jeanie Syfu: I use eBay all the time! I like to search for collectibles and vintage finds—from wallpaper to Blythe Dolls to Burberry trench coats. It’s hours of fun. The last thing I bought on eBay was a Spinal Tap concert t-shirt—one of my all time favorite movies.