Chicago’s leading stylists reveal fall’s hottest hair trends and share their beauty secrets

Charles Ifergan Owner and stylist, Charles Ifergan Salons, 106 East Oak Street, 312-642-4484; 380 Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, 847-940-0900; Three Oaks Plaza, 17 West 580 Butterfield Road, Oakbrook Terrace, 630-916-8868 www.charlesifergan.com

MANE STORY
Charles Ifergan, 56, grew up in France wanting to be a hairdresser like his older brother, Joss, who now owns salons in Mexico City. “He had the car; he had the good-looking women,” Charles explains. “I wanted to be like my brother and have the dates.” Charles moved to the United States at the age of 19 and opened his first salon on Oak Street in 1974 when he was 23. He has been attracting high-profile attention ever since. Vogue, Allure, Elle, and GQ have featured Ifergan’s work, and talk shows such as Oprah and Good Morning America frequently request his help with makeovers and style tips. Ifergan recently gave new looks to the White Sox players Joe Crede and A. J. Pierzynski.

FALL’S HOTTEST HAIR
Bobs: “There’s definitely been a trend toward all kinds of bobs,” Ifergan says. “Not just the old-fashioned one-length bob but heavily graduated bobs, shredded bobs, and asymmetric bobs.” Extensions: They make it easy if you want to have long hair for a few weeks or months. “When you don’t want it anymore, you remove them,” says Ifergan. “The extensions are giving us the playfulness that we couldn’t have before-and quickly.” Long hair: “There was lots of long hair on the runways at the fall fashion shows but not just one length-long hair that had layers to it and movement.”  

STYLE SECRET
“A lot of people don’t know that you can curl your hair with a flatiron,” Ifergan says. “You just hold it as you would a curling iron.” The resulting curl and wave are “what you see on the runway and what you see in the music videos.” But remember: “You have to wash your hair, blow-dry it straight, and then curl it.” He suggests styling with a hair shiner and a light gel to give hair definition and texture.

PRODUCT PRESCRIPTION
Ifergan recommends Japanese shampoo and conditioner by Créde “for fabulous hydration,” and Phyto styling products “because they are light.” (His salons carry the hard-to-find Créde products.)

HOW TO GET THE BEST CUT
Take a photo to the salon. “At least we know the direction you’re thinking,” says Ifergan. “And then, within our knowledge and talent, we should be able to direct you to something fashionable.” He also suggests checking out stylists on the Internet to see what they specialize in before scheduling an appointment.

Anthony Cristiano National creative director, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas and Mario Tricoci Salons & Spas, 900 North Michigan Avenue, 312-915-0960 www.tricoci.com

MANE STORY
When expert stylist Anthony Cristiano, 41, is not backstage taming the tresses of supermodels during fashion week in New York, London, or Paris, he is busy providing style tips to the nation’s top beauty editors. But his Chicago clients can still catch him ten days a month at the Mario Tricoci Salon on North Michigan Avenue. “It’s really about bringing out the best in them,” Cristiano explains, “the best in their hair texture, the best in their faces, working with their bone structures, and fitting their lifestyle.” Also the national creative director for the Red Door Spas, Cristiano says the real must-have for fall is confidence. “When you’re comfortable with yourself,” he insists, “that’s when the sex appeal comes out.”

FALL’S HOTTEST HAIR
Short, cropped, and geometric: “People are starting to cut their hair off again,” Cristiano explains. “It takes me back to where hairdressing was in the sixties, and then in the eighties, when everyone was wearing their hair really short and strong.” He cites celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, and Sienna Miller as current trailblazers. “They’ve all had these beautiful locks, but they’ve made this really bold, confident statement of shedding off their hair.” Long and billowy: Shown with lots of movement on the runway at Yohji Yamamoto. “If your hair is long, it needs to be quite beautiful and sexy,” Cristiano advises,”quite soft and tousled.”

STYLE SECRET
“It’s really about having a great haircut and letting that do the work for you,” Cristiano explains. To get sexy waves, he says, blow-dry hair with a round brush to create volume, divide hair into sections, curl with fingers, and secure with metal prong clips. Let hair cool while putting on your makeup. Then take your hair down and toss it with your hands.

PRODUCT PRESCRIPTION
Not surprisingly, Cristiano recommends products from Mario Tricoci’s Match line. For curly hair, he suggests using the Shine + Define Pomade or the Curl Perfecter with the Leave-In Hair Moisturizer. For shorter hair, any type of grooming wax; for longer hair, the Pre + Post Style Activator.

HOW TO GET THE BEST CUT
“Be open-minded and come prepared,” says Cristiano. “If you want a change, come with some photos.”

Carlo Michelutti Owner, stylist, and colorist, C Salon, 621 West Jackson Boulevard, 312-876-2660 www.csalon.net

MANE STORY
Growing up in Rockford, Illinois, “uber-colorist” Carlo Michelutti spent many Saturday afternoons mixing colors and shampooing clients at his mother’s hair salon. “She always thought I should be out playing with the other kids,” Michelutti explains, “but I would rather just fold towels and sweep.” His dedication paid off. Now 36, Michelutti started his career in 1988 at Aveda’s headquarters in Minneapolis and was the national color director at Heidi’s on North Michigan Avenue from 1991 to 1997; he then helped start the color department at the ultra-chic Salon Buzz. In 2004, after working for Stonewater Luxury Salons and Spas in Connecticut, he returned to Chi-cago to open his own place, C Salon, in the West Loop. Michelutti’s clients range from socialites and fashionistas to politicians and sports personalities.

FALL’S HOTTEST HAIR
“Richer colors and fabrics translate into richer tones in hair color,” explains Michelutti. “Weaving different tones and contrasting color for dimension replaces what the summer sun has taken out of hair.”

STYLE SECRET
To maintain color, Michelutti suggests using a protein conditioner before going to the salon. “That will help the richer tones hold better,” he says.

PRODUCT PRESCRIPTION
Nounou color-care shampoo and conditioner by Davines, available at C Salon and selected other locations.

HOW TO GET THE BEST COLOR
“There are certain things you just can’t do with color,” Michelutti says. “Some people are trying to complicate too much. The less they do to their hair, the better off they’re going to be.”

Jeri Delgado Educational director and stylist, TRIO Salon, Ltd., 712 North Wabash Avenue, 312-944-6999 www.triosalon.com

MANE STORY
Jeri Delgado was new to Los Angeles and working at the Doyle Wilson Salon on Melrose in 1995 when the owner plopped Charlize Theron in her chair. “I told myself, Just be quiet, Jeri, and do nice hair.” More than ten years later, the 44-year-old LaGrange resident is still doing nice hair. She has unsheathed her scissors on Elle McPherson, Donna Karan, and Bill Murray and has styled shows for designers such as Vera Wang and Richard Tyler. A native of Spring Valley, Illinois, Delgado got her start in 1982 working as an apprentice at Vidal Sassoon in Chicago. She stayed with the company for 13 years, moving up the ranks to become a stylist, a teacher, and an art director; she eventually traveled the world to teach with Sassoon’s international team. In 1996, Delgado brought her scissors back to Chicago. And no one is complaining about that.

FALL’S HOTTEST HAIR
Signature shapes: Strong personalized haircuts will be all the rage. “It’s all about shapes that are well proportioned, well designed, and well balanced,” Delgado explains. “It has to be a defined look no matter what the cut is.” Bangs: “They create character and give a woman a look,” says Delgado. Whether they are long and side swept, or short and strong, bangs create a frame around any face. Bobs: “The bob has been reinvented to capture a wind-blown feminine finish, with layers that are curvy and slender,” Delgado explains. She also says that bobs can be worn long or short, with a fringe around the face.

STYLE SECRET
To get a sexy layered look, Delgado recommends using hot rollers on the bottom of your hair. First, apply a styling product like Kérastase’s Double Force spray for hold, “and then place hot rollers on the bottom of dry hair and roll under.” She advises keeping the rollers in for only a few seconds before removing.

PRODUCT PRESCRIPTION
Kérastase shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. “Instead of buying everything, it’s better to have three nice products,” Delgado says. She recommends Kérastase’s Nutritive Bain Satin 2 shampoo, Lait Vital Protéiné conditioner, and Chroma Protect styling cream.

HOW TO GET THE BEST CUT
Take advantage of the complimentary consultation offered by most salons. “I want to get information from the clients,” Delgado explains. “I want to know if they’re looking for a small change, a medium change, or a big change, and then I can identify whether the change is going to be the length, the layers, or the fringe.”

John Vaillancourt Owner, colorist, and curly-hair specialist, John Vaillancourt Color Salon, 56 East Oak Street, 312-371-9906.

MANE STORY
John Vaillancourt used to color the staff’s hair at the M.A.C. cosmetic store in downtown Manhattan, free of charge. “They would let me do anything to their hair,” recalls Vaillancourt, now 46. “I got so much business from people who just came in and admired the different colors.” Free publicity is one thing the renowned colorist no longer needs. The owner of the recently opened John Vaillancourt Color Salon on East Oak Street, Vaillancourt counts Alexandra von Furstenberg and Shirley Knight as clients. He is also the only colorist in Chicago to offer pintura, a Portuguese technique in which color is painted on the hair for a more natural look. But that isn’t the only thing that keeps Vaillancourt a cut above the competition: his salon features beds to recline on at the shampoo station as well as pale violet walls and special shadow-eliminating lights that enhance the skin color of clients.

FALL’S HOTTEST HAIR
“In the fall, hair color typically becomes darker and more golden than what you wear in the summer,” Vaillancourt explains. Golden browns and caramel colors “enhance a fading skin tone going into winter.”  

STYLE SECRET
Remember past experiences. “You need to know what hasn’t worked on your hair before,” Vaillancourt advises. To get the results you want, always have a thorough consultation with your stylist before a cut or color.

PRODUCT PRESCRIPTION
The entire Nigelle line, Vaillancourt says. The products are made for chemically treated hair and prevent color from fading. His salon is the only source in Chicago for Nigelle.