Hairstyle Secrets from the Set of the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games movie would not be complete if it didn't have Katniss' signature side braid or Effie's ever-changing hair color (is it blue, pink, or orange?). Now, with the help of set hairstylist Linda Flowers, we learn the secrets of the styles that brought our favorite characters to life!
Seventeen: What was your inspiration for the hairstyles you came up with for the characters in the movie?
Linda Flowers: I collaborated a lot with Judianna Makovsky, our costume designer. I looked at the clothes and they are cut very classically and are very beautifully tailored. I knew the hair needed to have harmony with that. I used very contemporary shapes and deep finger waves from the 30s and 40s and looser ones from the 50s with the bright colors. Then, I incorporated weird fuzzy textures into these classic styles. I mixed classic hairstyles and shapes with contemporary colors and textures. Everybody loved it!
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17: Were any of the actresses super-excited about her hair?
LF: Elizabeth Banks, who plays Effie! Her hair was a challenge because the books describe her hair as having a lot of colors, like orange and aqua. I wanted to make sure it looked beautiful and couture, not like a Halloween party. I wanted it to look really beautiful. It has to look right on screen or else we lose people in believing that this is a really sophisticated and advanced culture of people.
Related: Dress like your favorite Hunger Games characters!
17: I think the image that has already become an iconic Hunger Games photo is Katniss with the side braid. Can you share your tips on achieving that style?
LF: Jennifer Lawrence's style had to be a really functioning hairstyle for her character. She was an archer who hunted amd protected herself with a bow and arrow. Her hair needed to be contained so when she reached back and pulled out an arrow, her hair wouldn't be getting in the way. I styled her hair by starting from the left of the ear and did a reverse French braid, where the braid is on top instead of the bottom. Then, I just looped it all the way around, cupping her nape and coming around to the right. It really hugs her head as it comes down toward the nape, giving her maximum control and keeping it out of the way of her bow and arrows.
Related: Learn How to Get Braided Hairstyles
17: Jennifer had to run around a lot during filming. What products did you use to keep the braid in place?
LF: The styling tool that everybody used that became very popular on set was the Top Styler made by InStyler. It's a new tool that just launched. And of course, hairspray! But more than anything, the Top Styler was important because it was able to make all those different textures that you usually need a lot of different hair tools for. When I was doing Jennifer Lawrence's hair, I would use the Top Styler to give her hair texture before I braided it. So it was more the styling tools than products. Products help, but they don't give you the texture and movement you need.
Related: Get Jennifer Lawrence's Sexy Waves
17: Can you give any hints as to how you styled Jennifer Lawrence's hair for the first time we see Katniss as "the girl on fire" in the parade?
LF: I can! During the chariot ride, I made a helmut out of hair. It looks like a headpiece, almost Gladiator-like. The main headdress lookes like a helmut out of different types of braids. I used basket weaving, plaiting, French braids, everything. There were 10 different braids in there and I made this headdress out of braids.
17: Were any of the guys, like Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson particularly picky about their hair?
LF: Stanley Tucci, who plays Ceaser Flickerman, had a blue wig, just like in the book. We put a lot of wigs on guys. I was using anywhere between 400 and 450 wigs and hair extensions on set. Almost everybody had something! You would think that the guys would be easy, but they weren't in the Capitol. Josh Hutcherson's hair had to be colored blonde, which is a bleaching process and Liam's hair had to go darker.
Related: Learn more about Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson
17: What was the vibe like on set?
LF: Oh, it was fun! Everyone worked so hard and such long hours, so there's always fatigue. But evryone on the movie was really nice and really into The Hunger Games. We definitely fed off each other's energy!
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Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
