High Braid Brigade

Re-create this New York Fashion Week look with help from celeb ULTA stylist Rodney Cutler

The next time you're wondering what to do with your hair (Top knot? Headband? Hide it under a big, floppy sun hat?), look to New York Fashion Week for your hair inspiration. A simple, but dramatic, look that went down the runways recently was the high braid, and you don't need a team of stylists to achieve this slick, summer do.

Backstage at the Carlos Miele Show (Isla Fisher is a fan of his dresses), ULTA's team of hair experts paired up with renowned hairstylist Rodney Cutler, of Cutler Salon in New York, to create this timeless style that beautifully complemented Miele's designs.

"His [Miele's] clothes are so glamorous and speak for themselves. The last thing you want to do is do too much to the hair, have it be too distracting," says Cutler. "The ponytail is such a beautiful silhouette; there's such a decorative feel to it."

Showcasing the Face
Cutler, who creates the training that is used by The Salon at ULTA, calls the high braid "one of those perfect runway-to-reality looks that really translates." Wearing the hair up and away from the face will give anyone a strong, fashion-forward look. "For a simple hairdo, it's really quite striking," says Cutler.

To translate from day to night, Cutler says try wearing a high ponytail during the day, say, to the office. After work, braid the ponytail to turn it into a brand-new look for an evening out.

Making the Braid
Re-creating this runway-to-real-life look can be done in six simple steps:

1. Using a medium round brush, blow-dry hair straight. Try the Olivia Garden Ceramic + Ion Hairbrush with the professional Sedu Revolution Hair Dryer. With its tourmaline-coated ionic generator, the Sedu reduces frizz and static by 90 percent.

2. Brush the hair into a high ponytail and secure tightly with an elastic band, like the Elle No-Crimp Ponytail Holder.

3. Separate a small section of the hair and wrap it around the ponytail to cover the band, securing with bobby pins. Karina Bobby Pins come in solid colors, as well as metallics and in polka dot and zebra prints, in case you want to spice it up.

4. Braid the ponytail tightly. To braid, separate hair into three, even pieces. Take the left piece over the center, so they swap places. Take the right piece over the center, so they swap places. Repeat until braid is complete. Secure the end with an elastic band.

5. Keep the style slick and flyaway-free by spraying liberally with Redken Fashion Work 12 Versatile Working Spray, which works to resist humidity for flexible, frizz-free looks.

6. As an alternate option, you can gently rough up the edge of your hairline to create a more edgy, undone look.