BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Los Angeles leads the flock in hair trendsetting. This year, just in time for the Academy Awards, there’s a new way to add glamour to a coiff, whether strutting the red carpet or just preening in everyday life: feathers.

(Here, LOVE CHILD feathers a superfab fashionista at Planet Blue in Malibu.)

Chicks, not to mention Steven Tyler, dig feathers. But until now, the vibe has either been one extreme or the other: drag queen/Las Vegas, or easy-ridin’ hippie chick. This new breed of feather hair-extensions brings together the best of both cabaret-glitz and funky-boho, like those created by partners Roxanne and Laura, founders of LOVECHILD. Their boutique setting is quintessentially Southern Californian, located in Malibu off PCH at a cool shop called Planet Blue (shopplanetblue.com).

What sets their version apart is subtlety and versatility. These long, skinny, ribbon-ish feathers, used singly or in a bundle, may be crimped into the hair, in which case the wash-and-wear plumes will last a few weeks. The feathers may even be styled with heat-tools (i.e., curled with a curling iron). The feathers may also be made and worn as a clip-on, in case you don’t want to commit.

There are lots of color-selections, and LOVE CHILD stylists report that younger clients gravitate toward the hot pink and turquoise options. More sophisticated choices include a natural-tone spectrum, including honey-speckle, bronze, and black and white “grizzly”, which is almost a checkerboard pattern. If you’re job-hunting, opt to have the extension attached in the under-layers of your hair versus on top, in case you choose to go the conservative route for interviewing.