Rita Ora has quickly become one to watch in fashion, as much for her sartorial taste as for her ability to find the perfect hair and makeup to complement her quirky style. Whether her hair look involves pearl accents woven through classic French braids for a fresh twist, or two-toned, cotton candy colors for a bit of fun, hairstylist Chris Appleton continues to serve up new looks to love on Rita.
Naturally, for the 2015 British Fashion Awards, he crafted a knotted, undone updo that's begging to be worn to upcoming holiday parties. Ora rolled up to the London Coliseum with the night's biggest honoree, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld, wearing a black military-style dress from the designer with the high-fashion beauty look to match. "The look was all about effortless beauty," Rita's mane man told InStyle on the overarching theme. When it came to Rita's hair, Chris went for a textured, slightly undone updo to show off the detailing on her dress (and those major diamond earrings).
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To get the look, Appleton started on freshly-washed hair, blow drying it smooth with Oribe Supershine Moisturizing Cream ($49; oribe.com). To give the hair separation and a slight wet texture, he applied a pump of Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil ($69; shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com) to his hands and ran them through Rita's hair. For the updo, Chris took a section of hair on either side of Ora's head, bringing them to meet at the back and crossing them over into a knot. He repeated this technique down to the nape of her neck, adding hair as he went and folding the ends into a bun, anchoring it in place with bobby pins. To create that effortless effect, he pulled small sections of Rita's hair out to frame her face and give it a "lived in" look.