“The Enchanted Tree” is the fourth episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. This story focuses on the celebration of the female beauty in its very essence, without any addition, and - instead - with a soft and natural feel. The episode starts with the group of foreign women visiting Palermo standing in a very special setting, a sort of mysterious place, that only good connoisseurs of the city can recognize as a real garden, whereas the majority of people may think it to be an artificial set. The protagonists of the story slowly move in the shadow of a giant tree, a venerable 25m-high, 150-year old giant Ficus Benjamin, whose huge size and peculiar shape create a sort of protected, secluded and arcane wooden dome. Actually, the magic of this incredible Ficus are its thick aerial roots, as big as trunks, who hang in the air before they reach the ground again, looking like an elegant ancient colonnade or like outstanding hairs’ enlargement under the microscope. This wonderful and oldest tree in Palermo, is placed right in the city center of the city, in a small park in a very quiet square surrounded on all sides by elegant palazzi. This extraordinary setting makes of this story the most symbolic of the series: the explorers’ experience is not only a physical journey, but also an internal one, holding the power of imagination and the bliss of a youthful dream. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to Agatha, the woman in a dark pants suit with mid-length curly hair. Intense chocolate-shaded extensions are used on her not to build length, but to give a feminine volume to a full head of hair, that could be worn by any woman looking for a warm and sophisticated look. The Great Lengths international stylists’ team shaped for Agatha what is one of the most widespread women’s aspirations: voluminous, naturally wavy hair. In particular the Great Lengths’ US-stylist and trainer Nanci Lee used GL Tapes on the interior to give fullness and GL Pre-Bonded on the perimeter to create a seamless blend. She achieved the curl pattern by using a diffuser on the loose wave pattern of Great Lengths’ hair. This has made of Agatha, an incredible model and actress who has been mastering the set scene, a contemporary woman who likes to play with contrasts: a minimalistic professional clothes’ choice combined with a loose, sensual hair look.
“The Magic of Majolica” is the third episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. In this episode Yzan, the Asian woman, welcomes us by opening the doors of a special place. She invites us to enter and discover one of Palermo’s hidden gems, The Casa Museo Stanze al Genio, a unique museum located in a baroque palace in the very heart of the historical centre. The museum collection consists of 5000 glazed square floor tiles from Southern Italy, manufactured between the 15th and 20th century for the pleasure and enjoyment of the aristocracy, the wealthy middle class and the religious communities. Besides the outstanding beauty and modernity of the tiles’ decorations, what is unique about this museum, is that it is hosted inside a fully furnished and functional private apartment, which is still used by its owners. Such an incredible combination of private and public living is a fascinating demonstration of how much Italian creativity is woven into everyday lifestyle and personal choices. The protagonists of the story sit on the floor, a perfect graphic framework, that enhances their elegance and majesty. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to Gintare, the only blonde woman of the group. Her timeless beauty stand outs in the cozy atmosphere of the room. With her soft gaze, her warm honey blonde hair color, she is the emblem of a gentle femininity. The Rossano Ferretti team shaped what is one of the most widespread women’s aspirations: long, voluminous, naturally wavy hair. Gintare’s look is so aspirational because of her light hair color, as if she had been spending time in a Sicilian beach under the radiant sun for several days or weeks. Her roots are darker, whilst the ends and the longest locks have degraded tones. Technically speaking, Gintare’s look is achieved by using 150 GL pre-bonded hair, in a combination of colors: Rooted 68/23 where 5 cm of dark roots drastically transition into a shiny blonde and Bronde 63/23 where the darker roots smoothing transition into much lighter ones on the ends.
“A Magnificent View” is the second episode of the Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. This episode is the metaphoric sunrise of the protagonists’ journey, a beginning full of desire to be open to new experiences, in a new place. A woman opens the book and suddenly it’s a fresh autumn morning, with a weak sunlight seeping in through the shutters. So the story begins in an intimate mood, as the protagonists wake up in a peculiar place, which is not so obviously connected to the sicilian tradition: it is actually a Chinese Palace, a gorgeous building located inside a park just outside Palermo, and former royal residence of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies designed in the style of Chinoiserie. Today it is a museum and a rare example of eclectic architecture. The atmosphere of the location, full of contrasts, suggests the shape of the mind, where everything co-exists at the same time: past and future, memory and imagination. Different places appear and the physical journey becomes a dreamy one. Contrast is the leit-motiv of the female aestethic look&feel: outfits range from bright or pastel solid colors to black&white, while all hairstyles are contemporary, minimalistic pull-ups, of different shapes, ranging from chignons to braids to ‘60s volumes. Romana, the main protagonist of the story (she’s the woman who kicks off the day by opening the windows on an enchanting Italian garden), wears a mix of GL TAPES and GL TAPES+, both in 04 and 06 shades, applied skillfully by the international Great Lengths hairdressers’ team.
“Wandering the City” is the first episode of the multi-faceted storytelling created by Great Lengths for its 2020 communication and entitled “The Great Italian Journey”, as a tribute to Goethe’s travel literature masterpiece “Italian Journey”. Why Sicily and why Palermo? Sicily, first of all, offers a rich point of departure to reimagine a new Italian identity, where made-in-Italy coexists with innovation. Palermo, actually, is not a random choice: the Sicilian County Seat is a treasure of historical beauty, one of the liveliest European cities and finally, an urban labyrinth, where colorful folklore is still alive whilst at the same time, an artistic rebirth is taking place. This rebirth stems primarily from the recent private initiative to undertake the renovation of Palazzo Butera, an extraordinary 18th century estate, located right on the seafront in the historical city centre, and to transform it into a library, a set of galleries for temporary exhibitions and the display of private art collections. Wandering the Palermo streets is a taste of Dolce Vita, that tranquil lifestyle that tourists coming to Southern Italy have been looking for, since the end of the 18th century, when artists from Northern European countries ventured to Italy for its warm light, bright colors and ancient heritage. Inspired by this kind of cultural experience of 19th century, five women, coming from every corner of the world, travel to Sicily to discover the sweet magic atmosphere of the lemon-trees land. Their elegant, minimalistic beauty stands out in the pop setting of the food-markets, in the baroque one of Quattro Canti or in the Renaissance one of the Pretoria Fountain. How could the artistic team create such hair styles, that are discreet protagonists, with their tiny fullness? On the Chinese woman, whose name is Y-Zan, GL Tapes and GL Tapes Plus (shades 1B and 02 in 18”) were applied. Her hair has been cut with the Ferretti’s invisible cut, to make the extensions completely imperceptible. On Laurel, coming from NYC, GL pre-bonded were applied in shades 01 and 01b in 28”. The enhancing of everyday, natural, personal beauty goes on. And it’s still “hair like you“!
Inspired by the cultural experience of the 19th century, the new Great Lengths campaign recalls the time artists from Northern European countries ventured to Italy for its warm light, bright colors and most of all, its ancient heritage and tranquil lifestyle. The campaign title is a tribute to the German Goethe’s masterpiece, “Italian Journey”, a best-selling travel literature classic, telling the beautiful elements of the landscape and the culture. Inspired by the cultural experience of 19th century, five women, coming from every corner of the world, travel to Sicily and discover the sweet magic atmosphere of the lemon-trees land. Stay tuned to discover the full campaign starting from March 2nd 2020. The enhancing of everyday, natural, personal beauty goes on. And it’s still “Hair Like You”.
Who's wearing Great Lengths hair extensions? Long, flowing hair – an ideal of beauty exemplified by numerous female stars from the movie and music industry. Yes, hair extensions are pretty ubiquitous in Hollywood these days. But who, exactly, is wearing them? Quite surprising and exciting, is how real and candid stars have gotten about their decision to wear hair extensions. Notably, Gwyneth Paltrow, Amal Clooney and Natalia Dyer - just to name a few - have publicly stated their preference for Great Lengths extensions. Even though hair extensions can be used to add more volume, or to give a bit more length, these women are more into changing up their look completely for special occasions, by using our extensions for pull-ups or for mermaid-length hair. But Great Lengths is popular also among men. No wonder if one of our clients is the American idol Steven Tyler, the lead singer and front man of Aerosmith, whose funky strands are branded Great Lengths. He is so affectionate to us, that he has also been the judge of the hair extension contest organized by Great Lengths USA.
A new definition of the classical before/after We aspire to enhance every woman’s unique personality through bespoke looks expressing different individual souls. This is the reason why we think that the traditional way to express the concept of radical change through the so-called before/after images is too limited to convey the whole potential of our message. It goes without saying, that the classical before/after images are an effective communication technique, which has become very familiar to the end consumer, who immediately understands the meaning of the message. On the other hand, given one before, our hair extensions allow for so many different after! As we perceived the simple before/after communication technique as limited, we chose to no longer use the “before and after” definition but, instead, the “beauty tech” name, meaning a technically effective look change demonstration, which still has an aesthetic appeal and a broader meaning, by showing the middle stages of the transformations as well as, most important, different final results that can be achieved, thanks to different hair styles. That's why, in our technical materials, you will find not only two images (before and after), but a whole sequence of pictures for each of our models. This means a flow of images, a dynamic storytelling empowering what extensions can do, in terms of not only length, but also volume. The sequence displays all the different steps of the transformation and gives value to the whole personality of the woman, by showing her face, her full body, by telling her thoughts, feelings and emotions about the transformation itself.
How to take care of Great Lengths hair extensions. WASHING YOUR HAIR Do not shampoo your hair for at least 48 hours after your extensions are applied by your hairstylist. This time will allow GL Pre-Bonded or GL Tapes to set. For regular care, it is recommended to shampoo and condition your hair at least twice a week, and be careful: never wash your hair with your head upside down - always keep your head upright! Apply conditioner only to mid-lengths and ends of hair, and be careful to keep away from attachments. DRYING YOUR HAIR Gently de-tangle your hair before drying, following the brushing recommendations: Towel dry your hair with a soft pressure, but never with a rubbing motion. Instead, use a blotting motion and wrap your hair in a towel to remove excess water. Always dry your attachments thoroughly, do not let dry naturally as hair is at its most vulnerable when wet. Blow dry on a low heat, starting at the roots and working downwards with a GL Brush. Remember that styling products should only be applied to the lengths and ends of your hair and never to the GL Pre-Bonded or GL tapes itself. BRUSHING YOUR HAIR Great Lengths brushes are the most suitable for brushing your hair. Take small sections of hair and brush from the scalp over the extensions to mid lengths, being careful to tease any tangles out from the bottom lengths first. Do not back comb areas where the GL Pre-Bonded or GL Tapes are placed. For Pre-Bonded wearers, separate the extensions with your fingers on a regular basis to prevent matting. SLEEPING At night, tie your hair in a loose ponytail or a braid to prevent tangling and always choose a silk pillowcase to avoid friction. EXERCISE & LIFESTYLE Great Lengths hair extensions suit most lifestyles, however, please be mindful of the following activities, which may affect the lifespan of your GL Pre-bonded or GL tapes if daily or frequently repeated: Swimming, particularly in seawater and chlorinated water Sauna or steam room use Excessive aerobic activity. If you prefer GL Pre-Bonded, a great tip to try after these activities is to use diluted Great Lengths Anti Tap Water solution to restore your hair and scalp to its natural pH balance.
The most delicate pigmentation process for Great Lengths hair. We are proud of our delicate hair coloring process, taken from the technique applied for cashmere, as it is fundamental to reach the ultimate quality of our products. The typical method of bleaching hair using ammonium derivatives damages the cuticle layer, thus compromising the hair’s texture and condition. The bleaching agent also damages the hair, leaving it opaque and fragile. Instead, the pigmentation process of Great Lengths’ hair is as delicate as the pigmentation of the most precious yarn of all: cashmere. Our de-pigmentation process does not damage the hair and permits the removal of the black pigment without altering the quality of the hair. We rather remove all pigments from the hair, instead of destroying them as it happens in ammonia decolorization processes, which are as fast and cheap as aggressive. Thanks to our delicate de-pigmentation process, the hair’s structural condition and texture are maintained, as well as the silky feeling of virgin hair. And the new pigment has a clean, empty space to occupy. This ensures that the molecule sits firmly in place and thus the color will not fade out… just like your cashmere sweater! Great Lengths was the first company in the world to use this kind of treatment for human hair; this process, performed on virgin hair of extraordinary integrity, guarantees unparalleled quality. Doing so, the hair will endure the most dynamic lifestyle and any following chemical treatment, preserving color intensity and vibrancy. Photo by Jean Philippe Delberghe @ unsplash.com
