Ever wonder why televised award ceremonies’ red carpet pre-shows are so gosh darn long? Probably not, because like everybody else, you probably find them entertaining! Sitting around, snacking and critiquing celebrities’ fashion triumphs and, more importantly, faux pas is a perfect way to let out your inner Joan Rivers. But from the celebrity’s point of view, one can only imagine that styling for such an occasion is a huge pain in their perfectly toned butts. Thankfully, that’s why God created stylists!

As segment 2 of Vivanista’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ look at producing a major charity gala, we tapped into the event Co-Chairs’ must-do regimen to be perfectly primped for the big day. With a little help from Saks Fifth Avenue we got the straight scoop from two style professionals: Rita Brown, makeup artist for Dior, and Secret Agent Salon’s hair stylist, Melissa Wagner. These pros were charged with giving SF Opera Ball Co-Chairs Mary Poland and Charlot Malin the look that’ll rock the Gala parties.

Equipped with two bottles of hair spray for any styling appointment (“One to help set the hair while styling and the other for the finished look”), Wagner is currently a big fan of the retro styles that have resurfaced with the help of “Mad Men,” a look which came in handy when styling Poland’s hair.

“Mary and I share the same enthusiasm for big romantic styles, similar to “Mad Men,” explained Wagner. “I gave her hair vintage appeal by building height in the crown and keeping the bangs full and swept. I wanted retro but not dated.” Malin’s hair, however, was a bit of a different story. Although she originally turned down the idea of a braided up-do, thinking it would come off as too “little-girly,” she compromised with Wagner on an asymmetrical loose chignon. Unlike cuts and color, of which the latter is Wagner’s specialty, “styling is the least permanent service,” she explained, which means there is more opportunity to get playful since one can change the look with the flick of a hair spray bottle.

Compromise is something Wagner has to deal with pretty often. In one case at Saks, where Wagner styles part-time in addition to her job at Secret Agent, after thinking she had completed a client’s hair style, she was handed a bag of diamond broaches which she was instructed to include in the hairstyle as well. While the results were superb, this is a perfect example of how stylists must improvise and adjust their original vision in order to suit the desires of their clients, without allowing the “Wow!” effect of the look to waver.

In case you were wondering, the exclamation “Wow!” is the look stylists strive for, as make-up artist Brown stated when asked how perfect makeup

Saks Director of Marketing, Dawn Dzedzy, with Gala Co-Chair, Mary Poland can complete an ensemble’s look.

“Elegant radiance is what will set you apart from a crowd,” she explained. “With the right skincare and flawless makeup application, your complete look can go from [just] event-ready to red-carpet ‘WOW!’” When prepping for a makeup appointment, Brown insists that actually familiarizing herself with her clients’ personality is more important than just basing the look on their physical appearances.

“By taking some time to get to know [my client], I can execute a makeup [look] that best reflects the image she would like to portray,” Brown explained. Throughout the styling process at Saks with Poland and Malin, Brown made sure to chat with them, as well as double check certain colors and looks with them before applying. “As an artist, it is natural for me to create a vision. [But,] more importantly it is my job to help my client to express hers.”

When it comes to some helpful hints, Wagner indulged that loose, “very airy and romantic” braids seem to be a new trend, while a disheveled bun as an easy DIY look one can throw together if hiring a stylist is not an option. Brown, on the other hand, reminds us that if the event is highly publicized and photos are going to be taken, heavier makeup is necessary.

So there it is! A Vivanista-exclusive behind-the-scenes peek at the women behind the ultra-fabulous, uber-glamorous, dare we say, over-the-top-fantabulous looks that will be rocked on September 10th, at the SF Opera Ball.

Check out previous segments of this 7-part series:

- Prelude: Planning a Major Gala

- Part I: Co-Chairs

Next week check out Part III which includes an interview with New York-based event design firm – Van Wyck and Van Wyck.  Hear how they’re approaching the decor for the San Francisco Opera Ball as well as a few anecdotes from other events they’ve worked on, including P. Diddy’s birthday bash at the Plaza where he wanted it to snow…in the ballroom.  Then there was the  MTV Video Music Awards after-party for Quincy Jones in Hurricane-strewn Miami.  Check in on Monday, August 16th.