Big Bad D shows off his unique style.

At well over 6 feet tall and built like a Mack truck, Big Bad D attracted plenty of attention as he sauntered into Chicago’s McCormick Place.

The hair stylist/chef/clothing designer/musician was attending America’s Beauty Show the first weekend in March to promote his new A&E reality show “D’s House.”

Then again, almost everything at the annual beauty trade show was over the top, from the hairstyles that seemed to defy gravity to the provocative dance routines at the booths.

The annual show is a chance for the world’s top hairstylists to show off the latest trends, and for manufacturers to show off the latest products. Although many of the hairstyles and hair colors on display will probably never make their way into most salons, they provide a taste of what’s to come.

Key trends included:

Wendy Bond shows hair color technique for textured hair.

Texture: Unlike past shows, where stick-straight hair dominated, there was plenty of curls and kinks on display. African-American Hair2008! showcased natural hairs as well as chemically relaxed styles. Many manufacturers introduced new curly products

Extensions: Almost every other company seemed to be selling extensions. There were extensions in every color, texture and length – synthetic and 100 percent human hair. There were permanent and removable extensions.

Men: Companies have woken up to the fact that men care about their hair as much as women. One of the biggest events of the weekend was a party hosted by American Crew, featuring a runway show of 85 male models. Several companies showed off their men’s lines, including Redken for Men and Tigi, , which recently launched Bedhead for Men.

No comments yet.