When Tabatha’s Salon Takeover resumes with episode two Tuesday night, it will be the start of a South Florida run on the primp palace makeover show on Bravo.

Allure hair salon in Coconut Grove gets the takeover treatment from the audacious Aussie Tabatha Coffey when the show airs at 10 p.m. on Bravo.

Bang Salon in Fort Lauderdale faces tart-tongued Tabatha Nov. 24th and then Brownes and Co. in Miami Beach airs on Dec. 8^th.

Tuesday's subject - Pablo Hernandez - is hosting a viewing party at his salon (3405 Main Highway in Coconut Grove; across from CocoWalk) with complimentary cocktails and sushi courtesy of Siam Oishi starting at 9 p.m.

We talked to the salon owners featured to get give you follicle fans a sneak peak of the hair-raising reality show:

SALON: Allure in Coconut Grove

OWNER: Pablo Hernandez

STORY: Young pup and part-time bartender Hernandez gets steamrolled by his older and seasoned staff.

BEHIND THE SCENES: “We’ve been [approached] by shows like Split Ends and Shear Genius, but we’ve always disregarded them. They [Tabatha’s Salon Takeover] work with the staff and that was the appeal. I was having an issue with the staff because I’m the owner, but I’m 21 years old.”

AFTER THE CAMERAS LEFT: “I’m very satisfied,” Hernandez said. “It’s not for the very shy though. I did believe in her [Coffey] abilities before the show and I still do. It was a shakeup. She knocked some sense into me.”

REASON TO WATCH: Sure there’s the stylist Alex who almost steals the show with his high-kicking gayety and home-beacon insight, but the tree-climbing drag queen on Ocean Drive will be burned into your brain forever.

SALON: Bang Salon

LINK:  BangHair.com

OWNER: Darren Anselmo

STORY: Cool and crazy Anselmo runs wild in his salon. “I have two girls at home and I guess I try to bring the fun from home to the salon. I act up. I say things that are off the wall. I like dancing on the couches.”

BEHIND THE SCENES: “I learned a lot about how these shows work,” said Anselmo. “I didn’t know she was watching at the beginning. She reminds me of the devil, all in black with a pitchfork ready to shove up some stylists’ ass.”

AFTER THE CAMERAS LEFT: “The makeover was a bit shocking. They did a great job, but it’s not me. I need vibrant colors around me. I felt they took it from Bang to blah. But it did motivate me to do my own makeover. I made over the makeover.”

REASON TO WATCH: “There were some very personal items she found in my work area. Very personal.”

SALON: Brownes & Co.

LINK: BrownesBeauty.com

OWNERS: Nikki Mallon and Gary Feinberg

STORY: Nikki is an imperious diva supervising her staff via remote camera.

BEHIND THE SCENES: “The production crew was amazing. They really play the game well. They told me I hadn’t been picked. But they have these cameras around. What I found out is that I had been picked for the show the whole time. The content? That’s all rubbish. I did love seeing behind-the-scenes. But I don’t know why they call it reality. Clearly it’s scripted.”

AFTER THE CAMERAS LEFT: “They were clearly on a very tight budget. We have 11,000 square feet here – salon, retail, spa. They really only worked in one little corner. Maybe they spent around $1,500 to $2,000. When I opened in 2002 I spent half a million.”

REASON TO WATCH: “The makeover was not my cup of tea at all. It’s dreadful. I thought she’d have a sense of humor. She doesn’t joke. It’s suppose to be a joke.”

You won't know who won.

Not exactly.

But you can see the three collections that made the finale by clicking on the small "play" icon in the lower left-hand side of the embedded screen (ignore the big "play" icon in the screen).

This is video I shot from my front-row seat at the finale videotaping on the last day of the designer runway fall/winter shows held in February.

"This is a little bit different for us," said Heidi Klum by way of an introduction after taking the catwalk in a cavernous tent set up for seasonal fashion shows in midtown Manhattan's Bryant Park. "Unfortunately no one has seen the show yet. I'm a little sad for our designers. We're all a bit in limbo."

That limbo means that we didn't get to see who the final three designers were for the show. There were no designers taking a bow on the catwalk after each presentation nor were the designer names mentioned anytime during the videotaping that has always served as the payoff for the contestant surviving creative challenges.

 The first grouping to hit the catwalk featured elongated sleeves on cardigans; lots of leather trousers with zippered legs and a few draped dresses in what turned out to be the weakest and most cliched of the the three lines shown.

Less anemic was the second collection which played with volume in draped dresses, tutu skirts and plenty of cocktail and evening looks...nary a piece of sportswear to be found. There was something funky - and not in a good way - about the back of the closing gown.

And the third designer was the audience favorite earning the most enthusiastic applause. All-black, with the exception of two outfits in camel and one in gray, the last designer showed exquisite tailoring and a visual theme that stretched from the opening skinny pant-and-leather-cardigan outfit (not unlike fencing garb) to the red-carpet ready strapless evening gown with a sculpted train. Harder, yes. But masterfully done; especially the form-fitting "birdcage" tops with sequins layered underneath.

Then Tim Gunn came out and thanked the Weinsteins and the judges - including Suzy Menkes, the grande doyenne of fashion editors from the International Herald Tribune - and it was over.

And yes, I know I could match the last model with the designer, but Heidi and her gang of producers are just cagey enough to mix the models up to throw off bloggers like moi, sooooo...

There was a year-long legal tug-of-war between NBC/Bravo on one side and the Weinsteins/Lifetime on the other. While the court case was pending the actual season that started airing August 20th was "in the can" but couldn't see the light of day...by court order.

The big brouhaha began in April 2008 when the show's producer - Harvey Weinstein - sold the fashioney franchise to Lifetime for what is rumored to be somewhere between $150 million and $200 million.

NBC Universal - Jeff Zucker - wasn't ready to let the mega-hit competition go so easily and put in a quite a snag by filing a lawsuit for breach of contract. NBC Universal is the parent company of Bravo, where Project Runway ran for five seasons.

But it's all good now with a settlement. Weinstein paid NBC an undisclosed amount to move the show to Lifetime.

Well, not this week. Fashionable fellows - it's time to get your guy-glam on:

On Saturday, Nov. 7 Macy's Dadeland Mall will host a "Men of Style" event featuring Tommy Hilfiger, GQ magazine's Brett Fahlgren and Miami Heat hoopsters Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers from 2 to 6 p.m.

Hilfiger and Fahlgren will host a style session at 2 p.m. The customer meet-and-greet with Haslem and Chalmers will start at 5 p.m. in the Cubavera area of the men's department. The first 50 customers who make a $50 Cubavera merchandise purchase will receive a pair of tickets to see the Heat play on Nov. 29 (tickets must be claimed between 4 and 6 p.m.).

Then next Thursday Nov. 12 Nordstrom in Aventura Mall will host a "Men's Style" event from 6:30 to 9 p.m. featuring Tom Julian, a trend expert and the author of the Nordstrom Guide to Men's Style.

In the interest of full disclosure I have to tell you that Julian and I have been friends for almost 20 years now; so I am gleefully biased when I tell you that he is brilliant.

Co-sponsored by Miami magazine, the evening will include a preview of the department store's best fall men's collections including looks from Hickey Freeman, Rock & Republic, Hugo Boss, Diesel, G-Star, Versace, True Religion, Robert Graham and Canterbury of New Zealand. Stylists will be available to assist you with finding the right look and there will be hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and a deejay spinning.

Entry is free for the Buoniconti Fund benefit. The Fund is the fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

To RSVP, get more information or inquire about special accommodations, please call (305) 243-8100 or visit TheBuonicontiFund.com/Nordstrom.

Nov. 12: Rock Bottom Couture will have a one-day mega-sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Miami Art Central building in Coral Gables. There will also be demonstrations of the newest techniques with hair and makeup from Rocco Donna Salons while fashion consultant Raquel Ortiz from Keli Inc answers trend questions. There will also be appearances from recording artist Liset Alea; ballroom dancing from Adrian Persad and Zaneta Tomposova from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Brickell. Cast members from Univision's Viva el Sueno (Ana Isabelle, Donatella, Paco de Maria and Yarka) will also make an appearance. Pre-sale tickets are $10 at rockbottomcouture.com or $15 at the door. A portion of the ticket sales will benefit the Fontanal-Cisneros Art Foundation.

Nov. 12: Nordstrom in Aventura Mall will host a "Men's Style" event from 6:30 to 9 p.m. featuring Tom Julian, a trend expert and the author of the Nordstrom Guide to Men's Style. In the interest of full disclosure I have to tell you that Julian and I have been friends for almost 20 years now; so I am gleefully biased when I tell you that he is brilliant. Co-sponsored by Miami magazine, the evening will include a preview of the department store's best fall men's collections including looks from Hickey Freeman, Hugo Boss, Diesel (PICTURED LEFT), G-Star, Versace, True Religion, Robert Graham and Canterbury of New Zealand. Stylists will be available to assist you with finding the right look and there will be hors d'oeuvres, cocktails and a deejay spinning. The benefit for the Buoniconti Fund is free. But you must RSVP (305) 243-8100 or for more information visit TheBuonicontiFund.com/Nordstrom.

Nov. 12: Trina Turk opens up her Bal Harbour Shops boutique from 7 to 9 p.m. 10% of the evening's proceeds will be donated to Women of Tomorrow. Cocktials by Georgio Vodka. . Guests and fans must RSVP by noon Nov. 12 at (305) 864-3434, ext. 250 or by emaling trinaturk@taraink.com.

Nov. 12: GBS, The Beauty Store has a "Customer Appreciation Day" at the Boca Raton store at 21303 Saint Andrews Blvd. from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The day will include free mini-facials by Murad and Clarisonic; nail consultations by OPI; blemish-banishing via Tanda, skin consultations from Peter Thomas Roth; anti-aging tips from freeze 24-7; relaxation/moisturizing guidance courtesy of Lady Chatterton; hair consultations by Renu; flat-iron demonstrations facilitated by FHI Heat; hair-saving treatment advice from Nioxin, Joico, Ojon and Phyto; hair extension demonstrations via Hair U Wear - and finally - makeup applications by glominerals, Lord & Berry as well as GBS Cosmetics. Customers will also enjoy a 20% discount on all merchandise in the store along with light-bites and refreshments. For more information, call the store at (561) 394-6123 or the salon at (561) 394-5008.

Nov. 13: The Young At Art Museum's "Junk2Funk: 4th Annual Recycled Fashion Show" will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Museum, 11584 West State Road 84 in Davie. The "Junk2Funk" show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 and advanced reservations are required;contact Mary Lynn Perrino at (954) 424-0085, extension 23.

Nov. 13: Madame et Monsieur body-slimming salon in Boca Raton will have a grand opening celebration from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and music. The salon is located at 6018 SW 18th Street in the Shoppes at Village Pointe (behind Marble Slab Ice Cream). For more information, call (561) 568-3570 or visit madameetmonsieur.com.

Nov. 14: Saks Fifth Avenue in Bal Harbour Shops presents Hutton Wilkinson (PICTURED LEFT) - the tastemaker behind the Tony Duquette label of interior design, home products and fine jewelry - from 1 to 6 p.m. Wilkinson will sign copies of his new book More is More: Tony Duquette ($75)

Nov. 18: Bal Harbour Shops will showcase a "best-of-the" Resort 2010 Designer Collections at the 36th annual luncheon benefiting Project: New Born Neonatal Special Care Center (PNB). The event will take place at The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa (3555 South Ocean Drive) in Hollywood starting at 10 a.m. with Kahlua Creations at the bar. The show and luncheon start at noon and will go until approximately 2 p.m. Designer labels to be shown include Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Chanel, Diane von Furstenberg, Valentino, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent from Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Tickets are $125, $150 and $175 (runway seating). For reservations, call Cookie at (305) 937-0300 or email rcw@rosenthalrosentalrasco.com. For fashion show updates, call (305) 866-1816 or visit BalHarbourShops.com.

Nov. 19: D. Stern Fine Jewelry (PICTURED RIGHT) opens in Boca Raton's Mizner Park (421 S. Plaza Real) from 6 to 9 p.m. at a party hosted by Shaheer and Gloria Hosh as well as David and Carol Stern. The evening will include in-store personal appearances by jewelry designer Bellarri and a representative from Philip Stein men's watch line. Hors d'ouevres and refreshments from The Capital Grille and the valet parking is complimentary. Guests must RSVP at dsternjewelers@yahoo.com or by calling the store at (561) 210-5222.

Nov. 19: Argenti Designer Jewelers in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea will have their grand opening fropm 6 to 9 p.m. The owner and master jeweler Mark Silver has designed a limited edition 92-inch champagne, pink, cream and white fresh-water pearl necklace valued at over $500 for a free drawing give-away that evening. Also, special discounts will be offered on other pieces.Parking is also available at Sun Trust Bank and Bank United on the north side of Commerical Boulevard. For more information, call (954) 772-6177 or visit ArgentiDesignerJewelers.com.

Nov. 19: Village of Merrick Park kicks off the holiday season with its annual "Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (tree lighting will take place at 7:30 p.m.) For the second time, the Coconut Grove mall is "going green" by lighting the 50-foot tree with 55,000 LED light bulbs (PICTURED LEFT). The mistress of ceremonies will be Lisa Petrillo, entertainment correspondent for CBS-4 News.

Nov. 20 & 21: GBS, The Beauty Store will host stylists with New York's curly-cult Devachan Salon to show us how to fight the frizzies. The team will be lead by the salon's co-woner Lorraine Massey, the author of Curly Girl. The event will be in the Boca Greens store (19635 S. State Rd. 7) on Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then in the Aventura store (18545 W. Dixie Hwy) from 3 to 7 p.m.On Saturday, the team will be at the Pinecrest store (11297 S. Dixie Hwy.) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the Coral Gables store (308 Miracle Mile) from 2 to 5 p.m.

The Design Center of the Americas in Dania Beach will hosts its “DCOTA 2009 Fall Market: Icons of Design” preview on November 12 and all design enthusiasts – even amateurs – are welcome to attend the lectures as long as they RSVP at (954) 920-7997, ext. 240.

During the showcase the DCOTA showrooms will be filled with special programs and events all day.

Opening the day will be a keynote panel discussion bringing center stage in Atrium C design superstars Vladimir Kagan, Ralph Pucci, Hutton Wilkinson of Tony Duquette (PICTURED LEFT), Miles Redd of Oscar de la Renta and Trina Turk

In showrooms throughout the afternoon will be designers such as Lillian August and Amy Lau at Jeffery Michael’s; color expert Jackie Jordan at Robert Allen Beacon Hill; Kathryn Ireland at John Rosselli & Associates and author Claudia Strasser at Pierre Deux.

Below is a more detailed schedule on the lectures and events the public can attend:

KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION AND RECEPTIONS

Topic: Transcending Boundaries: Inside the Minds that Define Luxury Living

Time: 10:45AM- 12:00PM

Location: Atrium C

Moderator:  HUTTON WILKINSON

Panelists: Vladimir Kagan, Ralph Pucci, Miles Redd, and Trina Turk. With current features in Harper's Bazaar, Vanity Fair and in the upcoming issue of Town & County - the notably published, aesthetically-opulent designer and social tastemaker, Hutton Wilkinson will grace the South Florida design community, moderating a keynote panel comprised of like-minded trailblazers in the industry.

Schumacher & Co., Suite A-108

Meet Trina Turk for Bellinis

Join fashion designer Trina Turk (PICTURED RIGHT) at Schumacher for Bellinis, berries and baked goods and experience Trina’s new indoor/outdoor fabric collection and latest fashions.

Baker Knapp & Tubbs, Suite A-200

The Essence of Tony Duquette

Meet Hutton Wilkinson protégé of the famed Tony Duquette for an afternoon featuring fabulous furniture, furs, fine jewelry. Join him as he presents his newest and most exclusive highly designed furniture and fine jewelry collaborations with Baker and Saks Fifth Avenue. Celebrate the release of his acclaimed book, More is More, and experience the art of glamorous living. The Fur Salon from Saks Fifth Avenue, will showcase furs from Oscar de la Renta, Dennis Basso, Bisang, Peter Som, Zac Posen, Emanuel Ungaro, Michael Kors.

Century Designer Showroom, Suite B-228

Fashionably Forward with Oscar de la Renta’s Miles Redd

Please join us for the debut of Oscar de la Renta's newest collection of furniture for Century. Creative Director and Designer, Miles Redd (PICTURED BELOW), will be on site, offering tips on how to style your space with ODLR Home, and how to translate the look from the runway to the room. Champagne and desserts will be served.

J. Batchelor, Suite A-428

SHOWTIME: A Celebration of the recent publication by Ralph Pucci “SHOW”, Vladimir Kagan and J Batchelor’s 10^th Anniversary!

Celebrating J. Batchelor’s 10^th anniversary, Ralph Pucci and Vladimir Kagan collaborate with a never before seen creation which will be on view during this event. Ralph Pucci will be on hand signing his recent publication titled “SHOW”.  Vladimir Kagan will be present for intimate conversation of his life’s work. Soiree delights will be served.

While chatting with hairstylist Simone Hylton a few days before Chris Rock’s follicle film,

I thought some of the stigma in the Rock-doc wouldn’t sting as much in diverse-coiffed SoFla.

“It’s not only blacks,” said Hylton, who along with her sister owns Natural Trend Setters salons in Tamarac and Delray Beach. “A lot of Caucasians are going to go see this movie to get an understanding of black hair as a racial and social issue. It’s about social status going all the way back to slavery.”

But according to the opening weekend box office numbers, Good Hair was not a crossover cinema hit -- failing to crack the top 10 and bringing in a little more than $1 million.

In the blogosphere, there was talk of black women “pushing back” because of Rock asserting that relaxed Euro-styled hair is perceived as “good” and for his putting black women’s “secrets” on blast.

“Everyone wants to be what they are not,” Hylton said. “It all comes down to your drug of choice. For Caucasian women, it’s hair color. For us, it’s relaxer. But we’re all doing the same thing; trying to be something we’re not.”

So I canvassed other gal-pals and black hair experts and asked two questions:

1.     Do you think the Caribbean community in SoFla has made us all more comfortable with a diversity of hairstyles?

2.     Would an ethnic hair look affect a job interview?

Here’s how they answered:

  Trina Robinson, NBC-6 anchor and meteorologist; NBCMiami.com

1.     “It’s the humidity that brings us all down. It’s the equalizer. It’s a little different down here. Up north you can have straight hair or whatever you want. Good hair is as good as your skill or as good as your stylist.”

2.     “When I was in college, I went to an all-girls school in Baltimore, I had braids. It depends on the job. If you’re interviewing for the CEO of a company, then no braids. But if you’re interviewing for the front desk of the hot chic hotel in South Beach or Fort Lauderdale beach, then yes. They might help.”

Yvonne Murray, owner of Majestyk Hair & Beauty in Oakland Park; MajestykHairAndBeauty.com

1.     “I think clients are not so caught up on the good hair concept, but more on the newest ‘it’ hairstyle coming from Detroit, New York, Atlanta or whatever Beyonce or high-profile personalities are wearing. So even if you weren’t born with manageable, so-called good hair, it’s still achievable from your hair stylist…in a bag.”

2.     “Corporate America still looks at these styles as unrefined, and with a slave mentality, since back in the days on the plantation, this was the choice we had. But at the same time, we have progressed to the point where I think it would not be the decisive factor in an interview for a female. It might be different for a male. Plus, I think women tend to take much better care of their natural styles than men do.”

(PICTURED AT TOP OF BLOG ENTRY) Glynn Jackson, Maryland-based personality on TV One cable channel and founder of HairTopia: A Perfect Place for Hair show Sunday, Nov.1st at Miami-Dade County Auditorium (including Golden Scissors Awards Miami); GoldenScissorsAwards.com

1.     “Good Hair hits an emotional curve ball. People will take it in different ways. It’s good to know the magnitude of the industry. This is a $9.5 billion-dollar industry.”

2.     “It’s still a stigma. Of course no one will say anything out loud. But the woman with her hair pulled back in a bun will get hired as opposed to hiring the woman with natural hair. That is not to say we haven’t made advances, but we still have a lot of movement to do.”

Kathleen Johnson, brand educator for Dr. Miracle’s, which is based in New York but ubiquitous throughout SoFla stores; DrMiracles.com

1.     “No one is immune. Indians, Asians, Caucasians, Hispanics. Good hair is hair that’s healthy, shiny and strong. Bad hair is hair that’s been abused. And we’re all influenced by our icons in the media. These are the people we’re trying to emulate.”

2.     “Nowadays we’re lucky a lot of people paid the price over the years so that we can now wear our hair whatever way we want: braids, weaves, relaxed. Hair just needs to be well-groomed. I would say that high humidity and curly hair would mean that braids and dreads are an easier hairstyle to maintain.”

Simone Hylton, co-owner of Natural Trend Setters hair salons; NaturalTrendSetters.com

1.     “Your hair is your status, money, background … what you are expected to be. And television tells us what is beautiful. One customer told me that when she relaxed her hair it affected what men approached her. I guess they say her hair when it was natural was not feminine enough, not soft  enough.”

2.     “In this weather and humidity, the client is better off to go with your natural hair texture. Or you’ll be fighting the elements every day and not looking your best in a job interview.”

Word has just come through on exactly which cast members from the upcoming fang-a-licious movie The Twilight Saga: New Moon will visit the Nordstrom store in Aventura Mall on Nov. 11.

Actors Alex Meraz and Kiowa Gordon, who play Wolfpack members Paul and Embry will be the featured guests of an event that starts at 3:45 p.m.

But Twi-harders should click on "Sweepstakes & Events" at Nordstrom.com/newmoon before this Saturday, October 31st to learn how you can get VIP gift-with-purchase ($75 in the BP department) access and be one of the 75 who get to meet the cast members and have your photo taken with them (you return on Nov. 20th to receive the photograph).

The rest of us will have to make do with a public question-and-answer session. 

The same day - Nov. 11 - Meraz and Gordon will also make an appearance at Dadeland Mall through the Hot Topic store, where if you buy a New Moon T-shirt starting at 8 a.m. on October 31st you get a wristband to attend the appearance. Get more information at HotTopic.com. 

But only Nordstrom/Aventura will have 75 fans meet the cast privately.

The supernatural sequel to 2008's mega-hit Twilight hits screens Nov. 20 and stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner.

Click here to read a previous blog entry on how you can get advanced movie screening passes as gifts with purchase in Nordstrom's The BP department.