A Hair Affair

THE MOVIE: “House Party”

THE LOOK: Bright, bouncy and decidedly youthful. Hip Hop rapper duo Kid ‘N Play (Kid--Christoper Reid--and Play--Christoper Martin) get busy in this kinetic teen-buddy comedy shot for chump change.

THE STAR VEHICLE: The filmmakers spent their meager money wisely, and in the process have introduced a new star: Kid’s towering head of hair--a fez-shaped, totally tubular creation with shaved sides. The exceptional do was maintained through the movie by stylist Byron Ellison.

THE PLAN: Centerpiece of this raucous and soulful flick is the party referred to in the title. Play (of Kid ‘N Play) has his crib all to himself when the folks foolishly leave town. Play intends to play indeed so he arranges the party of the year. Kid, along with his hair, has been grounded by Pop for the evening but he slinks out later to make the scene. The party is big and the beats blare. The outfits are even louder.

THE STYLE: Rookie director Reginald Hudlin instructed the film’s costumer, Harold Evans, to give him a “comic book” look. “We used as much color as we could and spread it around,” explained Evans. Red. Lime. Purple. The party would look brightly lit even in a blackout--gold chains, earrings and knuckle strips abound. The gyrating throngs are nattily clad, Play wears a beige suit with a turquoise collar, Sharane (A. J. Johnson) is attired in a tight yellow thigh-length outfit topped with a small red jacket. To start his big day, Kid wakes up in bright white pj’s with a multicolored geometric print.

THE STORES: Evans created some of the outfits himself and procured the rest at the Beverly Center and local department stores Bullock’s and Nordstrom.

THE LABELS: “We tried to keep him colorful,” says Evans. The young man’s shirt was iridescent gray silk and emanated tones of reds and blues. Was it a name brand? “It wasn’t that type of show,” laughs Evans, whose wardrobe budget could fit into a thimble.

THE PAYOFF: A statement-making personal style doesn’t necessarily mean an expensive wardrobe. As in the case of “House Party” a terrific ‘do will do.