Bee Sam Debuts VanStrands Hair Designs Collection on the Portland Runway

Bee Sam works with hair as a textile in a collection that spans straight, wavy and curly textures

PORTLAND, Ore. — Master colorist, educator and inventor Bee Sam debuted the VanStrands  Hair Designs Collection by Bee Sam Beauty on November 7, 2026, at the NuWave Fashion  Show at the Jacobs Center in Portland. The collection brought hair to the runway as a textile,  using its natural range of textures to shape garments and headpieces. 

Vivid pinks and oranges swept down the runway as models showcased garments Bee Sam  crafted from straight, wavy and curly hair. She worked her signature VanStrands sequin  strands directly into the garments, adding flashes of sparkle with every step.

“To me, hair is a design medium unlike any other. I love how differently it can behave in a  garment. It can fall sleek and straight, ripple in loose waves or hold its shape in a braid,” said  Bee Sam. “It was thrilling to watch those textures come alive under the runway lights in a rush  of color and sparkle.” 

Bee Sam originally developed VanStrands for professional hairdressers, combining sequin  ribbon and tinsel fairy hair to add light, texture and movement to salon styles. The runway  collection grew out of a realization that she could weave, braid, layer and drape the strands  into the designs themselves. 

Bee Sam traces her interest in fashion to her grandfather, who designed coats in a women’s  coat factory. As a teenager, she sewed her own clothes and early in her salon career made  runway headpieces by hand. She brought that same approach to her work as a master  colorist, developing Boxy Balayage and inventing VanStrands. 

The VanStrands Starter Kit is available to professional hairdressers who want to offer the  service to salon clients and explore what they can create with the strands behind the chair. 

For photos and booking information, visit https://beesambeauty.com/about-bee-sam/ 

About VanStrands 

Created in the Bee Sam Beauty studio and named in honor of Vancouver, Washington,  VanStrands is a first-of-its-kind hair design extension innovation. Combining sequin ribbon with  tinsel fairy hair, each strand catches the light, creating movement, sparkle, and  dimension. This innovative technique brings a new and exciting creative service into salons,  giving stylists something unique to offer their clients.