Aug
13
New-Speak Fashion and Music in Seattle
Filed Under Trends & News, Hairstyles: The Good the Bad & The Ugly
Bands in the Seattle area - our home base - are beginning to look like a Magic Bullet performed a 5-second blending of the 1970s (flares, muddled prints, skin-tight tops and corduroy) and the 1980s (Material Girrrl with heavy metal bobbles mates with preppie Wall Street Machiniks).
We see a rebalancing of both these aesthetics when we look at the Brit bands and the Midwest-to-west coast indie bands. Last week, this author went with his daughter Kaitlyn and her friends to a post-Warp Tour concert at Studio Seven, where four bands were dressed as if the 1970s post hippie look had briskly banged up against the deconstructed 1980s preppie look.
T
he unrestrained music by Paris Livore (an aggregate of For Open Arms alumni), Miles from Home and Goodnight Sunrise, the crowd of fellow musicians and loyalists, and Studio Seven’s intimate setting made this a memorable concert. The best part of the evening was the acoustic sing-along by Miles from Home, when the sound system briefly dumped. The show made me a believer in the renaissance of the Seattle music scene and a fan of the new-speak fashion. It was spectacular, to say the least.
OK, maybe this has nothing to do with hair, salons, celebrity hair or the mating habits of silver-back gorillas, but why are we not all watching the Flight of the Conchord music videos, like this one on YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLJ5a6aJOb8? Hey! They gots roller-skates and hair, right? I mean, it qualifies as one subject which greatly concerns salon professionals, no? Once in a while, we digress, but, that’s alright, baby, we jus wanna give a shout-out to all the ladies of the world.
Aug
5
Long Blondes: Indie Sounds & Style
Filed Under Trends & News, Hairstyles: The Good the Bad & The Ugly
The Long Blondes channel New Order when they first burst into our headphones, the Pet Shop Boys, and retro Blondie. The eighties are referenced resorted and made immediate by a blender of electronic synth . It is 1982 and you are inNew York City sharing an apartment in Midtown.
Spin magazine says: “Kate Jackson sings like she has amazing taste in lipstick, delivering smart, sex-as-a-weapon lyrics with a swaggering smirk that conveys both glam-charged confidence and femme-specific vulnerability.” That is why Spin writers are absolutely worth reading: bloody pure poetry, that is.
The sense of style in hair and clothing Long Blondes exhibits underlines why retro references are sometimes very good on the eye
There are many different types of learners: those that only need to see or hear something to be able to reproduce it, those who need formal mentoring, those who do it and know it from the effort and those that need a structured linear presentation of the skill. Getting good reference books can speak to all differing learning modes and we have, with the help of Amazon.com, discovered a small but influential collection.
Cutting Hair the Vidal Sassoon Way, Revised Edition by Vidal Sassoon is a picture-rich updated tutorial in cutting with precision and concrete technique. It is timely because current hair trends are pointin to more formalized technique in cutting combined with dry scissor finishing work to soften strong geometry. This is a must-have reference.
Essensuals, Next Generation Toni & Guy: Step by Step by Sacha Mascolo, Christian Mascolo and Stuart Wesson. This highly informative and deeply illustrated book contains 20 of Essensuals’ cutting-edge styles from the late 1990s with clear instructions on how to reproduce them. These looks were revolutionary and are still mimicked by everyone from the Sassoon team to bumble and Bumble.
There are many different types of learners: those that only need to see or hear something to be able to reproduce it, those who need formal mentoring, those who do it and know it from the effort and those that need a structured linear presentation of the skill. Getting good reference books can speak to all differing learning modes and we have, with the help of Amazon.com, discovered a small but influential collection.
Cutting Hair the Vidal Sassoon Way, Revised Edition by Vidal Sassoon is a picture-rich updated tutorial in cutting with precision and concrete technique. It is timely because current hair trends are pointin to more formalized technique in cutting combined with dry scissor finishing work to soften strong geometry. This is a must-have reference.
Essensuals, Next Generation Toni & Guy: Step by Step by Sacha Mascolo, Christian Mascolo and Stuart Wesson. This highly informative and deeply illustrated book contains 20 of Essensuals’ cutting-edge styles from the late 1990s with clear instructions on how to reproduce them. These looks were revolutionary and are still mimicked by everyone from the Sassoon team to bumble and Bumble.
The Inside Haircutting System by Tony Trono is a straight-forward working stylists how-to book. It is a step-by-step walk through money-making cuts that are essential for the stylist who wishes a foundation to tweak and evolve.
Men’s Hairdressing: Traditional and Modern Barbering by Maurice Lister is a perusal of the official Habia and City & Guilds guide to the S/NVQ Level 2 and 3 barbering standards, which is a mouthful. It is also a book full of illustrated examples and advice from the best barbers and men’s stylist in the country.
There are more books on the topic worth having, but this should get you started.The Inside Haircutting System by Tony Trono is a straight-forward working stylists how-to book. It is a step-by-step walk through money-making cuts that are essential for the stylist who wishes a foundation to tweak and evolve.
Men’s Hairdressing: Traditional and Modern Barbering by Maurice Lister is a perusal of the official Habia and City & Guilds guide to the S/NVQ Level 2 and 3 barbering standards, which is a mouthful. It is also a book full of illustrated examples and advice from the best barbers and men’s stylist in the country.
There are more books on the topic worth having, but this should get you started.
Never say “never”, because big hair is back with a vengeance! Instead of fearing big hair let us embrace that whic knows no shame and gather at the river of backcombed curls to lift and heal the hair with lacquer. Let the bangs rise up and cascade and go surf to big hair heaven on a wave of spray mousse and spritzes! I have to sit down for a moment. I feel so dirty yet so shamelessly satisfied.
Long gone are the days of soft natural shapes that caress the shoulders. We are heading for territory pioneered by Farah and to a place where only one or two women at a time can occupy the cloister of an elevator. Big hair is back in wide screen Technicolor and is coming soon to a salon near you.
Jun
28
Karl Lagerfeld: bobs and chopped hair
Filed Under Trends & News, Hairstyles: The Good the Bad & The Ugly
We are way late mentioning the Karl Lagerfeld’s Spring 2008 show , but wish to briefly note the chopped hair , bobs and Botticelli waves the models wore on the rainbow catwalk. Most of Karl’s clothes were, again, relegated to the monochromatic palate of grey, black and white.
It is, however, quite refreshing to see hair somewhat designed and done for runway. If Karl liked these looks enough to grace his models, we can be sure they will be demanded by salon patrons in the summer to winter seasons. Here are a few of them for your delectation and viewing deliberation.
Jun
25
Bill Blass Spring 2008: a Look Back
Filed Under Trends & News, Hairstyles: The Good the Bad & The Ugly
Though the spring 2008 collections are gone with the wind, Bill Blass Spring 2008 will be remembered as a delicate collection of lacey billowing gowns and shape-shifting landscapes of buoyant hair.
The new designer for the Bill Blass brand, Peter Som is back this fall to the sturm und drang slicked and water tortured hair styles of past seasons, but his momentary lapse of reason gave the fashion world dresses suitable for any event from weddings to formal events. His dresses were equipped with hair reminiscent of the Hollywood glamour ere as captured in the sepia tones of vintage cellulose nitrate. Let us look, one more time to these lovely looks.
The price of oil has driven up the costs of most basic consumer items, like food and transportation. This would seem a good reason to stay home and not attend the rest of the year’s hair shows. We already went to Long Beach and our regional March-April shows, so why not stay home and hunker down in the bunker?
If we did that, we would miss three of the best shows still to come. The IBS Las Vegas show in June, Salon Life ’08 held in Chicago this August and HairColor USA in Miami this September promise to be exciting and affordable events. All are held in cities that invite us to come for the shows and stay to play a little longer.
IBS Las Vegas International Beauty Show, June 28-30, 2008
In June, Las Vegas is as hot as you can take it by the pool. Most show attendees go early to the classes and exhibits, but spend the hot afternoons at the pool or inside air-conditioned cocktail parties. Night is for the main stage shows and the clubs.
IBS Las Vegas offers massive educational classes in hair and nails, hundreds of suppliers intrigue on the main floor and there are competitions to get the creative juices flowing.
The 2008 IBS Main Stage will be a mind blower, as usual. Look forward to seeing old friends, past peers now elevated to stardom and the best work from Mike Karg, Martin Parsons and Kim Vo. Witness the astounding presentation from the artistic team from Cirque du Soleil’s Zumanity.
Salon Life ’08 Chicago Illinois, August 9 – 11
Beauty shows are in need of a revamp. When the shows deemphasized education, inspiration and motivation for glitz and noise, many became small boxes for big egos. SalonLife’08 in Chicago promises to bring back all the education, inspiration with an all star line up of industry icons, including the Doves, Robert Cromean, Vivienne Mackinder, and the force behind Behind the Chair, Mary Rector-Gable. Did we mention that the keynote presenter will be Vidal Sassoon?
Haircolor USA, Miami - Sept. 6-8, 2008
May through October is summer in Miami and September still boasts hot days and humid nights. September is when the rain starts and hurricanes boil up inj the gulf. In other words, it is the perfect time to get cheap airfare and affordable hotels while still enjoying the fabulous tropical weather. Haircolor USA is held in Miami now and is one of the nation’s premier events for color education. Several thousand salon owners and the best colorists will gather to learn and share their success stories. Celebrity colorist Kim Vo will be the Master of Ceremonies. Farouk, Wella, Paul Mitchell and Joico are expected to expend a lot of treasure and talent at this convocation.
The last time you saw a tangerine dress, it was on an unhappy bridesmaid at your cousin’s wedding. Now, we see this color and orange and magenta on haute fashion runways splashed throughout bold transcendental prints. Many designers are exploring the new intensity of light produced by LCD and plasma television and both technologies have changed the way we expect to see the real world.
The public perception of reality, modified by inner light, is creating a demand for bright showy looks in fashion, architecture, home furnishings, hair and makeup. Read the full article…
Apr
26
Zooey Deschanel is a Channel to Tune In
Filed Under Trends & News, Hairstyles: The Good the Bad & The Ugly
Zooey Deschanel has made her mark in indie movies and, recently, mainstream films as a quirky scene stealing actor. Her deadpan, sardonic delivery is as notable as that of Bud Abbott and Jennifer Coolidge.
Zooey is a big fan of actress Parker Posey, who blew us all away in Dazed and Confused and continues to elevate the art of acting. Zooey is a fantastic singer, and does her own singing in movies, such as Elf with Will Ferrell. Her debut album Volume One was recorded with M Ward under the name She and Him. If you can sing with M Ward, the dead pan singer, you got some stuff.
We love Zooey Deschanel’s statement looks and share some of our favorites with you, gentle reader.