Where are we going?

Where are we going with hair trends this season? The past few weeks are all about getting salon clients through the door, and adapting to new Covid pandemic guidelines on safety. Don’t be afraid, however, to still embrace trends and encourage your team to suggest bolder, more daring looks. Award-winner and salon owner, Thomas Hills shares his view on where to go: “Stylists and technicians have been a first port of call for many people who have missed their regular root touch-ups and haircuts during lock down. I believe this time has encouraged clients to be bolder in their approach to hair and colour and to dare to be different.” 

Short and Sweet 

The first trend to encourage for your clients is short and sweet! Thomas proposes this: “I think shorter hair will be a huge trend for many reasons – one being clients looking for a new found freedom to their style now lock down is over. Several Fashion Week S/S20 shows paraded models sporting traditionally feminine styles peppered with unexpected masculine details. It’s a trend that creates a real style dichotomy within one look – which I personally love – and it’s also an exciting new way to create androgynous styling.”

At the shows, Thomas reminds us… 
• Prada: here they demonstrated the most extreme take on this trend: models’ ponytails were given a masculine edge with the addition of sideburns
• Victoria Beckham: the traditionally very ladylike chignon was worn low, with roots ironed flat to the scalp resulting in a very groomed and pulled together, yet masculine vibe
• Coach was another show where models’ locks were given a tomboyish flair
• Emilia Wickstead; here models were given two looks, both aimed at straddling a careful balance between femininity and masculinity, with a focus on profile elongation and smooth finishes throughout. 

Short & Sweet: Sexy As Hell by Thomas Hills

Thomas explains how to apply this to the salon: “I see this trend having legs – it has the potential to voice a message beyond the style itself, and that’s something trend-savvy clients are looking for, even more so after recent events left clients unable to be as bold as they would like with their styles – with many of them having to let styles grow out much more than they would choose to during lock down. My most recent Indistinguishable collection (above) is a portfolio of images with androgynous styles – full of boyish detailing and masculine feels. This style is particularly reminiscent of the Prada look, with its male-looking sideburns, while the subtle gradient cuts and razor sharp edges showcased in my Hell Sexy collection (left) throughout the rest of the collection are a continuation of this new season vibe.

On to the next proposal..

TEXTURE, TEXTURE, READ ALL ABOUT IT!

For styling, Thomas says we’ll see a return to non-uniform texture, mainly due to the fact clients had to become adept at doing their own hair and working within the parameters of their own hairdressing skills, so they are now more used to working with what they have, rather than trying to disguise it.He says: “I’ve been playing around with different textures within an individual style for a while now – in fact, many of my recent collections place texture as the focus at the heart of the collection. At Fashion Week S/S20, many shows demonstrated the beauty of texture and how simple textural changes can completely transform a look, updating it and giving it a truly modern edge. Alberta Ferretti’s show was probably my favourite take on this: texture was random, with hair blow-dried smooth and then intentional texture added to the back into the lengths with a flat iron and texture spray. The result is what I call ‘modern luxury’: it’s a texture that has become very popular over the last year.

An example of how this was seen at the shows is given:
• Henry Holland S/S20 show, a medium-barrelled tong was used to add a soft wave to random lengths of hair – the result was ends could fall loosely, with no real uniform. The style is easy to create, has an undone appearance yet manages to look ‘finished’ – which differentiates it from naturally occurring waves.
• Simone Rocha showed chunky, thick braids which were given an almost embroidered-looking texture, that beautifully reflected the collection, and with volume and structure added in an unexpected and unusual way.
• Tibi: here styles were composed of mixed finishes – shiny and matte – to complement the fabrics within the designer’s collection.
These styles seen above from the Thomas Hills Hell Sexy collection are the perfect nod to this trend, combining a selection of different textures within each style. 

Colour: A New Dawn

And for a third direction? When it comes to colour, Thomas says clients will be more inspired by nature, after having time to appreciate it more. Hair colours inspired by the sky – from pale pink dawns to midday blues and shimmering dark twilight colours – will be a trend; think soft pearlised hues. In his words: “It’s a natural move on from last season’s hottest shade: pearlescent opal was the standout colour of last season, so we’re already used to seeing these soft, dreamy sky-like hues. High fashion set the tone originally.” 

Here is where you can find inspiration in the designer shows:

• Erdem: the gemstone shade was arguably the most exciting colour trend to emerge from A/W19 Fashion Week, which was then recreated and re-imagined all over social media. As an organic move on from these pearly off-white shades, Thomas thinks post lockdown will bring in plenty of pearlescent shades of brunette and blonde. Pearly silver will be worked into warmer golden shades of blonde for a wearable alternative to last season’s opal.
• Haider Ackermann; here cool milky and mineralised brunette tones are also a progression from opal and pearl. Thomas notes they are also a refreshing alternative to all the warmer brunette shades and ruddy hues we saw everywhere last season. Pearlised blonde can be quite easily blended bespoke to flatter a natural blonde client’s complexion, regardless of its tone. So, for example, for warm-toned skin, Thomas would add more warm pigments and keep more golden hued sections around the face, weaving the more subtle pearly white shades away from the face.

“For cooler complexions I would simply opt for more pinky pearlescent-white shades and work these in more heavily. These two very different looks are our nod to this trend. Both use a similar sky-inspired colour palette of metallic grey and delicate pink, but different application techniques provide two very different styles. While one is a dreamy blend of shades painted and smudged on to hair to create an exquisite watercolour-esque finish, the other is a more definitive, almost cosmic look, full of assertiveness and artificial-looking shine, both sure to be a huge hit this season.”

So now you know… there’s a lot in this, but an interesting read!