A BREATH OF FRESH (H)AIR

hair

When the world came to a standstill, so did the beauty & hair industry. There was no innovation; there were no new colours or cuts to be celebrated. Nothing was happening. All the academies were also shut down. However, after the post-Covid relaxation, people came out of inertia and wanted to make up for lost time. It was at this juncture that Vidal Sassoon, which is a 60-year old hair care concern company, recently launched its new collection titled ‘Collection 1, 2022’.

For over 60 years, the reputation of Sassoon Academy, founded by renowned British hairstylist Vidaal Sasson, has been built on developing and providing world-class education at our academies and education centres around the globe. “When I got to know of this, I just bought my ticket and went to the UK for the launch,” shares beautician/stylist Mona J reminiscing about her recent visit to the event. “Salon owners, big shots, those with big chains of salons too were present from all over the world. It was exclusively for 25 people. There was a show of hair colours and haircuts. It was a thrilling experience and it inspired me greatly to do something new.”

Although, the event was an exclusive one, it was held to give those attending the chance to actually learn something and take away with them. “The best thing about the launch was that it was not only a one-day launch, employing the look and learn method, but after the event, the attendees were given classes for a week. You could learn and later practice all those looks which were showcased by their team,” reveals Mona.

Talking about the classes in detail and the learning experience, she shares, “Teachers were explaining how they had achieved a specific look. They even shared with us their sources of inspiration, for instance how one of them came up with a specific colour palette. The expert told us that it was while looking at the sea and the effect that the reflection of the moon had on the water was how she got her collection started. So it was not only seeing, it was also learning how to create.”

This event was very different from the regular classes and workshops that generally happen. The company believes in creating a strong base. “They are not there only for the sake of financial gains but are devoted to creating the creative stylist which lies within a learner. From the very inception, they study your body language, posture, they notice the minutest of details which certainly gives better results. And this surely could be a game changer at the salon. The way they impart knowledge is very different from other academies world over or even in Pakistan,” she enthuses.

Mona strives for growth and excellence. To achieve the same, she travels a lot wanting to learn the best and latest techniques in haircuts and colour trends. “My clients are aware of the fact that I bring over new techniques for them, from around the world every six months. But, the special thing about my current visit was that this event took place after almost a period of two years due to Covid-19. People have had a very tough time coping with losses throughout the world. This particular collection is about freedom that we are coming out of the pandemic with a bang!” says Mona excitedly.

The latest trend and innovation witnessed at the VS Collection launch was the play of colours along with the geometry of cuts and lines - there were tasteful splashes of colours and radiance. “The trend that I really loved was a play with one solid colour and splashes of two shades at the fringes or the ends. Like a straight Japanese long bob with a dash of blue and orange on the border. This is also a way of expressing and celebrating our freedom and a return to normalcy,” she elucidates.

The latest rage in cuts is to go short. Short hair has gained immense popularity amongst all age groups all around the world. There are a lot of style variants in short hair. Besides being easy to maintain it is also quite chic. There are a lot of new techniques for graduation haircuts. “The traditional slim line Japanese cut is really in. And fringes especially short ones with layers are very fashionable these days. For ladies who are not very experimental there are curtain bangs,” she explains.

The beautician believes that the Pakistani woman has changed a lot during the past few years. “They are becoming bold and progressive and are not scared of change. As a result, we have girls and ladies asking for pixie cuts and short bobs which was very rare previously. It’s great to see our women embracing change,” she states.

As for the conventional lot, who like long layers, Mona says, “Like myself, there were lots of new variations that I’ve learnt on my recent trip. One such cut is with long layers that give volume and movement to the hair. Besides layers, blunt cuts or straight line cuts with just the curtain bangs look beautiful and are in vogue.”

As for colours that are currently trending, Balayage is going very strong. Balayage is the blend, the silhouette of your hair, which you can see in Mona’s hair too as she has experimented on herself and the result is fabulous! “Balayage was and still is very in. And a lot of bright colours as well, like a mix of red and blue. What I did for a client was the top was Balayage (blonde) while the borderline was blue, which looked amazing – very subtle keeping our culture in mind of course. The VS experts taught the participants to play with colours and not be afraid of exploring creativity,” she imparts.

Mona has been travelling around the world in search of something new that she can offer her clients and each time it is a very exciting experience. “This particular course from Vidal Sassoon has changed me a lot. It has taught me how to be more creative. Keeping in mind that the cuts and colours that I’m offering are client-centric and not just the cuts learnt, so every client that I deal with I consider their personality, their face cut, shape of their heads and of course what would look best on them,” concludes Mona about her memorable experience.