fashion

According to Toni&Guy international artistic director Efi Davies, hair collections should represent the image of the company and be commercially viable as well.

She works in tandem with the technical team (that does the colouring) as a good hair cut is always complemented by a great colour.

“Usually, I look at what hair products are available in the market. For the shape, I base my research on the history of fashion and hair, and I may also look at architecture or other fields,” she explained.

Different looks are designed for different categories: The editorial look caters to the media and this is often more elaborate than those seen on the catwalk. The stylist’s imagination is allowed to run wild in the avant-garde or fantasy look, which is Davies’ forte. (She won the British Hairdressing Awards Newcomer category in 2005 and was a finalist for the Avant-garde Hairdresser of the Year four times.)

“The possibilities are endless as there are no limits. We’re allowed to think outside the box and freely express ourselves. We experiment with hair, and work with natural hair and hairpieces as well. It’s like a work of art,” added Davies, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently for the Toni&Guy Academy launch.

It’s all about juxtaposition, said Davies, and mixing up familiar elements. For instance, an Asian model could have a look fashioned for her that’s more in keeping with a Caucasian model.

Davies’ hair journey started from her beautiful coastal hometown of Kavala in northern Greece. A trip to London to visit her sister saw her falling in love with the city. And for her to stay in London meant getting a job there.

“I went to a job centre and coincidentally, there was an opening at Toni&Guy. I loved watching what clients could do with their hair. I got the bug then. Just imagine – I get the chance to make people look and feel great about themselves,” she said.

She started out from the bottom as an assistant, shampooing hair, assisting stylists and sweeping floors. Davies learnt everything from scratch and took faster than usual (less than two years) to earn her qualification at the Toni&Guy Academy.

“If you work for the main company (and not the franchise) you work in the salon four days a week and spend one day at the academy, which includes the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ), a government qualification.”

For the NVQ, one learns about cut and colour (or in hair speak, technical expertise). The last year is when you choose what to specialise in and Davies chose styling because she enjoyed it more.

The coming trends, she observed, indicate that women are going for more unchecked DIY-looking styles, while men are going for a more groomed look, blow-dried and tailored.

When it comes to colouring, Toni&Guy international technical director Jane Stacey steps in. She takes into account current fashion trends, the tone of clothes and what’s relevant, before coming up with a complementary tone for the hair.

Stacey said that at the young age of four, she already knew she wanted a “hairy” career!

“For my seventh birthday, someone gave me a doll with extended hair. I remembered I coloured it and did all kinds of things to the hair. My very first job was with a salon in town (Port Headland in Western Australia),” she said.

After working with a few salons, she became a hairstylist for the Australian movie and TV industry for a few years. She joined Toni&Guy in 1995 and eventually became Educational Director. In 2007, she took up her current position and moved to Britain.

Stacey said there are three different categories for colours: blondes, brunettes and redheads. Previous seasons had more synthetic colours for blondes and she sees it going back to a natural golden, beautiful, glamorous kind of colour, anything that has warmth and lots of shine to it.

For the brunette, the tones are going to be harsher yet feminine-looking, ranging from antique rose to tobacco tones, Redheads can look forward to more rich deep brandy reds blended with pinks and orangina.

“Asians have very dark hair but it shouldn’t restrict them from experimenting with colours. Technically, we can create anything. It’s about deciding which level you want to take it to. You’re only restricted by the limitations you set yourself,” said Stacey.

Men are also now more open to the idea of colouring, especially if the hues are subtle. She noted that men have thicker hair and colouring can make it look less thick.

All about the look

The duo were in Kuala Lumpur to present Toni&Guy’s new Interactive Collection. Seven out of the available eight looks were presented. They also demonstrated a couple of editorial looks and a fantasy look.

Victoriana: The cut is a progression of the classic Page Boy cut. The colour is a palette of Edwardian Gold, Victorian Rose and Jacobean Brown, inspired by British heritage, symbolising signature historical periods.

Frak-sion: The cut is focused on the currently popular undercut technique but moves away from aggressive androgyny, introducing a much more expensive and editorial short cut. Colour plays with the monochromatic tones and shades of metallic tones.

The Lowe: The cut is young, energetic and carefree, exuding attitude while maintaining a feminine edge. The colour is adaptable, inspired by the current trend of young “Brit-chic” crowd.

The Pixie: A 60s inspired cut, moving away from graphic lines and breaking structure for a very commercial, soft and grown-out feel. The colour is a palette of pastellised tones of strawberry, vanilla and cream, with a luxurious and juicy finish.

Ashby: A short cut that looks at femininity, suitability and individuality, an innovative and progressive layered shape. The colour works with the cut, using tone to add strength and a sense of sensuality. Just right for the catwalk.

The Luxe: The longest cut in the collection. Reminiscent of a Grecian goddess – powerful, ultra-feminine and beautiful. It looks lustrous and expensive, yet natural and effortless with seamless smooth tones of butterscotch, vanilla and cream. Appears like a modern updated tribute to the Farrah Fawcett look.

Surma: Inspired by an African tribe that lends its name to the look. It achieves volume, structure and body to give an almost flame-like appearance when combined with the fiery colours. The colours concentrate on creating texture and depth within the layers. Shades of peppercorn, walnut, mink and violet are fluidly placed.

The Pin-up: Davies’ own creation is very trendy, in line with the voluminous blow-dried look as seen on the catwalk, but more groomed and textured. To enhance the volume and texture, shades of apricot beige, cream and apricot pink are used in layers. – By S.S. Yoga