Moving On

Moving On

August 2017 | I believe that a great haircut is one that can grow out really well over an extended period of time. The equates to months, not weeks. As covered in the last post, a great cut should always encourage the shape and texture to naturally fall into place, looking great with minimal effort from a client.

​Unfortunately, most hairdressers tend to perform a cut that only looks good if styled with professional skills, products and effort. This type of design is largely driven by hairdressers creativity first and foremost. They are often strongly influenced by the Vidal Sassoon era. For many hairdressers today Vidal Sassoon was and still is, their saviour, their Steve Jobs. He is the inspirational benchmark for the sharp, precision creative hairdressing they practice. I disagree with all that, vehemently. For his time, Sassoon was absolutely relevant and a visionary. He left behind a legacy. Ironically, what renders his creative direction obsolete are the very individuals who his work specifically relied on: women.

Think back to women's lives in the 60s and 70s compared to now and you'll begin to understand why those design concepts are no longer relevant and in fact, are foolish. Women's lives today are jam-packed with a multitude of commitments, obligations and varying degrees of stress. Each day is carefully calculated to extract maximum efficiency in order to achieve a balance between work, leisure and family. For many, having a haircut that requires time and adept styling skills simply isn't an option. In fact, it's can be an annoyance. Often it is these poorly designed cuts that many have to resort to flat ironing each and every morning in order to present themselves well to the world. Poorly considered precision haircuts are particularly the bane of any woman with curly, wavy or otherwise challenging hair. These individuals, more time than not, benefit greatly from a haircut that is textured, loose and carefree. A traditional precision cut for them is infuriating and leads inevitably to either tied back or triangle.

Contemporary hairdressing must be designed to support the lifestyle and aesthetic needs each client has. Too, they must support a maintenance schedule that is reasonable. A hairdresser who consistently leads with their creative foot and fails to consider the individual and their lifestyle is foolishly and naively misguided. Instead of blind adherence to an icon of the past, a hairdresser must take notice of the current timeline and design accordingly. In this modern era, the hairdressing industry as a whole would be well-served to operate more often as mindful practitioners than creative artists. Doing so would significantly increase their demand and client contentment.