Spring/Summer '13 trend update

Inspired in the natural changes by Mother Nature, fashion evolves to create new looks that accent our personal style and enhance who we are as individuals. Hair trends are influenced by seasonal runway collections of fashion designers from Milan to Paris and New York. Session Stylists are asked to create looks that work in synergy with clothing and mirror certain aspects of texture, colour and structure.

Spring/Summer 2013 is a year boasting pop-inspired floral prints. Unlike the recent past seasons of large floral prints, this year we are seeing small intense floral patterns. Texture also returns to be a popular choice as seen with the ever-flowing maxi dress. This can be interpreted in hair with the continuation of natural texture and movement. Again, were are seeing a shift away from perfect ‘hairdresser hair,’ and more towards simple waves that appear ‘lived in’ over a couple days.

As professional stylists in our seasonal update training, our mentors debuted looks that teach us how to create texture without it looking perfect. Guests are shying away from perfect curls or sleek flat ironing, and opting for new looks frequently posted by Pinterest followers. This rising influence of social media in pop culture has us looking increasingly to Pinterest and Instagram to discover the latest trends in fashion and hair that our guests desire.

Recently I heard a Stylist in a training seminar sigh under her breath ‘Ombré….again?!’ as an educator was revealing the latest collection from L’Oréal Professionnel: Ombré Nature. Ombré is a specialized technique that fades a deeper base into lighter ends, which has been a staple in highlighting technique for the past three years. Simply stated, Ombré is a technique that isn’t going away. It will continue to evolve and take on new appearances due to its natural finish rather than classic blonde foils.

Ombré is achieved by visually placing highlights throughout the hair either by open air (called Balayage: the French word meaning ‘to sweep over’), or by separation with cotton or highlighting material. The artistry is created by the blend between the base colour at the roots and lightness on the ends using a premium lightening product. Almost all magazine covers you see today showcase some form of Ombré and less of blonde foiling.

Spring/Summer 2013’s colour trend is slightly more natural then previous years. Base colours are softened slightly, boasting tones of neutral mocha and varying natural blonde tones. This technique is excellent for maintenance since the blonde does not reach the root entirely, and you will not notice your roots as quickly as you do with conventional foils.

Photo: Contributed

Have some fun during the warmest and most glorious days of the year and lighten up! Have some fun experimenting with the latest in colour and texture and push your Stylist’s creative limits. Nothing is more fun then accenting your look with the evolution of well rounded fashion.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.