Beyond cut and colour

If you are looking to experiment with your hair this summer, hair expert Najeeb Rehman lets in on styles that you can work this season

What are the hair styles that are in for the season?
Well, at Schwarzkopf Professional we offer four new hairstyles (called the Essential Look) from the FLUX collection, which are trendy and apt for the season. We have two versions in every look. To begin with, there is the Cool Hunter — a hairstyle which looks great on medium- straight hair. The techniques used are graduation, where there are two ways of doing it, i.e. the Shifted graduation and Mobile guidelines. The colours that go well for this hairstyle are coppers, reds and violets. Then we have the Sports Junkie look. As the name suggests, the hairstyle is inspired from sports. This hairstyle is shorter in the back and on the sides, and goes well with the casual as well as the formal look. The third hairstyle to lookout for is the Dark Angel — this hairstyle has a very feminine, glamorous feel to it and women are definitely going to love this hairstyle. The Dark Angel hairstyle executes shine, waves and movement. The colours used are not very contrasting and are very wearable. Colours like medium brown and different shades of brown depending on one’s skin tone and eye colour are perfect for this look. Lastly, the fourth hairstyle that we have is called the Hip Opulence. This hairstyle goes well with medium wavy to straight hair above the shoulder length, and does not have many layers. And you could probably go visible young colours with this hairstyle.
 
In a country like India, there has always been a conflict between using natural products and chemical products. What is your take on that?
Well, I believe it not just about the usage of any chemical or natural product as such. Different hair textures require different hair treatments and products. Depending upon what works effectively one should choose that. Hair products (such as light colours) which contain ammonia give the users a lot of options to choose from. However, if one wants to stick to the natural colours (the ones which are somewhat the same colour of your hair), non-ammonia (organic) products can be used, too. It’s also got to do with your preference. But prior consultation with a hairstylist is imperative before you decide on which product (natural or chemical) to go for.

Getting inspiration for new hair styles every season seems quite a challenge. So, where do you look for ideas?
For this season’s hairstyle, my inspirations are from the catwalk, the apparel (the length and the fabrics of the clothes) also played a huge role in determining the hairstyles we have for this season. We’ve taken inspirations from architecture, too!
 
Do you train stylists, and if you do, then what are the top 3 tips you would always tell your students?
Yes, I train professionals and freelancers, too. We have about five arts academies across the country and I’ve always believed that one must realise that hair is an art form. The main difference between a hair dresser and a hair stylist is that a hair dresser cuts and colours the hair, but as a hair stylist it’s extremely important to know and study about the hair you intend to work on. I’ve always asked my students to take the hair as a subject, analyse it and work on it rather than just cutting and colouring it.