Runway S/S18

RUNWAY BRINGING IT HOME
Tommy’s Hair Company’s Jennalea Cotton (right) at LFW
Tommy’s backstage at On|Off
Carina Hedderman from Blushes Blushes Artistic Team recreating what they learnt at LFW on salon models
THE SKILLS
THINK SESSION STYLING is simply a ponytail or undone hair? Think
again. It’s fast, challenging and precise. It’s the perfect place to learn how
to follow a brief to the letter and to speed up your styling skills. But it
doesn’t stop there; it’s also a breeding ground for inspiration, with many
stylists taking back what they learnt to share with their salon teams.
Camilla Stanyer coordinates and delivers training to Tommy’s Hair
Company in Ruthin. She dedicates whole evenings to recreating some of
the most interesting looks from her time backstage at Fashion Week.
“I put pictures of the looks up on the mirror and give the team the
challenge of recreating the looks themselves,” explains Camilla. “It’s like
the Masterchef challenge where they have to taste the dish and recreate it.
It’s great fun and really gets the cogs whirring.”
It was the same for Jennalea Cotton, also from Ruthin’s Tommy’s Hair
Company. “It was great to come back from London Fashion Week and be
able to show the team the looks that were hitting the catwalk and how
they could be interpreted for clients,” says Jennalea. “I chose some of my
favourite looks from LFW and I broke them down step by step, recreating
them right in front of my salon team.”
Jennalea found that the best thing about sharing her session
experience was the lightbulb moments that happened back in the salon.
“I would recreate a style and then a team member would do it, but maybe
do something slightly differently, or use a different accessory, and the
whole feel of the look would change. Before you know it, they are creating
their own interpretations of the looks.”
The Blushes Artistic Team has worked on many shows over the years,
including Erdem, Daks and On|Off, assisting the likes of Stephen Low,
Adam Reed, Richard Phillipart and Anthony Turner. Why do they keep
going back for more? Because the skills and knowledge they acquire
backstage are second to none.
“We love bringing back a greater knowledge of products, styles and
techniques to the salon, which we then filter through to our clients and
staff,” says Isla Cordory, head of the Blushes Artistic Team.
The team holds a biannual trends evening for salon staff where they
showcase what they have learnt and the styles and trends for the season.
“On our last trends evening, we demonstrated a range of styles, from
relaxed waves to the more current super-sleek trend,” adds Isla.
Isla Cordory at Erdem
Jennalea at On|Off
Spring/Summer 2018 RUNWAY 41