Texture: The Season of Texture!

by Modern Salon on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Learn more about Texture!, a collaboration between CurlStylist, NaturallyCurly and Modern Salon

By all appearances, fall 2010 will go down in fashion history as “the season of texture.” Dozens of notable fashion designers have eschewed straight strands, embracing instead all manner of curls, coils, crimps, waves and teased clouds of hair on their catwalks.

Miley Cyrus

On the West Coast, style setters are also advancing the texture trend. Nearly every red carpet is adorned with sexy, romantic textures, made popular by stars like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, Kate Hudson, Charlize Theron and Beyonce.

“Clients today are requesting anything but flat hair,” says Lina Shamoun, a 2010 North American Hairstyling Awards Texture Finalist from Kitchener, Ontario.

And regardless of whether clients are starting out with natural curl, wave or pin-straight strands, everyone has texture options this season!

Natural Curl: Embrace and Refine

“Curly hair is coming into its own,” says Titi Branch, co-owner of Miss Jessie’s Products and Salon in New York. “Twenty years ago, we wouldn’t even be talking about curly hair because people straightened their curls.

Michelle Obama

“Now, women want to embrace their natural, healthy curl. Michelle Obama even wore curls to a state dinner recently— for her to do so really validates the beauty of the look.”

But curly can also be high maintenance, admits Branch, which is why the current trend is a smoother, looser curl pattern.

“This allows a woman to keep her curl,” she explains, “but refine it.” At Miss Jessie’s, this elongated curl is achieved with the salon’s proprietary “Silkener” service. The technique involves a sodium hydroxide relaxer and a method of manipulation that stretches, yet doesn’t straighten, the hair.

“The result,” says Branch, “is hair that behaves like natural hair when it’s wet—before it dries and shrinks. It’s wash and go—it cuts styling time in half.” To support natural curls, Branch recommends Miss Jessie’s Curly Pudding treatment—a perennial favorite that combines macadamia and almond oil, aloe and shea butter for shine, plumping and moisture.

Curl definition is also imperative for Shawna Parvin’s curly clients, and the most modern approach, says the Aquage educator, NAHA 2009 Texture Winner and 2010 Hairstylist of the Year nominee, is to mix it up—random curl sizes, directions and even amounts of definition. “I’m telling my clients to start with a gel on damp hair,” she says, and comb it through scalp to ends. “Then wind sections of varying sizes, in every direction, so they look like little snakes. Don’t touch the hair until it’s completely dry, then move it around and even pull a few random pieces apart so there’s some fuzz mixed in with the curl. That’s what keeps curl from looking like the ’80s.”

Options are important for women with any texture, and naturally curly clients will always want blowouts for occasions when their hair must look polished, says Dickey, owner of New York’s Hair Rules Salon and hair products company. What makes blowouts look fresh this season, he says, is a voluminous, soft, Mad Men-inspired look, with lots of flattering movement around the face.

“Bone straight doesn’t work for most women,” he comments. “Waves and curls look softer on anyone—it’s ‘instant youth.’”

Making Waves—Keep it Raw

When it comes to creating curls and waves, the perfectly formed curls are evolving into a rougher, more raw-edged texture, says Chad Seale of Salt Lake City, another 2010 NAHA Texture finalist.

“Waves will be more vertical, looser, less constructed than we’ve seen in past seasons,” agrees Darby Shields, Associate Artistic Director of ISO International.

When it comes to these vertical waves, there’s also a new silhouette worth noting, adds Seale, namely, a flatter crown with more volume through the midlengths and ends. Seale loves this texture and shape on shorter-length bobs—actress Charlize Theron has been seen sporting the look. To permanently create this casual texture on tightly curly hair, Shields steers clients to the ISO Maintamer.

“This formula gives stylists plenty of control,” she explains. “Leave it on for five minutes, and it eliminates frizz but maintains the curl pattern. Leave it on for 30 minutes and it straightens more completely.”

To produce loose, ropey, “Gisele” texture with a thermal iron, Shields first mists strands with a combination of ISO Color Preserve Thermal Shield Spray and Daily Shape Working Spray, then wraps sections of hair vertically around the outside of a curling iron, simultaneously twisting each section onto itself like a rope. Once the hair cools completely, she gently releases the twists, revealing “a spiral, vertical wave with lots of internal torque.”

The flat iron is another excellent tool for creating this type of natural-looking body and texture. Many of today’s irons feature beveled plates, which give them the versatility to straighten and shape hair. One of Lina Shamoun’s favorite strategies is to divide hair into thin, one-inch sections, place the flatiron at the root, wind the section once around the iron and draw the tool through to the ends.

“When you release it, the hair will fall into a soft, flowing wave,” she explains.

The beach trend—textured, separated, sea-tossed strands—has generated a number of beach spray products that are great for supporting these looks or for use as stand-alone body boosters.

Color for Curl

With celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Aniston leading the way, the hottest hair color trend of the moment is the graduated “I spent last month on the beach and now it’s growing out” effect. Characterized by deeper roots and lighter midshafts and ends, it’s a deliberate technique to approximate “vacation regrowth.” The look is perfect for the twists and turns of textured hair, as long as the technique is done correctly.

Seale believes baliage is the best strategy—this freehand hair-painting method allows the colorist to place the tint exactly where the sun would kiss each strand, namely, on the rounds and fullest parts of each curl and in an unstructured fashion.

“So if your client wears her hair curly,” Seale advises, “don’t blow her hair straight and do a color weave. You’ll get six different colors on one curl and that doesn’t work.”

Additionally, says Seale, opt for high-lift permanent colors when baliaging curls, rather than bleach. “Bleach tends to swell the hair and cause it to become dryer,” he believes.

This hair type is already susceptible to dryness, he adds, so it’s better to use hair color that tends to impart less damage. Shields agrees that baliage is the best way to achieve the dark-to-light look, and advises stylists to work with fairly large sections. “Apply your color to each section randomly,” she suggests. “And for your application pattern, let the trajectory of the waves guide you—dropping off of the crown. Try some ‘peek-a-boo’ foils under the surface, too.

“All of this will create a purposeful, grown-out look, which clients today love since it’s chic and it allows them to stretch their retouching dollars!”

2010 NAHA Award Winners

by Evelyn Ngugi on Monday, July 19th, 2010

Dimitrios Tsioumas won in the texture category.

The “Academy Awards of hairstyling” as some would call it, this year’s NAHA contest rallied hairstylists from around the continent for one night of creativity and innovation.

The award ceremony was held July 18 in Las Vegas, and more than 700 professionals entered the contest’s 13 categories, ranging from Master Stylist and Student Hairstylist, to Avant-Garde, Salon Design, Texture & Makeup Artist.

The contest showcased these categories in the form of high-profile photographs, and were judged based on criteria including concept, demonstration of skill, and harmony between photographer’s execution and stylist’s creativity.

This year’s NAHA judges included industry leaders such as Sam Brocato, Mary Brunetti, Tabatha Coffey, Ruth Roche, Sally Hershberger and Nick Arrojo.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s North American Hairstyling Awards!

Master Stylist:
Wendy and Oscar Bond
Upper Montclair, NJ
Photographer: Trevor Owsley

Hairstylist of the Year
Tony Ricci
Edmonton, AB
Photographer: Ara Sassoonian

Salon Team
Salon Pure
Montreal, QB
Photographer: Ara Sassoonian

Editorial Hairstylist
Steve Elias
Berkeley, CA
Photographer: Tony Maesto

Student Hairstylist
Patrick Mathes
Indianapolis, IN
Photographer: Babak

Makeup Artist
Seong Hee Park
New York, NY
Photographer: Hyuna Shin

Avant Garde
Nicholas French
Westhampton, NY
Photographer: Roberto Ligresti

Contemporary Classic
Alain Pereque
Montreal, QB
Photographer: Ara Sassoonian

Fashion Forward
Antoine Vadacchino
Montreal, QB
Photographer: Ara Sassoonian

Hair Color
Chrystofer Benson
New York, NY
Photographer: Joseph Cartright

Salon Design
Vasken Demirjian Salon
White Plains, NY
Photographer: Stan Wan

Texture
Dimitrios Tsioumas
New York, NY
Photographer: Babak

Salon MBA
Lunatic Fringe
Shawn Trujillo and Angie Katsanevas
Salt Lake City, UT
Photographer: Douglas Carter

NAHA Awards Showcase Creativity, Innovation

by Michelle Breyer on Thursday, July 1st, 2010

When Mahisha Dellinger of CURLS signed on as a sponsor this year for the 2010 North American Hairstyling Awards, it was a no-brainer.

Silas Tsang

“NAHA is truly the pulse of American stylist’s artistry at its best,” says Dellinger.

CURLS joins some of the biggest names in the business—RUSK, Modern Salon, KMS California, Aquage, Joico, Pureology, to name a few—in supporting the annual competition, which has become a true pinnacle of career achievement for stylists. Many consider it the Academy Awards of the beauty industry.

This year’s NAHA awards will be presented at 6:30 p.m. July 18 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.

NAHAs are given in 13 categories, including Master Stylist, Hairstylist of the Year, Editorial Stylist, Student Hairstylist, Avant-Garde, Contemporary Classic, Fashion Foward, Haircolor, Salon Team, Salon Design, Texture and Makeup Artist.

Dimitrios Tsioumas

A favorite category for Dellinger, and many stylists who focus on waves, curls and kinks, is the Texture category, which draws some of the most creative and innovative entries. “Those contestants are going to receive extra CURLS love,” says Dellinger.

This year, the NAHAs will also salute two professionals who have had a significant impact on the industry. The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Beth Minardi, an internationally renowned haircolor specialist, educator and salon owner. Freferic Holzberger, an entrepreneur, educator and philanthropist, will be inducted into the NAHA Hall of Leaders.

Chad Seale

This year’s NAHAs boasted a record-setting number of entries. More than 700 beauty professionals entered—up 18 percent from 2009 and a 35 percent increase from 2008. This is a testament to the growing prestige of the NAHAs, and the impact they can have on a stylists’ career.

This year’s NAHA judges include industry leaders such as Tabatha Coffey, Ruth Roche, Nick Arrojo, Mary Brunetti, Sally Hershberger and Sam Brocato.

Click here for more information about the event.

NaturallyCurly Teams with Modern Salon to Help Stylists

by Michelle Breyer on Monday, January 25th, 2010

Do you wish more stylists took an interest in working with waves, curls and kinks? We do, too.

That’s why the NaturallyCurly and CurlStylist teams were thrilled to team up with Modern Salon to create the first venture of its kind: Texture! Texture! includes information for the consumer and the professional, both online and in a special supplement to provide the latest information on how to work with texture.

Our collaboration launches with a special supplement in the February issue of Modern Salon, as well as with continuous content on NaturallyCurly.com, CurlStylist.com and ModernSalon.com. We also are coordinating a live event at America’s Beauty Show on March 28 showcasing some of the top curl experts in the country, including Ouidad, Hair Rules’ Anthony Dickey, Jonathan Torch from Curly Hair Solutions, Titi and Miko Branch from Miss Jessie’s and Mahisha Dellinger from CURLS.

The content is rich in tips, insights and inspiration to help stylists best serve clients with curly hair, including innovative products, resources and education to help stylists grow their texture business.

Both Modern Salon and NaturallyCurly believe texture is a trend that’s here to stay.

NaturallyCurly.com recently surveyed our members about stylists’ knowledge in working with curly or textured hair. Then, MODERN SALON asked stylists similar questions for comparison. Here’s what “she said” and “you said.”

Expertise

Consumer: Do you consider your stylist a curl expert? 68% yes
Stylist: Do you consider yourself a curl expert? 60% yes

Training

Consumer: Do you know if your stylist has had special curl training? 58% no
Stylist: Do you have special curl training? 66% no

Styling Tips

Consumer: Does your stylist provide training on how to style your hair? 65% yes
Stylist: Do you provide curly hair clients with advice on how to style their hair? 98% yes

Products

Consumer: Do you look to your stylist for product recommendations? 62% yes
Stylist: Do you recommend special products to clients with curly hair? 98% yes

Fast Fact

Consumer: 56% visit the salon every 6-12 weeks (more frequently than national average).
Stylist: The majority report that 20% - 50% of their clientele has curly hair (a significant market share).