Autumn/Winter 2014 trend report

Reds

Autumn is a great time to go red! I love taking my red head clients deeper in the winter, adding depth to the colour can be very flattering as well as enhance the complexion.
Jess Speechley, Creative Colour Director at Gina Conway Aveda Lifestyle Salons and Spas

Copper tones are everywhere at the moment, varying from cool stonewashed shades to bright, vibrant hues. This is all about a natural, shiny-looking finish, rather than an artificial red. To keep colour looking vibrant, use products specially formulated for coloured hair. Healthy-looking colour starts with healthy hair, so always be sure to protect the hair when heat styling.
Jack Howard, International Colour Director at Neville Hair and Beauty

Reds have an earthier feel this season. Coppers should be multi-tonal, reflecting shades of gold and amber. Hair is soft and ethereal in texture. Deeper reds are intense and ripe, inspired by dark cherry and berry hues. Look to model Karen Elson for hair colour inspiration. Her red hair is always seasonally on trend.
Akin Konizi, HOB Salons’ International Creative Director

Creative Colour

This season will see a celebration of patina shades. We will be exploring a new kind of pastel-muted shades that are dense and pewter-like, muddy grungy fashion shades inspired by the anti-heroes like Chloe Norgaard.
Clayde Baumann, Creative Colour Director at D&J Ambrose

Bronde is still the IT Girl’s hottest shade as we move into A/W! The fusion of blonde and brunette is perfect for brunettes struggling with orange-toned highlights or blondes looking to give their colour a fresh spin, Think Olivia Palermo, Jessica Alba. The secret is to ensure your clients stay within three shades of their natural colour. If hair jargon confuses them, and they don’t know the difference between a dip-dye and a bronde, here’s a handy guide:

Dip Dye: This gives a straight line between the shades you’ve chosen.
Ombre: Creates a shadow between the chosen colours, giving it a more subtle finish.
Balayage: This is all about a natural-looking highlight.
Bronde: This is a hybrid of ombre and balayage, and looks incredible on anyone whose colour falls between a dark blonde and a dark brunette. As the colour is not applied at the root, it’s perfect for those who like a low maintenance colour, as there is minimal regrowth to deal with.

To keep colour looking gorgeous, encourage clients to pop back in for a quick glaze treatment whenever they’re due for a trim – it’s a great way to ensure they keep that A-list colour.
Jack Howard, International Colour Director at Neville Hair and Beauty

Brunette

This season, it is time to bring the colour back through the ends. Brunettes have a tendency in the summer months to leave their ends slightly lighter and take the edge off the darkness. Winter is a great time to go back to an all-over colour; finishing off with a gloss to protect the hair and secure shine is a great way to treat your clients’ hair.
Jess Speechley, Creative Colour Director at Gina Conway Aveda Lifestyle Salons and Spas

Almost black, glossy brunette is super sultry, giving that old school Hollywood siren feel to a look (think Kim Kardashian’s luxe locks) and its popularity goes to show that not everybody wants to be blonde! A shade this dark looks incredible on olive complexions or those with a deep tan. For the naturally pale, steer clear of a colour this dark as it can wash you out completely! With darker hair, you’ll naturally get that maximum shine (lucky you!) but you’ll need to keep it in optimum condition with an illuminating shampoo and conditioner.
Jack Howard, International Colour Director at Neville Hair and Beauty

With the nights drawing closer, brunettes are making a move to darker and moodier hues. Undertones of mulberry and violet reveal a subtle drama within bases of chocolate and cherry cola. Coco Rocha is the key hair colour inspiration for this dark and sumptuous brunette trend this winter.
Akin Konizi, International Creative Director HOB Salons.
Try: Revlonissmo 45 Days Total Colour Care

Beauty Note:

Metallic eye shadows were all over the AW14 catwalks. Gold, bronze and silver tones reigned supreme, but more daring shades of greens, blues and oranges were introduced too. For a subtle, easy way to create the look try using metallic eyeliner pencils. Combining this with a good blue/black eyelash tint will help to make this look completely pop!
Beauty Therapist & Makeup Artist Lisa Marie Lesi.
Try: Strictly Professional Eyelash Tint

Blonde

In the winter months I always love to take blondes more golden, with hints of strawberry as it flatters most complexions. Blondes don’t necessarily need to go darker for autumn/winter but adding more golden tones gives a softness to the hair.
Jess Speechley, Creative Colour Director at Gina Conway Aveda Lifestyle Salons and Spas

Swedish white blonde is a shade that stormed the catwalks for AW14, but a shade this dramatic isn’t for everyone! All-over blonde is a high maintenance look, as the roots will need to be coloured every three to four weeks. Protection is key for a shade like this and good quality colour care products are a must. Colour at this level makes hair incredibly delicate and means it needs lots of care.
Jack Howard, International Colour Director at Neville Hair and Beauty

Straight off the catwalk for Autumn/Winter we see a sophisticated diffusion from naturally dark to magnificent honey-hued blondes. To make the best of blonde locks this Autumn/Winter try Goldwell’s StyleSign Gloss, which is specially developed for colour-treated hair, giving blondes that extra shine and colour protection.
Goldwell colour expert, Neil Barton

Blondes are soft and smoky for autumn/winter, with an undone vibe. Introduce cool hues of hazelnut and buttermilk to complement natural hair, creating a soft highlighted appearance. The balayage trend is here to stay for the cooler season – think undone with an editorial edge. Model of the moment Cara Delevingne, perfects this hair trend in Burberry’s fall campaign brilliantly.
Akin Konizi, International Creative Director HOB Salons

Cut

Akin Konizi, HOB Salons’ International Creative Director and four time British hairdresser of the Year shares his thoughts on how cuts will be shaping up this autumn/winter.

Short hair

Short hair is going shorter as women are becoming more confident and embracing styles like the crop. Rather than trying to keep length within the fringe to give the illusion of longer locks, fringes are also beginning to go shorter and cut with more structure. Designers Alexander Wang and Commes des Garcons showcased these looks on the catwalk, and at Moschino, it was all about short geometric fringes teamed with careful texture.

Medium hair

“Medium hair” has moved closer to shorter hair. Not so shoulder length as it was previously, it is now moving upwards to just below the jaw and is best teamed with side swept fringes to give a sexy, mysterious feel. Take inspiration from Maison Martin Margiela and Dries Van Noten who show that medium hair for the cooler months is very much revolving around bobs but with more texture and movement. For celebrities embracing this trend, look to Beyoncé who was seen sporting her bob slightly shorter at the back and with styling, rather than being blow-dried under the chin, she embraces movement with waves worked throughout her locks for a more textured finish.

Long hair

The distinction between medium and long has broadened, with medium hair getting shorter and long hair getting longer. There are many ways to wear long hair now, but for the winter months, encourage clients to be more on-trend by opting for a fuller fringe that is cut just below the eyebrow, for added movement. For inspiration, think Kate Moss in her heyday or for newer inspirations look at Saint Laurent Paris and Louis Vuitton as well as Tom Ford. One of the most spotted trends on the catwalk at the moment is a middle parting teamed with hair secured in a very low ponytail which Givenchy demonstrates beautifully, as well as Victoria Beckham, who is a great ambassador for this style.

Styling

Tyler Johnston, global ambassador for Schwarzkopf Professional talks us through the AW14 trends that inspired the Essential Looks collection.

Texture

This autumn/winter texture is all about a free-spirited, Bardot-inspired, just got out of bed look, with a contemporary, undone feel. Roughly create a centre-parting and pair with flowing tendrils and tousles for hair that’s gloriously undone, yet wonderfully on-trend. For hair-up, go for an imperfect topknot or messy bun at the nape of the neck so clients can step out with confident, carefree style – leaving some wispy bits free of course! Keep it as dry-looking as possible for a no-product feel. A root booster applied when damp or a volumising dry shampoo when dry will give some natural body without impeding any of the hair’s movement.

Straight

It’s all about glossy gorgeousness, the aim is to get as much shine as possible. Think sparkling jewels and shimmering metals - this is the kind of gleam you want for hair. Blunt cuts show off this style perfectly, and if your client has long hair, enhance the impact by opting for a strong fringe.
Try: L’Oréal Professionnel série expert ABSOLUT REPAIR Lipidium Thermo-Reconstructing Cream 125ml

Curls

Everything about the curls this AW14 is luxurious and shapely. Afro-esque, impressive shapes, and the chance to live out those hair fantasies from Dynasty. If your curly-haired clients love big hair, then this is the trend for them, so style hair with a side parting or down the centre for ultimate impact.

Create large, soft curls with barrelled tongs, and ensure they stay put all day with lots of hairspray. Don’t forget the super hold mousse!
Try: Schwarzkopf Silhouette Super Hold Mousse 500ml
Try: Osis+ Glamination Hairspray

First published in the Capital Hair & Beauty magazine.