Colour notes with dan spiller

As we know, colour is an obsession in our industry. Which is why we chatted to award-winning hairdressing star Dan Spiller from Marc Antoni, about the cyclical nature of colour trends. And lo and behold, he reveals three key pieces of advice on how to find success. You can catch up with our digital magazine for more interviews on colour, here. What do you love most about being a colourist? There is nothing better than unveiling the final result to a client or model knowing you’ve brought the hair vision to life. I love the ever-evolving trends, the development of new products and being able to experiment daily. Where do you go for colour inspiration? I travel regularly for education as part of the JOICO team and the Marc Antoni group which gives me the chance to embrace different places, cultures and colour palettes from the world. I also take a lot of inspiration from the fashion houses of the world, as they often push the boundaries with the patterns and colour palettes. Take a look at HJ's gallery for colour work from Dan Spiller. What are your favourite colouring techniques at the moment? I love freehand work – it’s such a great way to work as a colourist. When applying freehand colour, it is so nice to be in full control of the application and the hair really is your canvas. Whether it’s freehand balayage or painted on patterns, the creativity is endless. Are there any colouring trends you’d like to bring back? All trends come back around with new modernised versions uncovered. I’d love to see the ‘contrasting’ trend make a comeback, where we contrast lights and darks. This is already making waves in the industry and I expect it to be popular again very soon. What are the challenges facing colourists right now? At the moment, the biggest challenge I would say is the ‘Instagram influence’, where a client comes in with an image from Instagram as their reference, and it is a colour which is absolutely unachievable in one appointment. It’s our job to educate the clients, put a bespoke plan in place and help them achieve their hair goal as quickly as possible, whilst ensuring the health of the hair is kept in the best possible condition. What do you enjoy most about your job? I love everything – from my clients, salon team and the wider JOICO team to shoots, shows and so much more. Hairdressing has provided endless opportunities and I am very fortunate to have had the chance to meet so many different people from different walks of life, share experiences with them and learn from them. Our industry is like a big family. What advice would you give to a trainee colourist? Enjoy, experiment and educate! Being part of the colour world is so fun and it is such an enjoyable part of our industry which provides many opportunities and the chance to explore your own creativity. The hair is your canvas and you can create the most incredible work for clients and brands. It’s important to remember that the colour industry is ever-evolving. There are always new products, new techniques and new trends, and it is important to continually educate yourself so your skills are on point and services are the most up to date and revolutionary. And the last piece of advice – use your downtime to experiment! Try new techniques and embrace your own creative vision. Why not practise on doll heads until you feel super confident? Keep up with 2022's spring colour trends, here. See the full article in our April issue of HJ.