Jack Howard talks about the cycle of trends and how to stay relevant...
What do you love most about being a colourist?
I love hearing what a client wants their hair to look like and then helping them get to that place; I think when you get it right and somebody feels seen, it’s such a pleasurable experience.
What is the most important question you ask in a colour consultation and why?
I like to ask them when they felt their hair was at its best. Maybe it was when they first started colouring their hair, and it has since become over-coloured, or just a time in their life when they felt prettiest.
What colour trends are you pleased to see out of fashion?
Ashy, silver blonde. It’s impossible to maintain, it doesn’t look great on everyone – clients are terrified of warmth.
Are there any colour trends you’d like to bring back?
I don't think that I am a trend-driven colourist; I think I'm a colourist that wants to make clients feel seen and feel modern.
What are the challenges facing colourists right now?
I think a lot of colourists have selected a niche too quickly, based on a current trend. There's a huge number of colourists who are all lived-in specialists and they're root tapping away, and suddenly we've got another generation of clients that want colour to the root.
What do you think will be the next big colour trend?
More polished, less lived-in. I think we’ve already started seeing a resurgence of the 90s blonde that went to the root, and I love it.
What colour techniques are you known for?
At one point I would have said converting someone from a foil to a balayage. But suddenly in the US there's this opportunity to talk about single process grey coverage in a super modern way, and I think it's something that we should be talking about more.
What advice would you give to a trainee colourist?
I would say learn to do everything as far as colour goes, even if you think it's old fashioned, because all these things keep coming around. Learn all your classics; don't shy away from something because you don't like it or you're not good at it.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from being a colourist?
That you can stay relevant throughout your career. I’m 42 years into mine, and you can stay relevant simply by always offering something fresh and modern – don’t age out with your clients.
Chec out Jack's advice for keeping balayage exciting for clients here.
At the time, lots of people thought balayage was just for long hair, so I wanted to showcase the technique on a much shorter cut.
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
This image was for a global campaign about blondes of the world – the look was created purely with foils.
BLONDE BRIEF
The aim was to showcase that a brunette can still be a brunette even when you integrate lighter pieces. I wanted to dispel the myth that balayage is just for blondes.
BRUNETTE BALAYAGE
I'm not inspired by things like wildlife or cinema' I'm super commercial so for me it's all about showcasing how glorious hair can be.
COMMERCIAL HAIR
