Conversations on colour - dan spiller

Marc Antoni Group artistic team member and JOICO colour ambassador for UK and Ireland Dan Spiller shares his favourite techniques and his thoughts on the upcoming challenge of colouring clients with PPE.

What do you love most about being a colourist?

I enjoy creating the complete look. I love seeing the instant impact colour has on a shape within a haircut and how colour makes people feel about their total look. Colour has such a huge part to play in everyone’s lives so having the privilege to enhance someone’s image is so fulfilling.

Where do you go for your colour inspiration?

I get inspiration from the team I work with at Marc Antoni. We have worked together for the best part of 20 years so when we get together, we bounce off one another and everything happens organically.

 What are your favourite colouring techniques at the moment?

I’m loving different forms of marbling whether that’s using the JOICO Color Intensity range to create a saturated finish or simply working with JOICO Blonde Life bleach to create an ecaille effect when doing a balayage. This this is where we create different facets of lift throughout the mid lengths.

Are there any colouring trends or techniques you’d like to bring back?

I’d really like to see more block fusion application where colour is applied from root to tip. When you do this on different segments of the hair it can still be seamless if you consider the sectioning first.

What colour creation makes you most proud?

I’m really proud of all the colour collections we’ve created at Marc Antoni over the years. The last of which reached the finalist stage at HJ’s British Hairdressing Awards, sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional. If I had to choose my favourite colour creation it would be the image pictured. I created this look with my colleague Altin Ismali. The final image highlights the power of colour and shape in sync to create a powerful image.

What are the biggest challenges facing professional colourists at the moment?

Before lockdown I would’ve said social media. I don’t think there is a technician who hasn’t been shown an image from Instagram by a client wanting the colour., Unfortunately, most of time the image has been manipulated in some way, so often our client’s expectation is unrealistic. Once lockdown ends, I believethe biggest challenge will be the PPE (personal protective equipment) that both us as professionals and our clients might (understandably) need to wear. It will create a physical barrier between the professional and our customer. The most important part of any colour service is the consultation and communication while colouring a client’s hair. I feel we will need to be even more stringent on expectations when we return to the salon.

What’s been your most memorable colour consultation?

It has to be the ultimate classic – “I’ve been box dyeing my hair for three years dark brown (black) and want to be platinum blonde and I need to be out within the hour as I’m on my lunch break.”

What advice would you give to a trainee colourist?

Stay out of the staff room and practice techniques as much as possible. I always say when educating – “once you have the understanding of something, it’s down to you to practice it.”