Creating a soft, feminine retro-inspired style

Soft, romantic hairstyles never go out of fashion, providing the perfect option for hot dates, weddings, parties and red carpet events alike. 

However with a few careful tweaks, a sophisticated style can go from classic to contemporary without losing any of its elegance. Here we find out what went in to Katie Mulcahy's romantic shoot.

"This collection was all about femininity and this shot completely captures that. The model's hair and style lends itself to a more severe straight look, so I decided to play with it and create some beautiful 1920's-inspired finger waves. This softens her features and shows how vintage styles can be accessible in a commercial market - it fits perfectly with the 1920's look that we are set to see in Spring/Summer 2012."

"This is a winning shot; it has got everything for a long shelf life which for PR purposes is fantastic. It's here in HJ this week, but could just as easily transform into a Spring inspiration look in Your Hair next month. Great eye contact, soft shapes and a beautiful model; there is lots of cleverness in the hair but it's not contrived and that makes it a great pay-back PR shot."

"In my image making, I always try to connect the hair with the feel of the story. In this photo the shape of the models' left arm is mirroring the shape of the beautiful curl in the hair on the opposite side. This harmony is one of the key ingredients for a shot that oozes beauty, with modern strength."

"The clothes in this shot work beautifully with the hairstyle, and the shade of the dress complements the hair colour. The pose makes the most of dress and the sheer shoulder detail. The accessories are just enough; too many and it begins to 

look overdone."