Fellowship for british hairdressing hosts annual colour evening

The Fellowship for British Hairdressing held its hotly-anticipated annual Colour Evening in front of a sell-out crowd at the Toni & Guy Academy in London.

Despite unseasonal stormy showers, the mood inside was bright with Fellowship President and acclaimed colourist in his own right, Mark Creed, introducing an evening that he described as 'one of his favourite nights of the year.'

Compered by Fellowship Chairman, David Drew, the evening saw a host of talented colourists from across the country present their most vibrant work in an evening that reinforced the critical message that cut and colour must work together to create the best results.

Tai demonstrated techniques inspired by the latest Mahogany collection, Duality. Using both contrasting and complementary techniques in both cut and colour to create high-impact looks, he worked with interlocking triangles adding magenta, blue and copper across the head on a charcoal-slate base.

Christel's inspiration came from Prabal Gurung's Autumn/Winter 2012 show - seamless block colour with an infusion of tones for a shimmer effect. She also spoke about the TIGI vision to drive the brand forward with influences from music and street fashion as well as couture.

 

Becci demonstrated a rainbow technique with a shadow effect, using amber, violet and peach tones to add definition and shade to the hair.

Mark drew inspiration from teenage trends with 'fusioned' slices, coloured with daffodil yellow and glowing copper, Cadbury's purple and chilli red. Creating a different look wherever the hair is parted, he described his technique as either an explosion of colour or a more demure image depending on how the hair is styled.

Inspired by their Capsule collection, Carolyn presented an androgynous look with disconnection and texturising to expose dramatic colour. She also used the Dome technique with blue and black gloss to create a flash of colour, before taking the dip-dye trend a step further to create a tie-dye effect on black hair.

Inspired by Sassoon's Elegiac collection, Caroline worked with a short dark base and added wefts to the hair. Zig-zag colouring techniques with deep violets and raspberries helped to enhance the sultry style.

It was then back to host, David, to introduce the woman who pioneered colouring as a profession of its own, former global technical director of the Sassoon group, Annie Humphreys. Journalist Maria Weijers interviewed her in a chat-show style, with the audience asking questions.

Annie talked about her strong relationship with the late, great Vidal Sassoon, which began when he took over the salon she was working in and continuted for 50 years. 

Asked what the most important development she'd seen in hairdressing was, Annie repied that it was safety. "I remember when we were working with very large bottles of raw ammonia," she said. 

"We had to be very careful and extremely quick - there were disasters! Now there are cut-off barriers and conditioners allowing creativity without the worry."

When asked what her biggest salon challenge was, Annie said: "Having an eye for the person, and not just their hair. Considering their clothes and lifestyle and enhancing their qualities. Remembering it's a two-way street too, it's not always poss ible to give clients what they want - so diplomacy is key!"