"You can't reinvent the wheel." It's a common saying that suggests you shouldn't spend your time trying to do something that has already been done successfully by someone else. In the hairdressing industry, the equivalent seems to be, "You can't reinvent the bob" - an argument which has come about following the recent emergence of new haircut names, such as
The Bullet Bob, the Bixie and
The Cub.
Here at HJ, we have previously discussed where hairstyle names might come from - but now we're here to share what industry professionals have to say on the subject.
Suzie McGill, Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International, says...
"New trends are constantly arising, and this can be difficult to keep up with - especially when a lot of the new
names represent haircuts we already know about and are creating in the salon regularly. However, as hairdressers we should be in-the-know about all of the latest trends in advance, should our clients ask for these in the salon. Instagram is huge and a key platform where clients look for the latest trends for their next cut. and we should be using platforms like this, keeping an eye on celebrity looks and fashion week
trends to ensure we are always ahead of the game."
Simon Tuckwell, Owner, Tuckwell & Co, says...
“I think it’s wonderful when styles are reinvented and given a new lease of life. As with many things in society, hairstyles flow in and out of fashion and are easily forgotten about. Through renaming and reinvention, stagnant styles get thrown back into the limelight. The shag cut is a prime example, rotating throughout fashion since the 70s. There is no shame in giving a style a much-needed revamp to bring it up to date with the trends of today.
"I also believe styles become more accessible and popularised when a trendy name is put beside them. It gives clients the confidence to know what to ask for when they step into the salon.”
Siobhan Haug, Colour Director at Haug House London, says...
"These new names can make it exciting for our clients, so that's OK. As long as we understand the shape our clients are looking for and what stage of grow-out they’re in, we can create a new look based on the trend they're referring to, for them."
Louise Howard-Long, Owner of Architect Hair Leeds, says...
“High fashion hair looks come into style, and those at the forefront of fashion take them up. Then, as others take those looks up and they become more mainstream, they evolve - and so do their names. Clients often like a name to identify a new look, but as professionals we talk through what our guests want from their hair, such as how and where they want it to fall. The name is just a loose method of identifying a feeling they want in their hair.”
Feature image: Architect Hair Leeds
