For Salon’s Fall 2025 issue cover shoot, we collaborated with Davines showcase artists and Contessa winners Anna Pacitto, James Abu-Ulba and Roch Lemay. Go behind the scenes of the Montreal-based photo shoot and learn more about the inspiration for the cut, style and colour.
For the hair colour, Lemay used Davines’s The Present Time, the brand’s new ammonia-free alkaline demi-permanent colour, and colour-blocking application techniques to create seamless sculpted panels of red and copper. “It’s the innovation of the demi-permanent colour that’s caring for the hair and what I like the most,” he says. “It completes their colour portfolio.”
“Colour-blocking has more impact,” adds Lemay. “Dark colour gives you depth and light colour gives you volume, expression and movement. With each blocking application, we wanted to capture that eff ect of where we wanted depth, movement and light.”
According to the team, creative shoots are the perfect opportunity to push boundaries and create looks that inspire both hairdressers and clients. “As hairdressers, it’s our responsibility to push things a little bit forward,” says Abu-Ulba. “Cumulatively, it starts the progression of our industry so that we continually move the boundaries forward and are not staying stagnant.”
The cover shoot took place in Montreal with world-renowned photographer John Rawson, who has previously worked with Pacitto and Abu-Ulba on their award-winning collections. “There are a lot of aspects that go into one photo,” says Abu-Ulba. “I think, because we have a lot of admiration for each other, it was easy. We have similar tastes and visions, so it was really nice working together in a collaborative space.”
The haircut was inspired by the trendy ’70s shag, with a modern and minimalist twist, featuring deconstructed, shattered layers for natural movement and lived-in texture that’s designed to evoke a rebellious yet nostalgic vibe. “There’s defi nitely some disconnection, especially in the back,” says Pacitto. “We didn’t want that hourglass type of fi nish in the back. It’s inverted layering throughout and some sharp lines that have been softened, especially around the face framing.”
“Something that I’ve appreciated about Salon magazine over the years is that it celebrates diversity. With Canada being so multicultural, we were in agreement that we wanted to show the beauty of diversity on the cover.” — James Abu-Ulba
For the hairstyling, Abu-Ulba opted for a windswept blow-dry to emphasize the hair’s natural volume and movement, underlining the “soft rebellion” spirit of the cover look.
Credits
Hair: Anna Pacitto & James Abu-Ulba
Colour: Roch Lemay & Mj Medeiros
Makeup: Ekaterina Ulyanoff
Wardrobe Styling: Florence O. Durand
Photo: John Rawson
Hero Styling Products
Davines OI All in One Milk
Davines Essential Haircare MELU Hair Shield
Davines More Inside This is a Primer
Davines More InsideThis is a Dry Wax Finishing Spray
Davines More Inside This is a Shimmering Mist
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