Instead of looking to the past for inspiration for her Canadian Colourist collection, Heidi Kenney decided to do what she does best: Create beautiful hair.
“I decided to relax and make hair that I loved, instead of trying to look at [the work of past Contessa winners], she says. “I just wanted to let creativity take over.”
Predicting purple would be a big colour for 2018 (it’s the Pantone Color of the Year after all!), Kenney wanted to include the colour in each of the looks. “I started out using purple on all of my models,” she says. “One is more of a red-violet and another is a true violet, and one is very pastel with peach, violet and yellow.”
Building Bridges
Kenney considers many of her peers to be her mentors, including Julio Rodriguez, Damien Carney, Sue Pemberton, Michelle Pargee and Rodrigo Araneda. And while nearly all of them work for different brands, they’ve been able to connect in their craft via competitions.
“It’s always refreshing to see the camaraderie between brands,” says Kenney. “I think it’s so exciting, as is the anticipation of waiting to find out if you made [the list for semi-finalists and finalists], and the whole Contessa night is too.”
Mastering the Craft
While the work of fellow hairstylists and colourists continues to motivate her, most of Kenney’s own creative inspiration is derived from art. “I’m a big art fan and collector, so I’m extremely inspired by it. I look at art all the time, and I like to think of every head like it’s a painting.”
With a more organic approach to colour, Kenney says it’s the creative process of putting together a Contessa collection that she enjoys the most. “When you’re doing a photoshoot, you can push yourself and your boundaries so much further and you can express yourself in your most creative way,” she says. “Just make hair you love, that’s beautiful and expresses who you are as an artist—a hair artist.”
Comments are closed.