As the old adage goes, “To create the future, you must understand the past.” And that’s exactly what editorial hairstylist Tyler Colton was teaching earlier this week at the Schwarzkopf Professional ASK Academy in Toronto. In the hands-on class, each hairstylist chose a decade to garner inspiration from and create a modern interpretation, just in time for wedding and prom season. “I call it Iconic Hair,” says Colton. “I showed them different decades from the ’20s to the ’90s and how they are relevant to contemporary styles and challenge the stylists to create their version of one of those decades in a modern style. It’s always fun to see what they come up with.”
Colton, who has a long list of Canadian and international celebrity clientele, says the undone trend is continuing throughout 2017, with what he calls “perfectly imperfect hair.” “We’re seeing lots of trends with rings, braids and bobby pins to create something interesting,” says Colton. “Like a strong French twist like Janelle Monae used to wear. The pins can show and still be very loose and bohemian, like Rihanna. Or something with a nod to the ’40s or ’80s and allowing the pins to show, so it keeps it a little more modern and a little more organic—not so done-looking.”
Just in time for the summer season, Colton says textured looks are also a huge styling trend this year. “Texture is coming back again. We’re seeing drier textures with all those different dry shampoos and texture spray that give hair more of a gritty texture versus hair being super shiny and glossy.” Colton demonstrated creating textured looks using the new Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ Powder Cloud spray. “It’s such an amazing product,” he says. “The delivery system is so nice for the stylist as well as clients. You can direct at the root, from root to ends and create texture with it—using it as a texture spray as well as for volumizing. Since we are going into the summer months, it’s great to use on a high crown or a cute, high pony or for creating a textured beach wave.” Colton adds that it’s great for guys, too. “For men, it’s fantastic to add texture, especially when it’s humid outside you’ll want something more matte and dry to give you that volume without hair going flat.”
Tyler Colton used Schwarzkopf Professional Osis+ Powder Cloud to create Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan’s high ponytail for the 2017 Juno Awards. “She got a lot of attention because it was very youthful on her,” he says. “Sarah is a Canadian treasure. It was nice working with her to keep her looking fresh and contemporary.” Photo courtesy of Instagram (@tylercoltonhair)
While products can often make or break your entire look, Colton says it’s not only important to choose the right product for your style, but to use the right amount. “Too often, stylists are adding too much product to the hair,” he says. “Products are great, but you need to use just the right amount of the right product. I’m a huge fan of using mousse in mid-textured to fine hair because it doesn’t weigh down the hair. Schwarzkopf’s Grip is amazing as well as Volume Up, a root spray that’s also really great. I might add some shine or texture and a light spray.”
With hair trends in full force on social media, more hairstylists are pushing their own creative boundaries. “Social media is huge and has changed everything,” he says. “People love before-and-afters, but don’t be scared to post your formulas and share your products and what worked and what didn’t work.” While you can find endless hair inspiration on social media, Colton says comparing yourself to others is the wrong way for stylists to go about it. “Too often now with social media, we’re judging our work against other stylists or artists, versus saying ‘This is where I am,’” he says. “Start looking around at people for inspiration versus looking for someone and judging what isn’t good or where you’re not. Look at some of the people who inspire you. Instead of thinking ‘they are better than me,’ look at ways you can elevate your work and learn from them and grow; being able to rise to that challenge.”
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