“Individuality Is The Concept”: Celeb Hairstylist Adhuna On Teaming Up With Arpita Mehta For LFW X FDCI
We've got all the tea!
Much like the fashion trends, beauty trends are also something that come off the ramp. And with Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI in full swing, we’re already busy spotting makeup, beauty and hair trends on the ramp. And day 3 of Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI on March 11 is going to bring to us something much more interesting in terms of hairstyle trends with Dyson Hair Care technologies making a backstage debut in collaboration with designer Arpita Mehta and celebrity hairstylist Adhuna. Ahead of the big day, we got Adhuna to spill some deets on hair colours, haircuts and hairstyle trends that we’re going to see this season. And guess what? She gave us some goss on the runway hairstyles that she’s curating for the showcase. So, what are you waiting for? Read on for all the beauty gossip that you’re here for!
Q. What hair trends and hairstyles are we going to see on the ramp this LFW X FDCI? In terms of fashion, we’re witnessing the comeback of several retro trends, is retro the forecast for hair as well?
Celeb Hairstylist Adhuna: I think there’s a strong influence of the 70s style, but it’s done today. For me personally, I would take inspiration from a style era and then do my own thing around it. So, that’s kind of what we are doing here. I loved the idea and concept that designer Arpita Mehta came up with for her Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI show, and I felt like the 70s flicky fringe is beautiful and it’s very easy to do with the Dyson tools and a great haircut and its working so well and beautifully with the garments. So, all together the collection is kind of about freedom and individuality, and I love that.
I got totally on board with that straight away. It’s what I believe in and I think that’s what we are going to see on the ramp. We’re working on the texture of hair. So how each model is individual, we are going to treat them individually, but the common thread going through is going to be this very textured. Some hair will be open, and some hair will be softly twisted up, but everything will be kind of free in that sense. There are no restrictions. It’s allowing the women to just be themselves.
Also Read: Exclusive: Designer Anavila M On Street Style Saree, Supporting Karigars, And Loving Every Guru Dutt Heroine’s Saree
Q. What hair colours, hair colouring techniques, as well as haircut trends, are going to dominate the beauty industry this year?
Adhuna: Every year we see a lot of colours and different shapes but I do think there’s a strong influence this year from the 70s. So that’s the key. I think the colours are going to be more and more experimental. You know when I first came to India 30 years ago, nobody was wearing colour in their hair and how times have changed. Now every second person has colour in their hair, which I think is just amazing. It’s a sign of the times. I really feel that there will always be a certain amount of people who will experiment with the far-out stuff, and there’ll always be a certain amount of people who play it safe. Whatever their personality may be, people are wearing colour and that for me is great.
I wear hair colour for fun. I don’t wear colour to cover up my greys, I never have and I love my greys. So, I think that that’s how people are starting to look at hair colour, that it should be for fun. It’s almost like a part of your personality. It’s a form of expression.
View this post on Instagram
Q. What are the most important things one should remember when going for hair colour? What questions should one ask their hairstylist before taking the hair colour plunge with him or her?
I think two things to remember. What is it that you want to achieve? How difficult is it to achieve that? Because the more difficult it is to achieve, the more your hair is going to feel, the pressure of that. So in my philosophy, I always believe in maintaining the integrity of the hair. I always have. It stood me in good stead throughout my career. So I think it’s a good philosophy. Make sure to ask your hairstylist – how long will it take to achieve the look you’re aiming for? And is it possible? Because a lot of clients have an expectation and the hairdresser, especially young hairdressers will be very afraid to say to a client – “No, I can’t do it”. But actually, the more professional or experienced person will give you the true story. If it’s not possible to achieve, it’s not possible to achieve.
I would always recommend if you’re doing colour for the first to do a strand test. To do a test means you are paying an extra visit to your salon and taking that time out. But it is more often than not, a very worthwhile thing to do. For example, if are saying, I wanna go from black to white. So, how long does it take to get there? Colouring one strand of hair is a very different approach to colouring the whole hair. So it’s better than to find out in a smaller portion than to go in and start the whole thing and then just be like, I wish I’d never done this. Right? So how long is it gonna take? What is the maintenance? What do I need to do to take care? How often do I need to trim it? How often will I need to colour it? And probably how much is it gonna cost?
So it’s use and not abuse of hair colour. For example, what you told me you’ve done to your hair, the base is bleach, right? And then you can cut and experiment with all those colours but you must hydrate your hair in between. You must choose a shampoo and conditioner that are specially designed for coloured hair. You must hydrate, just like you know the way we do with our skin. For many years we’ve taken care of our skin, but not necessarily our hair in that same way and I think it’s time to start doing that. Especially when you’re colouring your hair, you have to take a little bit more care of your head. Almost as if you wanted to compare it to a garment that is machine washed vs dry cleaned or specialized washed in a specialized way.
Q. When it comes to fashion colours, a lot of struggling with one issue – fading colour. It’s not practical to keep doing touch-ups all the time so, are there any hairstyles or hair colour hacks that can save us the trouble?
Adhuna: You’re someone who has worn your hair in many different colours over the last 12 months. When I was your age I was doing the same thing too. So, how I used to do it was I’d lighten my hair so that I could put any colour on top of it and then I’d constantly keep changing the colours which is exactly what you said you’ve done. The colours that you use over pre-lightened hair, there are many brands that do conditioning colours that are just pure colour pigment with conditioner. Those are better for your hair because they’re not chemical and they’re not changing the underneath of your hair. It’s just like coating it on top and then it washes out of the hair. The size of the colour molecule is so, it eventually rinses out of the hair and down the basin and you’re set to do another look. So, I would say create the base and then play around with whatever colour family you want.
If you are not somebody who wants to go for vibrancy, then I would suggest you retouch or you touch up your colour every 4 to 6 weeks, depending on what your objective is. I think a person who’s trying to cover up or colour white hair or grey hair is a different story. They have different needs and requirements. I think that somebody who’s wanting to do colour for fun and for fashion also has different requirements. And I believe that your colour should compliment your haircut, and the two should create a whole picture. I actually feel very strongly that colour should be for fun. People take it too seriously.
Also Read: Exclusive: At Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI Rakul Preet Talks Fashion And Discomfort, Khadi, Summer Makeup, And More
Q. Face framing is huge this year, could you share some tips on how one should pick face-framing hairstyles as per the shape of their face?
Adhuna: So, face shapes, haircuts and hair colour techniques are all subjective. There isn’t a one-hit formula. First of all, it’s gotta be about what you are comfortable with as an individual. So, that will lead the choices and haircuts cannot really change the shape of your face unless you start working above the jaw. That’s the pro tip. Only once you move above the jawline will it start to change the shape of your face, and that is when we should charge plastic surgeons fees. Hair colour can do a similar thing. So the question is if you are going to be super light and your hair is naturally dark, how can you make that work for your skin tone? What you can do is leave a small slither of your natural colour and then place the artificial colour. This way the colour that’s touching your face is still working with your natural colour pigments, but you’re adding that fun element just a little behind. Don’t use the colour right next to the face.
You can basically split everyone up into maybe four different categories for ease of colour – spring, summer, autumn, and winter. People who have a lighter complexion, and lighter eyes might be summer, right? So, a softer pink would work for them. Somebody who’s dark skinned and has dark eyes, but still not warm again, would look good with a vibrant pink or a vibrant purple. So, skin tone falls into two categories – warm and cool. I have a slightly cool skin tone and you look like a cool skin tone to me as well because the pink and red that you’re wearing are working for you. The good thing is that as women we can change that with the use of makeup and lipstick and different things.
The face-framing idea for me has introduced people to hair colour, and it’s been used in that way professionally, which means that hopefully, people will start using it in a more fun and experimental way instead of a serious approach to hair colour.
Q. An average Indian working woman does not have the time to style her hair every morning, do you have any quick tips and hacks that can help a woman do a hairstyle in a jiffy?
Adhuna: Your haircut is the base of how you manage your hair. A good haircut can make all the difference. If your hair is well cut, you should be able to wash and leave the haircut, and that’s the worst it’ll ever look. If you blow dry, if you do use a Dyson tool to give it volume or curl or texture or smoothening, it’ll be enhanced but a good haircut will look good even if it’s just washed and worn. That’s a test of a good haircut.
Q. Name all the hair styling tools and products that every woman MUST have
Adhuna: I think a Dyson Airwrap must be in everybody’s vanity. It’s a fantastic tool that allows you to create at home what can be done in the salon or backstage at a fashion show. It is a must for people who want to kind of just wash and wear. And I think a leaving conditioner is a very good universal product.
View this post on Instagram
Q. Summer is upon us and this season brings some major hair woes like greasy scalp and frizziness. Can you share hacks to beat these summer hair problems by styling our hair right?
Adhuna: Dry shampoo is sometimes something that can help during summer. More frequent shampooing, maybe using cold water instead of hot water in the shower, these are good tips for summer and give yourself a haircut, get that weight off the back.
Q. In the past year, we’ve seen skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid and peptides finding their way to hair care products. And from the looks of it, more of these ingredients are going to come our way in the form of hair care, so which ingredients are you most excited to try?
Adhuna: I’m not a big believer in artificial and I like to work with what’s happening naturally and compliment that. In terms of a product or an ingredient that I’m really excited to try, more natural stuff would excite me more like vitamins, minerals and that kind of thing.
Also Read: Neha Dhupia Walks For INIFD Launchpad At Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI, Talks About Mom Fashion
As the official Hauterrfly beauty girl, I can’t wait to see all the free-flowing hairstyles that are going to reflect individuality on the ramp.
Images: Pexels
From Arpita Mehta To Saisha, Women-Led Labels Showcasing At Lakmé Fashion Week X FDCI
