As team brand ambassador at Simon Webster Hair, Patrick Matthews is ideally placed to talk trends! We asked him: Describe a new colour technique or service you are loving for AW17?
“ Colour mixes and formulations should be individual to each client; considering face contouring, hair compatibility and condition. Techniques should equally be tailored to the client, so free-hand colouring and balayage are not going anywhere. They should add another element of personalisation, rather than becoming formulaic.“My colour trends are smokey blondes and browns, clashing warms against cool tones, which as a colourist goes against your initial training; once you perfect rules you should experiment with them. Think of mixing colours like L’Oreal Dialight 10.21 and 5.07. The personalised element comes with the individual mix ratio you choose for the client. These earthy tones reflect the trend for a reconnection with nature and a resistance to the artificial.
“As often happens, conflicting trends emerge, and the move towards naturalness is contrasted by the growing popularity of A.I. and tech development. So, just as the natural shades are big, so are metallic. Growing in strength from AW17 right into 2018. Cool and tarnished shades of silver and gold are prevalent, as well as metallic pastels but with a dirtier edge rather than the polished, pretty shades we’ve seen previously. This sits alongside the innovative techniques we’ve witnessed in the refinement of colour placement and especially graphic, pixelated colour.”