Hairdresser shows styles to 8000

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 27

Hairdresser shows styles to 8000

More and more Christchurch hairdressers are being invited to demonstrate their talents outside the city. SUZANNE KEEN talks to one who has been further afield than usual.

THE THOUGHT of demonstrating the art of New Zealand coiffure before a crowd of 8000 may sound a little hair-raising but for Mike Hamel, of Ginger Megg’s salon in Merivale, it was an experience not to be missed. As a member of the Wella Young Design team, he was one of only three people from New Zealand Australia and selected to take part earlier this month in the Asian hairdressing championships in Korea. The two New Zealanders and one Australian demonstrated commercial day styles, and gala designs. The day styles vary quite considerably between European and Asian countries, Mr Hamel discovered. “They are very conservative over there (Asia) — the look is very basic. In some ways it is still back in the 19705, basically it is because they don’t see the outside world

other than American influence. We follow more the English trend, so it’s a bit more interesting.”

Asian hair differs also from that of Europeans in that it much coarser, and less adaptable for movement The Australia-New Zealand hairdressing team was not eligible for competition, as it did not belong to the Asian Hairdressing Association as did 30 other teams. Mr Hamel said that New Zealand was planning to join before the next championships so its representatives would not just be demonstrating. Before his five days in Seoul, Mr Hamel travelled to Hong Kong to attend a week-long training seminar at the Rodger Craig Hairdressing School.

“They taught us the Asian techniques for cutting as well as new perming techniques. They are really, into gimmick perming, because they have such straight hair.” Some of the perms were very frizzy, but hair was rarely coloured.

Mr Hamel found that there was a greater range of hair-care products in Asia, many of which could be bought from dairies or similar outlets. He hopes to try out some of the new setting ideas on his clients and has ordered hair-pieces from Hong Kong, where they are very popular. “We can actually use a lot of Asian techniques on European hair, but we can’t use European techniques on Asian hair. Their hair has to be either extremely short or we can leave it slightly longer, but there’s no in-between.”

Mr Hamel hopes to return to Asia. “It was fantastic, just the experience of being with millions of people, learning different techniques and using a wide variety of products.”