London’s latest looks

Press, 18 March 1989, Page 20

London’s latest looks

London looks are flatter, with solid heavy shapes to show off the condition and the shine. Wash and wear is out. Fingerwaves are in, partings are everywhere, but perms are passe. Hairlines at the back are longer and softer. Clippers are out. Ears are showing, but often not the complete ear. Hair is kept heavier on top. Before it was wide and wild. Now it is sleek and solid. This intelligence comes hot off the press from Terry Calvert, who was in Christchurch this week to conduct seminars on the latest London trends for Schwarzkopf (N.Z.) Ltd as part of a 12-stop tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Whether long or short — and it is mostly short — hair has to be strong and healthy. Formerly, heads were getting bigger and bigger, and all the latest techniques were geared to producing more voluminous shapes. Heads are smaller now. Hair needs to be shinier and better conditioned for the new styles, and needs to go through a programme of conditioning to recover from the stress of the volume techniques. Finishing products are strong but soft. They are never stiff because spikes are out. The essential finish to the new styles is a grease pomade, a bit like your old-fashioned hair oil, to give shine.

Shine shows up better on straight hair, and most of the new styles are straight. Terry Calvert has not demonstrated a single perm on his tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Although perms can be used to support the style, a perm is not a style

anymore. But there are some glamorous styles for naturally curly hair.

Colours are solid to suit the new solid shapes. Almost any colour goes, but bleached blondes are out. Bleached hair is being repigmented back to its natural colour via tangerines and marmalades.

Orange reds are in, blood reds are out. Streaks are not appropriate for the new solid shapes, but where another colour is used it is a solid statement.

The agreeable Mr Calvert has three salons in outer London, and until recently also conducted a training academy. He is a consultant to cosmetic, fashion, and hair product companies, and when he isn’t travelling he is cutting hair in one or other of his salons.

Until recently he had a salon in Covet Garden in Central London, but he moved out when his rent for his 2000 square feet premises was raised from $75,000 to $225,000 per annum.

P.S. There are no flat tops in London anymore.