Styling secrets with india and jason miller

Charlie Miller launched in 1965, and the company now comprises five salons in Edinburgh - with at least one more on the way this year. Charlie's son and daughter-in-law Jason and India Miller manage two of the salons, and also lead the creative output for the group, educating and performing at seminars and hair shows across the globe.

 

Artistry is very important to the group, and they are famous for their dramatic, avant garde work - which is as beautiful as it is creative. India is an ambassador for Shu Uemura - an innovative, cerebral, brand which fits with the Charlie Miller design philosophy perfectly.

When India first became an ambassador for Shu Uemura, she was whisked away to Paris to work on a sea creature-themed photoshoot with the rest of the brand's global ambassadors. The Abyss Angels collection is inspired by the creativity of nature, and the purity of Depsea Water - one of the key ingredients used by Shu. This image by India is inspired by sea anemones.

This early collection was shot by Robert Lobetta, and Jason explains that they tried to create sophisticated images, reminiscent of a glossy magazine adverts. "Not including the whole head was a bold move," he explains. "It makes a more creative shot, with a really fashion feel. Once upon a time you had show every single hair in a shoot - now it's more about creating a mood."

India is a big fan of what she refers to as, "fiddly things". Sewing plays a large part in a lot of her work, including images like this which incorporate woven extensions. "Colour is the third dimension to all our work," adds Jason. "It brings an entire look together. We'd never send a model out with anything less than three or four colours on. All the hair we use is coloured in-house by our technicians, who come to us with moodboards and themes to work with our styles."

The 'sheets' are created by placing pieces of hair on to a flat, smooth surface, before they're covered with hairspray and blasted with a dryer. The process is repeated over and over again to create a solid sheet, which can be shaped and styled easily. The small balls are created by rubbing strands of hair together - a deceptively time-consuming process, which India has taught to salon juniors. 

"We don't believe in keeping work exclusive," she says. "Share your skills with the rest of the salon, and pass on your techniques. You're teaching a craft - and one day you'll be able to let everyone else do the hard work for you!"