Is 2017 the year of the haircut?

Long, beach texture, balayage colour and flowing layers have dominated the high street, but are we about to see a change? Celebrities have been driving the trends for the past decade but it seems clients want to step out of their shadow and create their own identity. According to Akin Konizi from HOB Salons, it’s time for a change. “Long hair is beautiful, but once everyone has it, it loses its power. It is no longer a sign of beauty and health, but something that is easily worn by everyone.” So are you ready to pick up your scissors and make that change?

Keeping up with the Kardashians

“The Kardashians are extremely popular and as such have been role models for many women, what they wear and how they style their hair and they want the same,” explains Suzie McGill from Rainbow Room International, and half of the winning duo who won HJ’s 2016 Scottish Hairdressers of the Year, with partner Dylan Brittain. “However recently we have seen Khloe Kardashian, Kylie Jenner and Olivia Wilde going shorter and Kristen Stewart and Lily Collins going for crops and they have all looked fantastic. This is having an affect on the high street.” Bruno Marc Giamattei from Marc Antoni salon in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire, says there has been a movement towards shorter hair for a while. “Clients are wanting more diverse looks and because salons are better trained, they can have them. While celebrities remain a source of inspiration, more and more clients are looking at social media for ideas. “Short, structured cuts are popular and as we go into the summer I predict that the faithful bob will show itself in a more structured way,” Bruno adds. “Movement with colour is vital as clients want a hairstyle that is different, easy to maintain but doesn’t look over styled.” Training is key to ensuring you are top of your game in your cutting skills, which may have been substituted for blow-drying, braiding and finishing skills these last few years. Now is the time to pick up your scissors and ensure your techniques are on-trend and up to date. Debbie G from Billi Currie salon, London, travels the UK educating teams in the art of hairdressing. “It’s time to start investing in creative cutting training to learn a new approach to classic skills, so the results are more edgy and younger.” Akin believes the long hair trend was a rebellion against hairdressers creating strong haircuts they wanted to do rather than what suited the individual, resulting in less salon visits, but now is the time to drive clients back into the salon. “We are starting slowly with more layering techniques, and achieving a choppier look. Bobs are the obvious first step for many, then maybe a fringe. Fringes and texture are becoming more popular, anything that helps her stand out from the crowd. “We have an opportunity to show that a haircut can look beautiful without getting carried away. We need to think more in the way of sexy, natural-moving hair. It’s an opportunity for us as hairdressers and as an industry, individuality is back in fashion and we are the experts,” Akin explains. Ensuring your cutting skills are up to date, make sure lines remain soft and feminine, wearable and personalised, and you’re guaranteed to get clients back into the salon. Bruno adds: “Every client is different so it’s an exciting time to be a hairdresser.”