Editha Kocks has been passionate about hair for most of her life. The 33-year-old global creative master for Keune already has around 17 years of industry experience. She was in Chennai recently for a five-day-long workshop, focussing on her speciality of cuts and colour. In a chat with MetroPlus, she talks about training stylists in the city, her experiences and the latest trends.
What were the topics covered in the workshop?
We focussed mainly on styling, colouring, and application. We strongly believe that you can colour hair correctly only if you know the fundamentals. This includes how to apply, how to diagnose hair problems, and how to use the styling products for different techniques. We did talk about some products such as So Pure, which is being launched in India soon. This is a full salon concept, which includes colour and care, almost like a hair spa. It’s also eco-friendly, vegan, sulphate and paraben-free.
What are the latest trends in colour?
From last year up to now, there have been a lot of cool tones, with white shades like silver and platinum. Then it went a bit darker, to grey and concrete. But, there’s going to be a transition from fall/winter up to next year; we’re going to separate a little bit from the really cool shades and go a bit warmer from the last part of this year.
What about hairstyles?
I think hair has to fall naturally. So, we see a lot of face-hugging, face-shaping cuts and personalisation. We make the hairstyles up-to-date, but we still make it suitable for the client, and, of course, their hair type. It has to be playful, and fun and easy to style.
How do you think stylists in India compare to the rest of the world?
I last came to India four years ago. I see a lot of progress. I can see that education is getting to a higher level, which, in my opinion, is one of the most important things. So, I was pleased about that. Even during the training, I was pleasantly surprised about the knowledge that the people already had. Education gives the confidence to improve what we have.
There are certain styles specific to India, like bridal. When we do hairstyles, they are less voluminous. The stylists showed me their haircuts and I showed them mine. Their techniques are great and I learned a lot from them as they did from me.
