Karen Olliver is busy making the model's curls sit just right and her hair fall naturally around her shoulders. “This is a mix of two looks,” she explains as she tries to set a stubborn curl right. “Sports Junkie and Cool Hunters. There is a lot of space to work around these templates. They're very versatile.”
Karen is an international stylist with Schwarzkopf Professional and was recently in the city to launch the Essential Looks for summer. The Flux Collection has four basic templates; Sports Junkie, Dark Angels, Cool Hunters and Hip Opulent. “Sport Junkies have a sporty look with fringes while Dark Angels are a more sensual, classic look. Cool Hunters explains itself and the Hip Opulent is a rich, luxurious style,” says Karen.
The Flux Collection creates adaptable looks, with cuts and colouring techniques that promise to work for all. “Each look has a salon and catwalk style so a person has the choice to look however she wants. Every single look can be used in the Indian context as well. We have a summer and winter Essential Looks collection, but the summer ones are more popular here.”
Karen, who has been in the industry for 27 years, says ponytails and asymmetry are in this season. “You need to let the hair breathe. If your hair is naturally long then you need to allow for some movement. You can also mix a couple of our new looks to create a nice cut with colour,” she adds.
And bright colours matched with pencil skirts and blazers complement the summery look. “I see a lot of women in Chennai sporting short hair, perhaps because of the weather here. And they're willing to experiment with their length, while in Mumbai, they're more open to working with colour than with length,” says Karen.
