Caroline Miguel has her hair up in a messy knot.
It is ironic because she is responsible for giving a gamut of celebrities — including Kangana Ranaut and Twinkle Khanna — their well-coiffured hairstyles.
In Chennai for the launch of the glitzy new brick-walled, glass-panelled Vurve Signature Salon on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Caroline deftly styles rows of models for a fashion show. She is an expert, but confesses that when she started out she burned her hand and cut her fingers many a time. “I have been a part of this industry for 25 years now. I love training people. It is exciting to showcase different styles, and guide people on how to look beautiful,” says Caroline, who is a trainer with L’Oreal Professional.
Mixing it up
She set up the first L’Oreal Academy on Linking Road in Mumbai, and has been living there for the last 17 years.
Caroline Miguel at work at the new Vurve Signature Salon
Photo shoots and fashion shows are what she specialises in now. “I love doing shows. It is never boring,” she says. From choosing models and planning the choreography to choosing the music and briefing makeup artists, she likes to do it all. “Lately I am using a lot of classical music in my shows. They are largely piano-based because I love playing the piano,” she adds.
Caroline was 18 when she started training in hairdressing. “Back in France, where I come from, I had to go through five years of training. The first ever cut I did was a bob,” she recalls, adding, “The thing about hairdressing is that it is about meeting people and building a relationship with them. That is what I like about my job.”
- A good shampoo is essential. Get one depending on your scalp and texture of hair. Don’t just pick one because it is packaged well or smells great. Same goes for the conditioner.
- Always use styling products — either a mousse or a spray.
For the launch of the salon here, she has created five looks ranging from dramatic long to edgy short lengths with a lot of layering, and the variation of colours span from blonde to red. “I also wish people would let go of length and experiment with shorter cuts,” she says. When it comes to hair colour, Caroline says that the mocha family (think shades like dark chocolate and dark blonde) is trending, and adds that if it were upto her, she would “ban” two-colour highlights featuring red and blonde.
