The Coterie news

Chris Appleton is artistic director at George’s Hairdressing, has recently finished a year in the FAME team, won BBC Three’s Young Hairdresser of the Year and is a L’Oreal H3 ambassador. And that’s just the start of it!

Throughout April, Coterie member Chris is going to deliver an exclusive weekly bulletin of news, views and tips as a talented young gun in the hairdressing industry … Enjoy!

A picture lasts forever

My greatest love is photographic collections, and the whole process of creating a collection. For me, what’s so great is starting with just an idea and growing it into something amazing. This month I’m very excited to be working on two very different editorial shoots – the first having a real classic feeling, something timeless and everlasting. I wanted to create a different silhouette, but focusing on the outlines as shown by the test shot below.

The second shoot I’m working on is later in April. It’s going to be raw with a completely different vision. So much of the picture is about the model, so I’m casting a lot at the moment, which is always fun. For me, the models are like a blank canvas when they come in – my head is always buzzing with ideas and I’m forever sketching looks.

Essential kit bag item: Shu Uemura Essence Absolue. I use it to prep hair as it rapidly absorbs oil and gives hair a mirror-like finish (it’s also good on your hands!). I always use this when styling my client, the American jazz singer Melody Gardot. I love this woman! She is seriously so cool. Recently I styled her hair for the American Song Book, on TV later in April, into a sleek and sexy look with a film noir feeling. We’re working on a totally different image for her next album cover – I can’t say much but were upping the ante. It’s great to be involved in the vision of an artist; it’s a collaboration of many people’s ideas, from the artist to the photographer, but the hair plays such a major part in the result.

Another amazing artist is Adam Reed. This man is a genius and true inspiration. I had followed Adam’s work, but never had the opportunity to meet him until we were introduced at a Coterie event where he was a guest speaker. (The Coterie really is proving to be an amazing club! It’s great to chat and share your thoughts and ideas with people who share the same passion as you.) Since then I’ve had the chance to assist Adam at the Marios Schwab show at LFW S/S10 and I assisted him on an editorial shoot this week.

For a young aspiring hairdresser it’s fantastic to get the opportunity to watch and share Adam’s vision come to life. I am a huge sponge when assisting, I just absorb information – it’s great. Cheers, Adam!

A true visionary who has inspired my work is the late, great Alexander McQueen. One of his collections that amazed me was his S/S 1999 show. The moment Shalom Harlow was spray-painted by robotic arms literally took my breath away – it was a genius combination of art and technology, man and machine. I saw the image again the other day and was just as mesmerised as when I first saw it. Check out the masterpiece on You Tube for inspiration.

Last, but not least, I’m passionate about L’Oreal and the support they give to young hairdressers with opportunities like ID artist, which led me to an h3 ambassadorship after completing the two-year course. As part of the h3 programme I’m working on the Colour Trophy regional tour in London and Manchester, showcasing session techniques to the audience. Darren Fowler of Clipso is heading up the team and we set to work this week creating the looks. Watch this space to see us in action on tour!

Until next week,

Chris

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 1st, 2010 at 1:44 pm and is filed under Guest blogger, Stylists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.