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Haute or healthy?

Strong hair is better than stylish hair, says celebrity hair stylist John Gillespie in a chat with T. KRITHIKA REDDY

MANE POINT "Healthy hair is always fashionable," says John Gillespie PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

Flirty fringes, romantic curls or fuss-free bobs... hair today is an important form of expression. It has become a creative medium for stylists to sculpt, colour and experiment. Awareness about the way hair can transform one's look and the way hair care products (call them cosmeceuticals?) can change hair texture and tendencies, has resulted in a spurt of mane events in the city.

A recent surprise was the visit of John Gillespie, celebrity hairstylist and member of the elite British Fellowship of Performing Hair Artists. In Chennai as part of his whirlwind tour of the country to launch Satinique, Amway's latest range of hair care products, Gillespie explained why hair doesn't seem like an indulgence any more.

"I think this global obsession with celebrity and beauty has helped the way people look at hair. They realise how much it can change, enhance or flatter one's look. There's a huge market for hair care. Consumers and clients are more aware of the benefits of hair care products and different styles, so naturally they are more demanding. Besides, they are willing to pay more for quality andto look and feel good," smiled Gillespie.

For someone who has styled the hair of pop stars such as Beyonce, Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera and Robbie Williams for the MTV Europe Awards, Gillespie has no airs about him. What's more, his hairstyle is plainer than his attitude. But the fact that he is a committed arbiter of international styles was apparent as he spoke. "We want to push hair to new boundaries, explore fresh styles and colour. Hair today is part of lifestyle. To me, it doesn't matter if my client is a celebrity or not. I treat people as individuals. That's the perfect way to approach hair, because facial shapes, hair colour and texture vary from one person to the other."

Talking about trends, Gillespie said, "I guess nobody wants to follow a mass fashion look. The point is, when something becomes `fashionable', it's no longer distinct. What ultimately shines is individuality." And springing a surprise, the global ambassador for Satinique added, "To me, healthy hair is the most important thing. Styles change with every season. What's always fashionable is healthy hair."

Healthy hair apart, what's the current trend internationally? "At the moment, the accent is on movement in hair, soft wavy curls — a throwback to the 1970s. Geometric shapes with strong lines and fringes too will soon make headlines. Besides, colour will continue to hold sway. At present, it's so huge in the U.K. About 80 per cent of my customers use colour. And I'm a big advocate of colour. Technology has improved so much, so it's absolutely safe to use colour as long as you go to trained professionals. Brown is big this season. There's cappuccino, mocha, Americana, latte, caramel, honey, etc., to suit all skin tones. It's important to have some fun with hair — try out new styles and colours. Don't we go on a sartorial splurge?"

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