Colour Forecast Autumn/Winter 2017

FIRST THERE WAS MAN,
then there was man and his
beard. Now there’s man and
his hair colour. The trend for
facial fuzz suddenly made it
acceptable for men to talk openly about
their grooming habits, visit salons and
buy beauty products – it was only a
matter of time before men’s hair colour
became the next topic of conversation
and opportunity for salons.
“With beards a thing of the past, I
think men’s colour will be the next step
in male grooming,” says Kal McCulloch,
colour technician at Dickson Reid. “I’ve
seen a gradual increase in male clients
and I think it’s due to men becoming
more comfortable talking about colour.”
But while men might be more
receptive to colouring their hair, they’re
still more likely to do it at home than
in the salon, despite the negative ‘Lego
hair’ connotations. However, a third of
men who have used hair colour at home
in the past 12 months have used a new
colour technique, compared with just five
per cent of women, according to Mintel.
So how can salons capitalise on their
more adventurous potential new clients?
“Many men are still unaware of the
possibilities available within the world of
colour, therefore, it is important for the
stylist to bring the subject up during a
hair appointment and introduce them to
a colour technician who can go into more
detail,” says Tai Walker, colour director at
Mahogany Hairdressing.
With 75 per cent of men worrying
about going grey, according to Mintel,
how to cover it is an obvious place to
start when considering how to get men
into colour. “I certainly don’t have men
requesting full blanket coverage of grey
anymore. Instead, they seem to want to
embrace their grey and accentuate it.
Many ask for their patchy colours to be
rebalanced to give that ‘George Clooney’
look,” says Tai.
Both Goldwell and Aveda have
introduced grey services for men.
Aveda’s Men’s Grey Blending service
appeals to men because it ensures their
hair colour will still look natural and
won’t add any extra time onto their
normal appointment for a haircut.
“Offering a service that has virtually
no effect on how long their regular
service will take, along with the discreet
way this colour service is added on at the
backwash, is perfect for male clients,”
says Stel Nicolaou, master barber at the
Aveda Institute.
Meanwhile, Goldwell’s Grey
Camouflage service is a five-minute grey
blending service that’s discreet and also
applied at the backwash.
Discretion and time are key when it
comes to men and how to get them into
colour – something Mahogany’s Tai
believes is vital. “Ensure that a colour
service is swift – the last thing that most
gents will want is to be sat in a window
seat with foils in for an hour,” he says.
“COLOUR FOR
MEN IS HAVING
A MOMENT. IT’S
ABOUT BEING
ANARCHIC”
GEN ITOH, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
OF BED HEAD HAIR SPACE, SHOREDITCH
Most men will need to be eased into
the idea of colour, whether it’s for a grey
service or something else. Ashleigh
Hodges, creative director at Jamie
Stevens Hair, has found offering toning
services to men a good first step. “We are
toning men’s hair as an introduction to
colour or adding a few freehand pieces,
then progressing them onto larger
services slowly,” she says.
For James Taylor, colour director
at Barrie Stephen, he’s found cooler
colours and ash tones work best for men.
“Breaking their base colour is also a
quick and cost-effective way to introduce
a male client into colour,” he adds.
But what about those men that don’t
want to be discreet at all with their hair
colour? As ever, celebrities are leading
the way in this regard with Zayn Malik
and Jared Leto both sporting fashion
shades over the past year. Mintel has
found that a third of men aged 16 to 24
have coloured their hair in the past year
themselves, opting for temporary fashion
shades that can be easily washed out.
But, again, how can you get these men
into the salon?
Will Eagles, creative director at Cream
Hair, has found providing the lifting
service required to then apply temporary
colours a big hit in his salon. “We’ve had
a huge surge in men wanting temporary
pastel colours and so we get them to a
pale, light base to enable them to achieve
this,” he explains. “Younger men are
coming in with a vast knowledge of
colour options and techniques.”
Will adds that the hard part for his
team is to then explain the lengthy
processes and upkeep of these trends.
“The younger demographic is investing
more in colour, but have unrealistic
expectations. They are heavily
influenced by Instagram and YouTube.”
Gen Itoh, creative director of TIGI’s
Bed Head Hair Space in Shoreditch,
East London, has also found young men
are driving this upsurge in men’s colour.
“Men and hair colour has always been an
uneasy pairing,” he says. “But influenced
by the music scene and creative
industries, colour for men is having a
moment. It’s about being anarchic and
statement-making – to stand out and
be seen. On a recent shoot we used the
local East London ‘urban squad’ and we
gave several of the guys cutting-edge,
revolutionary looks, strengthened with
Bed Head Colour Trip.”
While inroads have been made into
offering men hair colour options that
they would want, it’s still mainly targeted
at those with grey hair. To maximise
on the new trend, you have to get them
while they’re young. Higher engagement
from the start will result in greater
revenue generation, a growth in clientele
and happier male clients.
Colour Forecast
SEE MORE from the world
of male grooming in Mr. Q
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