We’ve often discussed that Pakistan tends to lag behind when it comes to embracing trends. While we might’ve picked up our game when it comes to apparel or accessories, thanks to a profusion of new labels and social media savvy designers with a finger on the global pulse, beauty and hair hasn’t experienced the same boom yet.
Redah Misbah and her husband Shammal Qureshi pictured at one of the evening events.
StyleinFocus
Instep speaks to the creative director about hair trends
and her experience at a global hair forum.
We’ve often discussed that Pakistan tends to lag behind when it comes to embracing trends. While we might’ve picked up our game when it comes to apparel or accessories, thanks to a profusion of new labels and social media savvy designers with a finger on the global pulse, beauty and hair hasn’t experienced the same boom yet. A major factor that contributes to this situation is the fact that our trends stem from countries that have very different complexions, skin and hair textures and hence by the time we’ve tweaked the trend to benefit us it’s already being replaced by the next.
Keeping this in mind, we at Instep caught up with Redah Misbah, creative head for Depilex and Sante salons, who also happens to be married to Shammal Qureshi, creative director at Toni & Guy (North), to talk about hair and upcoming trends.
As imagined, the two make quite a formidable beauty team. Misbah and Qureshi are fresh off the boat from a trip to Portugal where they were invited to attend the L’Oreal Business Forum, hosted by the global beauty brand for salon owners in Asia and Middle East.
The L'Oréal Pakistan team with salon owners and bloggers from the country in Lisbon, Portugal for the forum.
“It was a great learning experience, which wasn’t just about hair-cut and colour or trends but actually encompassed a more holistic approach to business. The morning sessions included crash courses in business strategy, the importance of social media, how to increase footfall and how to cultivate a better salon experience for your customer, apart from the usual lessons in hair styling. The evening sessions were presentations by teams from different countries ranging from the US to the Far East in the latest techniques that they had developed for cut and colour. For L’Oreal ambassadors like Shammal and his partner Juju Haider (who runs Toni & Guy Islamabad) they had also arranged one on one sessions where the instructors gave them personal lessons in how to achieve the latest hair trends,” Misbah divulged.
Misbah then broke down the latest trends that had been imparted at the conference and also spoke about new technology that was introduced.
“So in terms of trends for colour there’s a move away from more traditional and classic shades like ash and platinum towards pastels, rose golds and other such hues. Candy-floss hair, tiger hair, opal hair are just some of the colour combinations and techniques that are globally being embraced and are more fun and daring than the usual set of shades we tend to stick to for our hair.
In terms of techniques it was all about how to use heat styling products that we already own to achieve different effects. For example there was a session on how to use your tong differently to create more natural waves rather than ringlet curls. There was also concentration on how to apply colour so that it blends seamless and lasts longer. The idea was to achieve a look that isn’t contrived and gives the vibe of being effortless,” she explained.
While we’re thrilled to be able to move away from the usual shade of yellow and chestnut that characterizes our idea of what coloured hair should be, we asked Misbah if trends like pastel hair will catch on in a country that is rather rigid in its ideal of beauty. Misbah claims young girls are already embracing loud, quirky trends that she wouldn’t have imagined styling for them some ten years ago.
“We’ve had lots of customers come in for hair tattoos, shaved sides and crazy colours ranging from vibrant cobalt to dreamier hues like rose gold but the fact of the matter is that the younger generation isn’t afraid to embrace these trends and because of them salons across the country have to keep up with whatever is happening on a global scale,” she stated.
