Short and sharp hair solutions

Hair by Danny Pato. Photo / Craig Owen

Go against the flow with a snappy style.

If you fancy a bold new look for winter check out the new looks from top Auckland stylist Danny Pato. With definite colour and lines, they are right on trend for women who like a statement cut.

"With winter coming up, we are seeing a lot of darker colours coming through with a shimmer of lightening," Pato told Viva.

The looks are part of a collection called Camorra Widow for his Ponsonby salon d&m Hair Design, with Pato saying his vision was of a beautiful but deadly mafia woman attending her husband's funeral. The images were shot by leading photographer Craig Owen with fashion styling by the Herald's Canvas fashion writer Dan Ahwa.

"The direction for winter is all about being strong, powerful and glamorous," said Pato, who admits to being influenced by the likes of Sophia Loren and other Mediterranean women he remembers from his youth. Healthy shiny hair softens the collection's look and though the overall impression is of a block dark or light colour, each has subtle depths.

"With our 60s, round Twiggy, look we've used a dark chocolate colour with sun-kissed chestnut going through it," explains Pato. "For our 1920s sharp, boxy, beautifully cut, square bob, we've used a rich dark brown with hints of blue violet."

The trick to carrying off such strong looks, especially for women who have clung to the comfort of longer hair is to work with a stylist who understands your hair type and face shape.

Pato gives these heat styling tips for the looks:

1. Prepare towel-dried hair with a styling product (He recommends Davines' OI/OIL to speed up drying time, protect the hair from heat and UV damage, and to make it easier to work with).

2. Blow-dry using a paddle brush, guiding the hair in opposite directions across your head, left and right. This method is so you don't get a part line. It also gives the hair a little bit of root lift without too much volume.

3. Use irons on a lower heat setting to finish the blow wave and add shine, taking small sections of hair and bringing each forward. If your hair is fine, use the lowest temperature setting, but if you've got medium or thicker hair, you can turn the heat up to 150C max. (Pato recommends Cloud Nine irons.)

4. Finish the look with a shine spray to add sheen and protect your colour from fading. (Try Moroccanoil Glimmer Shine Spray.)

Good for guys

Hair styles for men are increasingly being cut for versatility so they can be worn smart and tidy with a suit for work or more relaxed at the weekend when teamed with casual gear. Helena Hall, a senior stylist at Servilles Albany, offers these pointers for winter:

* Long fringes are really popular at the moment.

* We are seeing a lot more layered texture and movement.

Hall says the texturised look is mainly through the middle of the hair, but with very short and sharp sides. "Depending on how daring you are this could be completely disconnected or very softly connected to the interior section."

The use of product will help transform styles from slicked back to mussied up. Ask your stylist what would best suit your hair type and the look you are after and how to work the product through for best effect. Salons tell me men generally prefer product in pots - and usually something that leaves hair with a matte finish - rather than using sprays or mousses; but if you are looking to inject texture or volume don't be timid about trying something in a can. The likes of a good salt spray can leave hair with added body, but without feeling "done". Powders and spray-in dry shampoos are options that soak up a little oil (great if you don't have time to shower) while providing a bit of lift to limp locks.

The men's hair colouring business continues to make most of its money from camouflaging greys, rather than fashion effects. If you are getting a little more silver than you'd like, ask about disguising this with a service that doesn't darken you all over, but is more selective and subtle.

Colour cues

International runways were full of fun colourful looks this season and this has filtered through to style forecasts in local salons.

The "fun with colour" trend as seen at Prada, McQueen, Versace, Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karen Walker and Marni translates for Rodney Wayne creative director Richard Kavanagh to boyish, manga-inspired looks, contrasting colour, chic sexy fringes, bouncy frothy curls and long shiny luscious locks.

Kavanagh, who again worked overseas on hair for the shows, says that this winter colour is the ultimate accessory and it is worth planning a customised approach with your stylist so you can vary looks on salon visits.

Cinnamon Scholes, technical director at Toni & Guy says the fashion influence on hair extends to fabric choices influencing colour collections. Think the likes of rich dark brown shades inspired by fur. She has also picked up on the brighter coloured roots and darker end tones seen at Gaultier and Haider Ackerman and Prada dip-dyed pink and red blondes.

Ways to update your colour include looking to the rich brights that abound this autumn and considering warm golden blondes - "think gods in The Immortals movie", says Scholes. "Bright light blondes with pastel tones, reds and coppers, rich and bright add colour to the winter wardrobe."

Style-wise Kavanagh says short hair is versatile, moving from a polished look with shine and a heavy fringe or worn swept back into a boyish shape. "Colour can be dark or light but definitely have contrasting tones: warm and cool, plum and peach, violet and blue black ..."

Long hair has a narrow silhouette with soft feathered ends and lots and lots of shine and polish, with colour running from pastel plum and peach to bright pale blonde, almost dip-dyed at the ends. This needs to be kept in top condition with salon moisturising treatments.

For those with natural curl, Kavanagh advises it be left to do its thing with playful curl making a comeback.

Will you opt for the chop this winter? Inspired by any short celebrity styles?

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