Flying Solo NYC at Paris Fashion Week
Following the success of London Fashion Week, Brendan flew off to Paris as Lead Hair for the Flying Solo NYC show. Using Unite Hair products, Brendan and his team produced elegant looks inspired by braiding techniques, embellished with beautiful hair jewellery. Simple yet stunning, these looks would adapt brilliantly for Christmas and New Year parties for clients with long hair. Unite Hair products that helped create the look were Expanda Dust, Blow & Set Lotion and GO365 Hairspray.
Vin + Omi ‘Future Flowers’ London Fashion Week Show
Brendan was Lead Hairstylist at the Vin + Omi ‘Future Flowers’ London Fashion Week show at The Dorchester, 21st September 2021. No less than 50 models were walking (dancing or running!) including Jo Wood and Olympians Hannah Williams, Marcus Mempstead, Joe Choong and Stephanie Twell.
“This was such an exciting collection to work on, Vin + Omi designs are works of art and hair needed to be both spectacular and respectful of the sustainability values which Vim + Omi hold close to their hearts.
We referenced the Future Flowers theme with an Avant Garde perspective, always bearing sustainability in mind. Vin + Omi do inspirational research into how they can work with nature and leave the planet as undisturbed as possible and to align with this we used every day (but unusual for session work) materials such as fruit nets and protectors recycled from greengrocers and supermarkets, recycled cardboard, and old clothing. We even used recycled fashion pieces from Vin + Omi previous collections such sheepskin, wool, re-purposed building foam to create spectacular headpieces. It’s made me think about how I could use materials already to hand to achieve high fashion looks.
The looks were a celebration of how you can be sustainable during London Fashion Week, and a collaboration between the designers and hair team. We worked with Vin + Omi on ideas and mood boards, bringing the vision to life.
There’s such a great choice of products in the KMS range to help me and my team create the looks for this show. And of course, the new Conscious Styling products and GO Solid shampoo fit perfectly with the values behind the show.
I love all the looks but think my favourite must be Gravity Defying Ponytail – It’s simple yet such a contrast to expectations when you imagine a ponytail. I love the bluntness of the brow-skimming fringe.”
Brendan O’Sullivan talks Autumn Hair Trends
“As we approach Autumn the trends in the salon seem a little more daring. With the seventies influences we’re seeing this year, cutting is becoming more creative with more customers requesting a shorter, precision cut.
Styling product innovation has been exceptionally good recently which sits well with the trend for texture. Whatever style you choose, texture is a big trend for Autumn and great styling products help create the look.
Short to long - Buzz, Pixie, Mixie, Mullet, Wolf – which one’s for you?
Whatever length you prefer, these styles work brilliantly with the texture and layers trend, they are so wearable. A great haircut, colour for emphasis and the right products make them easy to style and wear, plus they can be dressed up or worn more casually. Key products for these textured styles are Liquid Volume by Unite Hair for texture and weightless volume, while TEXTURIZER Spray by Unite Hair is perfect for an undone textured look.
For our very daring customers, the Buzz cut in a bold fashion colour is a real statement and so easy to maintain.
The choppy Pixie cut is updated with texture and movement, it’s really easy to wear.
The Mixie is a Pixie/Mullet hybrid, longer than a pixie and slightly softer than a traditional mullet shape.
The Mullet is still very much on-trend for Autumn and it’s great to see how many variations there are now.
And for the adventurous long-haired client, we love the Wolf cut which keeps length at the back but has chopped into, sliced layers to remove weight.
Bob, French Bob, Lob
The bob is always in fashion and we love how the shape evolves with time. A chic, short French Bob
is becoming very popular, worn with movement in the hair and perhaps some waves or flicks for extra style. We’re being asked to do nineties style bobs with a middle or side parting quite frequently, updated with creative colouring techniques to personalise the look. And the Lob long bob remains as popular as ever, easy to wear up or down and looks fabulous with artistic colour such as balayage to really emphasise movement. Key products for these bob styles are Tecniart Liss Control by L’Oreal for a smooth, sleek blowdry and for a high gloss finish, Unite Hair Smooth&Shine cream. To hold waves and flicks, try Unite Hair Session-Max finishing spray.
The Shag and Curly Shag
Whether soft or shorter layers, the Shag is such a versatile style and for Autumn we have the Curly Shag with a fringe to give a squarer shape. Chopped-into layers create weightlessness, volume and movement and with the correct styling products you can just blast-dry and go. Key products to support the look are Tecniart Density Material for volume, texture and hold and Tecniart Savage Panache spray for exceptional volume with a dishevelled, texturised finish.
The Shag and Curly Shag
2021 Has been all about fringes and this is set to continue – curtain, mod, wisp, 70s flick, and particularly a fringe that is shorter in the centre going longer towards the edges. Think Farah-Fawcett, Debbie Harry, Margot Robbie. Depending on the type of fringe we can either create a soft, face-framing style or dramatic impact with something like baby bangs contrasted with a one-length bob. Key products for these looks are Elevate Mousse by Unite Hair for a full-bodied style with shine and movement, 7Seconds Blowout Crème by Unite Hair for a smooth, shiny finish and GO365 Hairspray by Unite Hair for soft, medium or strong hold – the choice is yours!”
Oxford Fashion Studio at London Fashion Week
Brendan was Lead Hairstylist for three shows with Oxford Fashion Studios, London Fashion Week September 19th 2021.
“For the Oxford Fashion Studio hair we used a Seventies inspiration updated with more natural texture and an androgynous mood. Using KMS Conscious Styling products we created a raw texture and visible layers to the hair with natural movement from soft, seventies style blow-dries. These looks really play into the current hair fashion trends we’re seeing in the salon.
We referenced classic Seventies looks updated such as Mullet shapes in shorter and longer versions, a modern-day Shag cut worn shorter with more layers and a Curly Shag which has a squarer, flatter shape with a fringe (we think the Curly Shag look is set to be huge this Autumn), Wash & Wear Bobs and of course, Fringes. We love a Margot Robbie fringe and fringes shorter in the centre going longer to the sides.
I think my favourite look from the show is the Curly Shag style look we created on Charli Fletcher, the model who opened the first show. The hair is shorter than a traditional shag, with the new squarer shape. Charli looked amazing and as the first model to walk, absolutely owned the runway.
KMS products are so adaptable and whatever hair type you have, there will be a solution within the range. At London Fashion Week we don’t know every models hair type in advance and for the Oxford Fashion Studio show there are several designers so we need a look to compliment all. The KMS Conscious Styling range performed perfectly for us.”