Minimalism and restraint? Forget about it! This year, it’s all about the bold, the grand and the extravagant, declare Joico International Creative Directors Damien Carney and Sue Pemberton. The Joico 2014 trend release—aptly named In-Excess—heralds a return to sex appeal, edgy glamour and extreme luxury. Inspired by that decade of excess—the ‘80s—and refreshed for the realities of today, the 12 looks in In-Excess embrace an “anything goes” spirit of ebullience and joy.
For the collection’s lively and versatile shapes, Carney reveals that he studied the designs of legendary ‘80s fashion icons Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana and Azzedine Alaia, who experimented with bold silhouettes and unexpected textures. The resulting cuts—short, medium and long—employ longer lengths to create internal and external texture, allowing Carney to craft strong, highly adaptable haircuts that are both soft and hard. “The silhouettes are transformational to offer endless styling options,” explains Carney. “When worn straight, the shape is strong with high-gloss impact. When worn loosely and styled with the hands, it’s more diffused and deconstructed.”
Style-wise, retro hair trends such as skyscraper bangs, extreme texture and a Flock of Seagulls-like fringe were also given a 21st-century makeover, updating these elements for a modern sensibility. All of the looks are facilitated and enhanced by Joico stylers including—Power Spray Fast-Drying Finishing Spray, Texture Boost Dry Spray Wax and Crème Wax Style & Shine—which produce a variety of on-trend finishes and touchable hold.
Fresh off of her second NAHA Haircolorist of the Year win, Pemberton reveals that she found inspiration in the bold, bright hairstyles of the MTV generation—Cyndi Lauper, Madonna and Boy George, just to name a few. “The level of color intensity is the same, but the updates are much more refined than the originals,” she explains. “So the finished looks are very modern and wearable—not the least bit dated or over-the-top.”
Pemberton used a variety of color application techniques to recreate the wild, pattern-on-pattern “color and texture clashes” of artists Jean-Michel Basquiat and Frank Stella, mirroring the “graphic, layered complexity” seen on the spring runways of Ann Demeulemeester, Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Fendi. And her signature gift for combining delightfully unexpected hues is once again in evidence here. In-Excess features palettes of yellow, orange and pink with violet; cobalt and emerald green; and bubbly pastels embedded in gold—supported by the artist-friendly Joico Vero K-PAK Color Intensities.
“The goal wasn’t to create a retrospective of past trends, but instead be inspired by the more-is-better attitude of the time,” says Carney. “It was as if no one ever questioned, ‘is this too much?’ That’s the spirit that drove this collection.”
Stylists can explore In-Excess in hands-on educational programs and via the beautiful and comprehensive inspirational and technical portfolios* designed to support the trend.
Visit www.joico.com/salonpro for information on classes, workshops and other educational events.
Click through to see more images from this stunning collection.
[Images courtesy of Joico]
