As summer comes to an end, chances are clients are going to be looking for ways to change up their look. Celebrity stylist and founder of the award-winning Nelson j Salon in Beverly Hills, Nelson Chan has three, bold new styles to amp up the sleepy last days of summer: "Amped Acid" - vivid colors far removed from earth-tones, made wearable; "Bronde" - a fusion of deep brunette sophistication with the glam of blonde; and "Sundowner" - Chan's newest, softest take on blonde-to-dark ombre effects.
When looking for new color palettes, and new ways of thinking about color, Chan was inspired by recent advancements in camera technology. In mid-August, the world's fastest camera, developed by two major Japanese universities, was announced. Chan has studied photography and color palette reproduction via the transferred image for the past decade, since many of this clients, including Lady Gaga and Heather Graham, must achieve hair color which retains its consistency in print, video, and on the red carpet. His passion for photography - as well as exploring the universe of retouching and animation effects used in video, web, and editorial print work - continue to influence his perspective and technique in the salon.
"This new camera uses an optical shutter which enables it to shoot images consecutively in less than one trillionth of a second," says Chan. "Mechanical or electronic shutters perform at one-billionth of a second, by contrast. I am very interested in the way that optical technology is changing, and how this affects our approach to something as personal as hair color."
Click through to see each new look from Nelson Chan! [pagebreak]
Amped Acid
This bright, bold look takes hair into the world of vivid, synthetic-yet-wearable colors. "I wanted to show that there is a whole other world of color which is normally invisible to us," says Chan. "For example, a rock may look like a rock to the human eye, in sunlight: gray, tan, maybe elements of black and white. But under an ultraviolet bulb, it may glow cherry-red, purple, fuchsia-pink, or the turquoise-teal of a peacock feather." This saturated palette has been perfected for a refined, wearable version of color-shock. [pagebreak]
Bronde
Bronde is a deliciously dark take on blonde, first made popular by supermodel Giselle Bundchen. With a medium to dark base, boomerang-shaped blonde slices are scattered strategically around the eyes, cheekbones and neckline to add a bit of drama to what might otherwise be a basic brown. Placement is key, and the effect is more abstract than one which merely mimics nature. For instance, Chan does not place blonde highlights on the top of the head or parting, where in real life sunlight would fall and lighten locks. Bronde is an elegant, witty re-imagining of how a worldly brunette might experience a last flicker of lingering summer as the seasons shift to darker days ahead. [pagebreak]
Sundowner
Chan's fresher take on last season's "sombre" variation of the ombre standard erases the harsh delineations and high contrast typically associated with ombre. This new, subtler effect is intended to suggest the lengthening of shadows as the summer days get shorter and evening falls earlier and earlier. Lowlights are tumbled in under-layers and roots, while the top notes of the hair still glow with warm solar chords. [pagebreak]
Bonus: Cherry Bomb
A bright pop of coral takes this bold look from summer to fall with ease. Mimicking a stunning sunset, or the changing leaves of autumn, the look, much like Amped Acid, focuses on bright, wearable color.
[Images courtesy of Carolyn Kamii Public Relations]
