A Cut Above: Interview with hairstylist Su Jorgensen
When did you start working as a hairstylist and when did you decide to become a professional hairstylist?
Once I graduated university, I wanted to study and do something with my hands and that's how I picked up hairdressing. When you study in New Zealand you go through a four year apprenticeship in order to learn all areas of your trade. The first three years you work in the salon and combine that with block courses at a tertiary education centre to learn about the science of hair as well as other technical aspects.
Why are you interested in the beauty industry?
Obviously, I really love fashion. I love how fashion is always moving forward and I also like to keep myself progressively young. One of the reasons I joined this industry is because I wanted to make people feel good. It's not just about giving people the latest hairstyles, it's about making people feel good with the hair that they have.
What is the hottest hair trend at the moment?
For men, it's definitely pompadour hairstyles. That is hair that has been lifted and swept up from the forehead to either create volume or manipulated with hair products to create a sleeker, flat look. Other hot trends for men are full forward fringes with a tousled texture, deconstructed layers with undercuts, classic fades and beards.
What's really cool at the moment for women's hair is a lot of it is about the fringe – if your hair is shorter. A short fringe can make the style look more quirky. If you've got medium length hair, it's a very strong structured bob which touches the collarbone. It's not very layered but it's all about shaggy fringes and sliced out fringes. And with long hair, generally it's really the same - long hair with long layers. It is so difficult for women to do something different with long hair. What are coming back are simple long hairstyles with middle parting. I think when it comes to simple long hairstyles you can really enhance the style with a rich colour.
Which hair product do you think every woman should have?
The right products are really important. Everyone should add moisture to their hair everyday to protect against the elements. When the hair is dry never go without using a spray-in leave-on conditioner or a styling conditioner that you leave in. Sea salt spray is an easy way to give your hair some volume and to make it look tousled and casual. Another thing which is very important is dry shampoo because that means you don't have to wash your hair every day. Women here have really soft shiny hair and if you wash it everyday, it strips out the natural oils which keep our hair conditioned and leads to a loss in volume.
What's the biggest mistake Bangladeshis make with their hair?
I think men use too much hair gel. Hair gel has a lot of alcohol in it and if used in excess it makes your hair crunchy. Also it's very hard to get good products here, which is why my friend and I bring these products in from abroad.
Women always want to have a complete change while keeping their hair as long as possible without any layers. It's very hard to get a lot of volume from your hair if the layers are too long and heavy. I think it's important to have natural movement in the hair, whether that's created from natural waves or from blow-drying. If you want a change but don't want to lose any length, a fringe or a longer side swept fringe might be more appropriate.
Can you name some upcoming trends in the black hair market for winter 2015, in terms of what's hot in colour, what textures women should be trying out, etc?
For long hair – structured long layers with a fringe can really make a hairstyle look more edgy. Everything should be really soft, natural, and sort of like open loose curls. It is smart to avoid anything too tight and structured. I would also suggest auburn and warm copper as they are the colours of winter. One thing I would be careful about is bleaching. Women who want to lighten their hair especially when it is black may not realise that their hairdresser is using strong, harsh bleaching products. Bleach can destroy the structure and condition of the hair and it takes a lot to repair. Their hair can also be lifted to a shade that does not suit the South Asian skin tone.
What are some of the simple things that anyone can do to pamper their hair?
What I really love about this part of the world is that women really know how to treat their hair by doing hot oil treatments. In my salon, what I have are different kinds of organic oils that I bring in from Morocco and aromatherapy essential oils also brought in from abroad. Combined with a head massage they make for a really good hair treatment.
The thing to do is to have weekly hot oil treatments, use good shampoos and conditioning masks, look after it by using good products and don't wash it everyday.
Tell us about your product line.
There is such a limited amount of good quality hair products here for sale that my business partner - who is from Morocco - and I decided to set up our own product line called Sukha. We started bringing in Argan shampoo and oil from the people that sell it in the specialised region of Morocco. We are now selling Argan oil, Kérastase, sea salt spray, Sebastian styling paste for men, essential oils and our own brand of shampoo.
Do you have any advice for anyone interested in hair styling or the beauty industry?
Yes! You need to have a lot of enthusiasm and energy. It'll be really long hours so you'll need a lot of stamina. Also you need to be a dedicated learner and practice a lot. You can also keep progressing by going through courses and techniques online.
By Naveed Naushad
Photo: Su Jorgensen
Photo reworked by Leni Hester
Hair Styling: Su Jorgensen
Styling of model Shaon and Ripon done by Su Jorgensen for Star Lifestyle in an earlier shoot
For further information please mail to showponycardiganclub@hotmail. com
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