The invisible haircut that's turning heads

Tonsorial trickery: models at the Giles SS12 show worked natural non-haircuts - which actually involves lots of careful cutting
Kara Dolman10 April 2012

She has been cropped, bobbed, undercut and extended, styled into gravity-defying updos and waist-skimming waves - not to mention coloured every shade from inky black to pillar-box red.

However, when hair chameleon Rihanna recently stepped out with yet another new look - a questionable, bleached blonde mullet reminiscent of vintage Rod Stewart - it seems the girl who never misses a trend missed a trick: the invisible haircut.

For, as the spring/summer catwalks attest, the backlash against the over-styled and over-exposed has begun. The top look this season is not just natural but barely visible.

"I think the days are long gone when we all want a trendy haircut. Invisible anti-haircuts are relevant right now," explains session stylist Luke Hersheson, creative director of the eponymous salons. "What we have been seeing in recent seasons is a return to the more effortless style of the 1990s. Céline's latest collection was especially minimal - and the models' hair matched up to that."

They were not alone. Models at the Giles, PPQ and Mulberry shows also walked with understated "undone" hair which was full, shiny and softly textured. But, contrary to appearances, these styles are not as simple as they look. Hidden layers, camouflaged colour and clever scissor work are the secret to achieving the non-haircut.

"We call it the invisible haircut because you don't see where it has actually been cut - just movement," explains Rossano Ferretti, who has tended the heads of supermodels including Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista. "Whether the length is long or short, you won't see obvious layers, only the hair falling into its best natural shape. The cut is tailored to each person and suits all hair types."

At each of Ferretti's 20 salons worldwide - he is just about to open his first in London - all stylists are taught his patented (yes, patented) cutting technique to create their take on the invisible haircut. Rather than cutting bluntly and horizontally, "The Method" (also known as "Metodo Rossano Ferretti") involves the stylist making quick, upward snips into the hair [roughly three per second], and always in the direction that it naturally falls.

"Each section is different. One area of your hair falls in one way, another in a different way, so it is important to create a cut that makes the most of how your hair naturally lies. Clients often don't know how to style their hair, so this makes life easier. In fact, you'll never need another hairstyle again," explains Ferretti's artistic director, Pol Garcia. "Every hair doesn't need to be cut, we never cut more than is necessary - often it is about taking off as little as possible."

This minimalist approach also applies to colouring. What works best with this style is subtle, organic- looking hues close to your own shade, or root lengthening and undertoning to emphasise its lived-in appeal. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Zooey Deschanel and Alexa Chung are the celebrity touchstones.

"Ask your own hairdresser for layers that blend and are practically invisible rather than shelf-like, and a fringe that looks eight weeks old rather than blunt and graphic," advises Hersheson.

"The ends should not be ruler straight, they should be a bit more silky."

"This sort of style minimises maintenance," adds HOB Salons' Andrea Martinelli, who also session- styles at London Fashion Week. "While the sharp, structured cuts which have been popular, such as Jessie J's bob, need trimming after four to five weeks, this style can be left for at least eight."

So this season, do yourself a favour. Don't follow Rihanna's latest style - there is clearly no "method" in her madness.

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