COLOUR NOTES

Artistic Director at Rainbow Room International, Suzie McGill, chats Cruella de Vil, pop art, and tie-dye effects

What do you love most about being a colourist?

I love that I can show my creativity and push the boundaries, especially when working on shoots and creating collections. I love inspiring others, and creating clients’ hair colour goals and seeing them leave the salon confident.

Punk
I love creating punk-inspired looks and often get inspiration from looking at the 60s and 70s eras to create more contemporary punk looks.

What is the most important question you ask in a colour consultation and why?

What are your goals? This is so important if you want to ensure you are delivering for the client. Even if their goals are unrealistic, putting together a plan will have them leaving the salon trusting that you are helping them achieve their desired look.

Fashion
I love to look at the latest fashion week – the Gucci and YSL catwalk shows have given me inspiration. Designers like Vivienne Westwood who are quirky and unique are so inspirational to me.

What colour trends are you pleased to see out of fashion?

Balayage! Although this is still something clients are requesting, it’s being replaced with other colour services. I’m excited to see some new colour trends for 2023.

Are there any colour trends you’d like to bring back?

Two tonal hair – think Cruella de Vil – pairing two contrasting colours to create a statement look. This was something that clients were previously scared of, but now they are becoming more adventurous and want bolder looks.

Pop art
I love to be expressive and use bright and bold colour. Looking at things like comic strips, posters, and even things like soup cans give me great inspiration.

What are the challenges facing colourists right now?

In the current climate, clients are cutting their costs, and colour can be expensive. It’s something out of our control but as colourists, we need to continue building great relationships with our clients and show them that it’s important to invest in their hair to keep it looking and feeling its very best.

What do you think will be the next big colour trend?

Two tonal colour, colour blocking, colour panels – trends showcasing two or more different colours. Pink will be one of the hottest colours this season – with films like Barbie coming out and pink tones on the catwalks, it’s inevitable.

Travel
Visiting Paris, I saw umbrella rainbows in Carcassonne, which were incredible and gave me inspiration for colour I wanted to create in my collections.

What colour technique are you known for?

Two tonal colour. I have also recently created hair colour collections with ‘tie-dye’ effects. In earlier years, the ‘colour spill’ technique was one of my renowned colour skills. I would use geometric sectioning and relaxed colour application with precise colour choices to disperse colour beautifully through hair, resulting in an almost transitional hair colour look.

What colour creation makes you most proud?

I love how I created a petrol like effect on a dark/black base for one of my collections. The colour is subtle, but it really stands out and gives the hair mega shine.

Millennial Youth Culture
 I love people watching and looking online at social media to see what different cultures are doing and the latest trends they are fascinated by.

What advice would you give to a trainee colourist?

Throw yourself into education to ensure you are aware of the latest trends and techniques. Complete courses, attend shows, watch YouTube, and look at what other colourists are doing. Try to stand out from the crowd – this is how you’ll get noticed.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt from being a colourist?

It’s ok to make mistakes. As long as you understand the process, you can rectify the issue and know how to deal with it in the future. hji.co.uk