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Michael Barnes on Japanese Style
Date Added: 2010-05-25
Celebrities are all sporting top-knots on the red carpet (inspired by samurai warriors), Lady GaGa’s gone - well, GaGa - for the trend and Kylie’s donned a Geisha wig for it. It can only be Japanese style.
One man who has been spearheading this trend long before GaGa graced our screens is Michael Barnes, respected hairstylist and Goldwell Ambassador.
His love of Japanese style began in 1977 when he arrived in Tokyo alongside the Rainbow Art Team and Trevor Sorbie: “I instantly fell in love with the place, “ he says, “since then my love has continued growing, I have had two Japanese wives and as a result, I’m fluent in the language.”
Today Barnes is renowned for his avant-garde shows, many of which have been inspired by Japanese styling:
“I love how they texturize hair over there, because Japanese hair is a completely different type from hair over here the stylists have become amazing at adding texture to hair – their hair has a real softness to it.”
“I tend to use Japanese styling a lot when I am styling long hair, I love their techniques for putting padding in Geisha hair and the up-dos at traditional Japanese weddings.”
Japan, is of course, famed for advanced technology, and their hair products are no different.
Both the ‘digital perm’ and ‘airwave’ are both gaining popularity in the UK, with Barnes noticing an increase in customers asking him for these treatments.
The digital perm uses hot rods (with the temperature regulated by a digital display). Differing from a normal perm the ‘digi perm’ requires a different product solution as well as heat to gain the desired effect. Hair afterwards feels softer, smoother and shinier with the wave most prominent when the hair is dry.
An air-wave perm is similar, though the temperature is milder and produces a subtler effect.
Barnes also has seen an increase in women asking for a soft bob – recently seen on Victoria Beckham – this trend actually began in Japan with It Girl, Mademoiselle Yulia sporting the style. The colour of her bob changes almost weekly, ranging from ice-cream blues to candy-floss pinks - a trend which has also come across here (read our blog about it here).
So what is it about Japanese style that is so inspiring?
“In Britain we all seem to follow trends, “ Barnes notes. ‘Whereas across there they are constantly aspiring to be different and changing their own styles constantly.”
To see Michael Barnes Kimono Collection, head over to Project:Image and be inspired to create a Japanese trend of your own!
