March 27, 2020 |
“I’m as free as my hair,” belted Lady Gaga on her seminal 2011 album Born This Way. And she’s right. If the eyes are the window to the soul, our locks are the decadent frames around it. Grow it, chop it, dye-it, or even shave it off completely – your hair is not only yours to play around with, but also a little insight into who you are on the inside. So understandably, when the country goes in lockdown, many will go into a meltdown about how will they treat their hair over the upcoming weeks. Masses took to Twitter to unleash their fury over the empty haircare shelves in Boots and Superdrug as people decided to stockpile on the box dyes. We’re bound to come out on the other side with buzzcut boys, grown-out girls and plenty of orange scalps after failed bleach attempts. For most salon owners, workers and self-employed hairdressers, the uncertainties of the current climate could leave devastating impacts on businesses and livelihoods. But just like with other creative industries, it’s all about finding new ways of staying in touch they aren’t leaving their clientele in the dark (or with messed-up fades) as many of London’s salons and hairstylists opting for virtual tutorials and do-it-yourself kits.
Always loud, proud and ahead of the curve, Bleach London have launched the Hair Party series, where one-to-one digital appointments and how-to tutorials will be on available so their loyal clientele can successfully ‘self-dye-solate’, as the brand have coined. “We always planned to build a digital consultation tool to help customers using our at-home products, but with the temporary closure of our London salons in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we wanted to ensure we didn’t cut short our services,” explains Alex Brownsell, co-founder and creative director of Bleach London. “Our Hair Party series will guide customers through self-dye-solation with some of the best colourists in the world. We had high demand from some of our longstanding customers and clients, so we wanted to keep the community connected in the most interactive way.”
Launching a worlds-first digital salon, Bleach London will help customers both maintain their colour and experiment with styles, using their signature Party Packs which are available to purchase with no delivery charge. “Now is the time to have fun with colour and dare to experiment,” says theco-founder Alex Brownsell. Through a live chat, customers will be asked to pick a select look from the brand’s colour families and give a brief overview of their existing hair-type. From there, an online stylist will provide the most fitting Party Pack bundle, which will not only provide the products and guides on how to apply the colours, but will grant access to join live parties.
View this post on Instagram
The first of which will take place this Saturday, where Brownsell will be virtually joined by Georgia Jagger, Pixie Geldof and Nick Grimshaw who are all in the mood to experiment with their colour. “Our Hair Parties are driven by community and Georgia, Pixie, Nick and Mesh are part of the Bleach DNA. We’ve been looking after their colour for years, and Georgia is at the heart of the brand as a business partner. Stay tuned for some amazing transformations!”
Bleach London are not alone when it comes to making sure their customer’ hair conditions remain in tip-top condition. Skyler London are holding Instagram live Q&As three times a week, whereas Josh Wood Colour and Windle London are both popping tutorials straight onto your Insta feed, offering expert advice on how you can maintain the colour and health of your hair from the comfort of your living room. Josh Wood will also provide personal online consultancies and a live chat service where you can send in pictures of your hair and receive expert advice from top hair stylists who work for the company.
Tutorials aren’t just reserved for the adults either. Last night, hairstylist Tom Baxter held a Facebook live tutorial focused on styling tips for children’s hair, perfect for fending off those tatty locks during those seemingly endless days at home. You’ll find a lot of salons are offering hair kits, like Glasshouse, who have launched a digital consultancy service where they will advise you on which Tints Of Nature natural hair dyes would benefit your hair the most. Self-isolation is no excuse for a bad hair day, hoorah!
Top image: Bleach London Violet Femme Party Pack. Sign up to Bleach London’s Hair Party now.
