New Vintage Hairstyling Training Programme for 2013

2012 course photo of model Georgia Train, hair by Martina Bellieni. Photo Scott Chalmers

The highlight of 2012 for Vintage Hair Lounge was without a doubt, the pride in our hair team at Goodwood Revival. All our stylists had, at different times in the past 18 months, undertaken our unique Vintage Hairstyling For Camera Course, developed their own work, joined us on a range of vintage events, and gelled splendidly together as a strong team under the most demanding conditions at this huge vintage event, for three days in September. Each stylist brought their own creativity and interpretation to the many varied looks for all generations of girls and women, but unmistakably, in the Vintage Hair Lounge style that demonstrates a strong understanding of vintage hairstyles and a confidence in applying the techniques to each individual client.

Vintage Hair Lounge salon at Goodwood Revival. Photo Scott Chalmers

The reasons for choosing the Vintage Hairstyling For Camera Course are varied. Some have been looking to kick start their lost passion for the hairdressing industry and see new ways to develop their own businesses and creative portfolios with exciting new work; some have endured years as hair and makeup artists always feeling "weak" in hair styling; some have enthused about quality training to constantly rejuvenate and develop their skills and some have looked to the course, as complete novices, for an entry into a vintage world in a completely new skill. In such small training groups as we have (between 4 to 6 students with 2 tutors, Gloria Holloway and Sharon Holloway, at all times), it is a joyful experience to have such a mix of all these people sharing their journey through two days of history and practical application of such a beautiful craft.

Vintage Hairstyling For Camera Course in action. Photo Scott Chalmers

For 2013, not only we will be continuing to offer this course but we are excited to launch a new course for people who want to learn how to vintage style their own hair to professional standards. The Vintage Hairstyling : Signature Looks course will provide the opportunity for those who want to perfect their own look on or off stage, on or off camera, and discover that their hair can and will do amazing vintage things when they know how! We constantly hear about people's persistence in trying to follow YouTube videos and instructional books, but with only one way communication these tools are no substitute for actually doing it for real with professionals in a hands-on fun environment where there is no end to the number of questions to be asked and the satisfaction in unravelling all the little tricks and hints along the way that live teaching provides.

Hands on teaching from Sharon Holloway on the Vintage Hairstyling For Camera Course. Photo Scott Chalmers

And as with the professional course, assumptions are left at the door, so as to embrace possibilities that haven't previously been thought of. Two recent "in house" photoshoots undertaken by Vintage Hair Lounge with photographer Scott Chalmers showed how established performers can take on a whole new persona when exploring a different signature hairstyle.

Here's Burlesque performer Natalie De Gruchy (Isabelle L'Amour) in classic 1950s day attire with a rock and roll inspired vintage hairstyle....

Hair and makeup Vintage Hair Lounge. Photo Scott Chalmers

And here's vintage vocalist Miss Annie, best known for her 1940s and 1950s repertoire, trying out a classy 1960s "Mad Men" inspired look with iconic beehive to match....

Hair and makeup Vintage Hair Lounge. Photo Scott Chalmers

The concept of a "signature look" is to take inspiration from icons and create one's own distinctive take on it, something that becomes unique and recognisable for that person and thoroughly suits that person's personality and over all look. Another way of putting it is "bespoke vintage hairstyling".

So for 2013, our training programme begins in January with Vintage Hairstyling For Camera courses running throughout the winter and spring months in a variety of venues. A new Advanced Course in Vintage Hair Setting and Styling will be launched in the early summer months, and February sees the start of the Vintage Hairstyling : Signature Looks courses. 

2012 course photo of model Lindsey Tatler, hair by Kelly Prentice. Photo Scott Chalmers

For more information and booking for our 2013 courses, head over to the Vintage Hair Lounge website, where new dates and venues will also be regularly updated on our courses pages.

V is for Victory at Goodwood Revival

Behind the scenes with Miss Vienna Green at our Goodwood Revival photoshoot. Photo by Scott Chalmers

With just a week to go until the world's most celebrated classic motor racing meeting and vintage festival, Goodwood Revival, Vintage Hair Lounge is gearing up for an entirely new kind of vintage salon, located in the Victory Street Party area Over the Road. With highly trained vintage hairstylists, a specialist vintage barbering team and superb vintage makeup artists, we have brought together an outstanding team to deliver the Vintage Hair Lounge vision to a global audience.

Photography by Scott Chalmers, Graphic Design by Cassie Leedham at Good Show Studio

Vintage Hair Lounge kicked off our pre-Revival campaign with a brief to recreate a design to celebrate the contributions of women to the war effort in the 1940s. With labour shortages and the need to keep morale high, women were the target of a range of sophisticated and glamorous recruitment campaigns to encourage, and in some instances compel, them in to the military and other auxiliary services.

With leading UK bodypainter, Julia Townend creating our model Miss Vienna Green's  own unique military costume, it was down to Vintage Hair Lounge to finish the signature 1940s hairstyle and makeup, and there was no doubt that true Victory Rolls were going to feature.

Julia Townend creating Miss Vienna Green's bodypainted costume. Photo Scott Chalmers

The V roll at the back of the head has become one of our flagship vintage hairstyles, showing authenticity, elegance and a distinctive wartime image that is instantly identifiable. Our Victory V Rolls had their first catwalk outing in the British Airways Costume Archive Show at Vintage at Southbank in 2011. As the models graced the runway through the eras in original British Airways cabin crew uniforms, it was the early appearance of model Amy in 1940s uniform and  our Victory V Roll that wowed the Festival Hall audience.

So with Gloria's expert backbrushing of Miss Vienna Green's abundant locks and crafted Victory V Rolls in place, the finished hairstyle provided a stylish platform the military hat to proudly sit on.

Miss Vienna Green. Photography by Scott Chalmers

Amongst our exciting sponsors this year, which include Babyliss, EasyDry, Organise A Hen, VintageBrighton.com, Island Memories, The Bluebeard's Revenge, Good Show Studio and Scott Chalmers Photography, we have the iconic vintage makeup brand, Besame Cosmetics. From the beginning of Vintage Hair Lounge we have been honoured to be official Besame stockists, enabling us to bring an extra sparkle of glamour all to our vintage makeup work. Nothing beats Besame Classic Color lipstick which comes in six outstanding vintage tones, and we plumped for Red Hot Red for Miss Vienna Green, which complemented her hair colouring and skin tone, especially when a flush of Besame Crimson Cream Rouge was added to her cheeks. The finished look was set with Besame Cashmere Powder Compact in Light and Porcelain.

Sharon Holloway adds Red Hot Red lips to Miss Vienna Green. Photo Scott Chalmers

The entire hair, makeup and bodypaint process took 6 hours and then it was on to the studio floor with photographer Scott Chalmers to capture the essence of the Victory images. And then the finished photos were sent straight over to our brilliant graphic designer Cassie Leedham at Good Show Studio to create the final campaign posters. It really was a huge team effort in true wartime spirit! But the process wasn't quite finished, as video footage from the shoot was skillfully edited together by Andy Wilks at Big Barn Media to the soundtrack of "Stuff Like That There" (originally recorded by Betty Hutton in 1944) lovingly performed and recorded especially for Vintage Hair Lounge by vintage vocalist Miss Annie. Without a doubt, the best celebration of V for Victory we could muster.

Vintage Hair Lounge at Goodwood Revival 14 - 16 September, Victory Street Party 378 & 381 Over the Road.

Vintage Glamour from the Inter War Years

Maddy Hobbs, photography by Scott Chalmers

I've been asked many times when talking about "vintage hair" what do I define as "vintage". In our Vintage Hairstyling For Camera Course which has been successfully running for a year now, training people from all sections of the hair and makeup industry (and many complete beginners), we set our technical training against a backdrop of the twentieth century for a very good reason. The birth of modern commercial ladies' hairdressing comes from the post First World War years, when fashions for hair became shorter and more dramatic as women's roles in society changed and a new world order offered the prospect of increased emancipation for women. "Vintage hair" we therefore see as part of this fundamental change; prior to the First World War, hairdressing for women was a distinctly more private activity and perhaps stylistically can more aptly be described as "period hairstyling". When hair got fashionably shorter for women on a mass scale, the hairdressing industry began to boom, challenging the initial dominance of barbers in cutting women's hair, and embraced the exciting new technology and science developing for more electrical devices and chemical processes to style and permanently wave hair.

1920s inspiration

And now the unrelenting vintage revival is focussing back on this wonderful glamorous era of the inter war years for new inspirations of classic iconic looks and Vintage Hair Lounge took the opportunity to launch our new photographic studio with a stunning 1920s/1930s collaboration with photographer Scott Chalmers and Mother and Daughter costume duo Katy and Veronica from handpickedvintage.com.

1920s with modern twist inspiration

The aim of the shoot was to create an authentic looking 1920s and 1930s image, as well as more modern 1920s inspired fashion type image. So we scoured our resource library for a true sense of lighting, styling as well as the way women from the period tended to pose for photography in these bygone eras, and similar themes came up over and over again, enough for Katy Leicester to start sourcing the right kind of clothing, accessories and props for each of these set ups.

1930s inspiration

Scott Chalmers started his work of preparing his lighting set ups and planning for his post-production edits, and you can read more about how he achieved the looks here.

Styling for black and white photography brings new challenges as more attention is paid to texture and tone rather than colour. To show the comparison of the colour styling to the final black and white images, it's worth taking a look at the fun behind the scenes film of the shoot, Keep Young and Beautiful. 

Gloria pin curl set Maddy's hair to begin with and dressed out into soft waves for the 1920s set. Makeup was kept pale and matte with a light dusting of cheek colour. Eye colour was kept to brown and a blue/green colour which would read better in black and white than actual black, and capture the light well on the eye lids when photographed. A dark plum lip colour (Noir Red from Besame) was used, and eyebrows darkened and shaped in the era style.

Maddy Hobbs, photography by Scott Chalmers

We then moved on to the 1930s set and for the "looking in the mirror" shots we wanted to create a suitable hairstyle that would keep the flatness reminiscent of the period, but give detail from behind. Gloria's angled twist in the neck worked perfectly, and set off the vintage wedding dress neckline and antique hair decoration perfectly. More sculpting and shading was added to the makeup to work with the lighting for this set up.

Maddy Hobbs, photography by Scott Chalmers

Finally, we went in to the more fashion oriented set, and Gloria wetted down the hair, added gel and combed in finger waves, losing the back of the hair in a small knot, which helped give the illusion of typically 1920s short hair, reminiscent of the severe "Eton Crop". Eye makeup was then made more heavy and shaped in a more modern style both on the lids and under the eye. More severe sculpting and shading was added to the face and lip color was changed to a red-plum tone (Cherry Red by Besame) at the same time as creating a more modern shaped fuller lip, in contrast to the earlier "Clara Bow" type lips. Finally, to add some theatrical touches to complement the beautiful Ostrich feather cape worn for this set, feathered false eyelashes were used. Scott's first edit from this set, as seen above, allows some of the colour to filter through from the hair, the eyelashes and the lips.

Vintage Hair Lounge is now delighted to be offering a vintage makeover photoshoot package with Scott Chalmers and able to work with clients to create authentic photographic set ups for all post 1920s eras. For more details see here.

Get ready for Goodwood Revival

Shana Swash with Red Corvette from Victory Wheelers, by Scott Chalmers
Hair & Makeup by Vintage Hair Lounge

My sister Kate has been a car freak ever since I can remember. Every last penny was spent on matchbox cars as a kid, then custom car magazines, then the real thing from Triumph Spitfires to Morris Minors, and now the iconic little Austin Healey Frogeye Sprite as featured in our film Gang Girls. So Goodwood Revival has always been on her radar, and over the past couple of years we've caught up! This year, with 250,000 visitors expected at Revival this September, Vintage Hair Lounge will be hosting our first and the biggest ever Vintage Hair and Makeup Revival Salon on Goodwood's expanded "Over the Road" site (units 378 and 381).

And vintage fashion always works better when classic vehicles are involved. Check these beauties out!

Maddy Hobbs with Frogeye Sprite by Scott Chalmers
Hair & Makeup by Vintage Hair Lounge

Martin and Laurie with  1953 Ford Zephyr-Six by Chris Cowley
Hair by Vintage Hair Lounge

Over at the Vintage Nostalgia Show a spectacular flow of classic cars is being booked in on a daily basis for a fabulous weekender at Stockton Park in Wiltshire in May. Then there's the Burpham Motor Racing Club Classic Car and Motorbike Show happening in September featuring Formula 1 Legend John Surtees. And where there are vintage cars there's Vintage Hair Lounge! Our pop up vintage hair and makeup parlours will be a key feature at all of these (and many more events) this year, a fun destination to perfect your vintage look and get the very best out of the festival going experience.

Sharon Holloway at the Investec Revival hair & makeup parlour, 2010

For the last two years, Vintage Hair Lounge has featured at Goodwood Revival; in 2010 we graced the starting line boards at the Jackie Stewart building for Investec guests and in 2011 we were to be found in the Revival Hair Salon next to Glamcabs.

Sharon Holloway at Revival Hair Salon, 2011
Photography by Claire Shannan

Kate, a Senior Engineer for Nissan will be exhibiting her Sprite at the Goodwood Revival Car Show close to Vintage Hair Lounge, and as experience tells us that great vintage hairdos and vintage cars make for iconic photos, be sure to start your Revival experience with our salon photographer Harry Pearce on hand ready to snap your hairdo at its very best with a sea of awesome motor engineering at your feet!

Goodwood Revival, 14-16 September 2012 www.goodwood.co.uk
Vintage Nostalgia Show 25-27 May 2012 www.vintagenostalgiashow.co.uk
Burpham Motor Racing Club Classic Car and Motorbike Show 2 September 2012 www.thebmrc.com

A Good Life on Christmas Eve. Trying to out-do Margo Leadbetter!

Creating a seventies look for Claire with Kamani Lomas on Christmas Eve

We have a very special guest blogger today, Claire Violet Hanley, whose enthusiasm for the 1970s made our Christmas Eve at Vintage Hair Lounge supremely retro chic. Over to you Claire.....

"Today I will dress up as Betty from Frank Spencer", I posted up on facebook a few months back. My friends are used to such eccentricity, as there is no era of history in which I haven't revelled. From Anglo Saxon bog woman, medieval peasant, Tudor skivvy, Regency dancer to 1940s make do and mend. I've dressed up in all the costumes and collect them avidly. But expert film industry standard hairdos and makeup is Vintage Hair Lounge territory and something I cannot recreate on my own (my idea of a beauty routine being occasionally bothering to comb my hair!)

Michele Dotrice (Betty) and Michael Crawford (Frank) in seventies sitcom Some Mothers Do  'Ave 'Em

Sharon, who has worked on film sets such as the The Young Victoria, amongst others, can recreate expert styles and glamour which put my feeble make up attempts to shame. When I saw Sharon and the team on Christmas Eve I was ready for the blazing colours of the seventies as part of my new folkie “I’d like to sing just like Joni Mitchell” vibe, (as you do!). The 1970s have a special allure to me, having been born just at the end of them in 1978. Rolling in cornfields, Tom and Barbara, Margo and Jerry, big hair, Carry On films, bright blue eye shadow, techni-colour maxi dresses “I’m sure it’ll come back into fashion” I repeat in vain to my sceptical friends.

Full of enthusiasm, Sharon needed no persuasion and went with it. She had inspiration books at the ready; one of them opened up on the Carry On page.

Barbara Windsor in the iconic Carry On Camping

I had in my hand a black and white photo of my auntie Maggie from 1972 and pointed at her ribonned auburn ringlets. “Big hair for you!”. Sharon beamed and her enthusiasm infiltrated even my burgeoning locks, which grew bigger by the minute in rollers under the dryer.

Claire channeling Karen Carpenter

By the time the hairdo and makeup was completed I was effervescing with excitement and changed into two different 70’s dresses even though I had no event to attend that evening! It was Christmas Eve and most people were thinking about turkeys. I was quite happy not to be! I only wished I’d brought some pineapple chunks and cheese on sticks for a Mike Leigh style retro party... and perhaps a prawn cocktail. Next time perhaps! The best Christmas present ever. I think even Margo would have been envious at the decadence and glamour of my Christmas eve!

Thanks to Kayleigh, Kamani and Sharon.

Thankyou so much to Claire for making our Christmas Eve so special. We couldn't complete this retro piece without the last word from our very own seventies icon, Karen Carpenter, singing Close To You. Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year, love and peace for 2012.