Hair coloring: High hopes Indonesia will be to dye for

Hair coloring: High hopes Indonesia will be to dye for

Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There was no clash of sharpened scissors and no fur flew as some
of the country's top hairstylists were brought together to show
their stuff.

Alas, those rubbing their hands in anticipation of a bout of
camp histrionics along the lines of 1999's hilarious The Big
Tease -- the story of a flamboyant Glaswegian hairdresser
battling for the title of the best in his field -- were to be
sorely disappointed.

Instead, in the sleek and slick show for the L'Oreal Color
Trophy held at the end of September, models came down the runway
to the ear-splitting beat of rock music, showing their crowning
glory in shades of saffron, rose and khaki.

There were no bruised egos, either; each of the stylists got
his moment in the spotlight to explain his creation in an
artistically done video message, before the crowning of the
winner at the end of the night.

Another highlight was a look at the artistic interpretation of
the color collection by eight top hairstylists from Jakarta and
Surabaya.

As L'Oreal tells it, the event was not just about seeking out
creative talent, nor a splashy means to debut the Autumn/Winter
color range from the hair-care manufacturer.

It was also a forum to increase acceptance of coloring in
Indonesia, still the lowest country in the region for per capita
market penetration.

The Japanese have taken to coloring in a big way, and their
counterparts in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore and even
Malaysia have followed the trend. Still, unless you are a starlet
in the making, coloring is still not quite the done thing for
Indonesians outside of major urban centers.

Dyeing one's hair means breaking away from the crowd, being an
individual and dealing with both the negative and positive
perceptions of others that come with changing one's look.

In a communal society like here, it may be great to get your
hairdresser's exalted praise for crossing the color line, but
stepping out of the salon and passing by a chorus of catcalls and
comments equivalent to "Freak show" from local ojek (motorcycle
taxi) drivers might be hard to take.

L'Oreal Indonesia's general manager Philip Giles noted the
huge potential in the country with its population of 220 million,
and added that gaining greater acceptance would mean changing
some entrenched attitudes.

As well as accepting the change in how one looks and enduring
the (unsolicited) opinions of others, Giles said first-time hair
dyers also needed to overcome the myth that the process would
inevitably destroy the quality and texture of their hair.

Making the decision to dye one's locks must be accompanied by
a "commitment" to maintaining the look through conditioning and
other treatments, he said.

It also means education within the industry, so that customers
will not have to worry that the "professional" working on them is
some weekend warrior hoping to get things right on an
unsuspecting head of hair.

"We're interested in technical expertise, and investing in
people to build them as professionals," Giles said.

"We're serious about education."

The company provides diploma courses for hairstylists to
ensure that anyone visiting one of its affiliated salons will get
the same treatment, regardless of whether it is in Paris, Pattaya
or Palembang.

Pierre Mollicone, the "ambassador" for the hair-care company
brought over from Paris for the contest, said the ultimate goal
was to treat customers with respect, creativity and energy.

"We work as part of a team, in a synergy," Mollicone said, a
brawnier version of his compatriot Jean Paul Gaultier. "It's not
about change for change's sake, but to give beauty to our
clients."

There you have it: Let go of those fears, grab that bottle of
dye and get ready for a whole new you.