Millennium trend welcomes colorful hair
By Emma Cameron
JAKARTA (JP): Forget bags darling, so passe. The newest fashion accessory is not a handbag, a pair of shoes or even a boyfriend -- it's your hair.
L'Oreal launched a first last Monday for Indonesia at the Fashion Cafe: a nationwide competition to celebrate the art of hairstyling with a special focus on coloring. The 15 finalists came from all over Indonesia -- Tulung Agung, Semarang, Bali, Bandung, Medan, Surabaya and Jakarta. The competition titled "Hair 2000: Cut, Color and Creation" selected finalists from Aug. 15 to Oct. 22. The competition, which is expected to become a yearly event is a chance for hairstylists to gain recognition for their achievements in a professional atmosphere.
The focus was on new trends for the year 2000 with hairstylists judged on cutting technique, coloring, styling and originality. Judges also took into account the makeup and choice of costume, although the main focus was the hair and how the hairstylist managed to work with the features of the model. Judges were hair stylists Rudy Hadisuwarno and Hanky Tandayu, former top model Okky Asokawati and Femina magazine editor Ami Wahyu.
The event opened with the now obligatory new millennium fashion theme of silver costumes and robotic movements. Each finalist then presented their creation, waiting in the background as the model took a turn down the catwalk, both pausing to bow to the audience before exiting. The audience was also encouraged to choose a favorite with score cards handed out at the event.
Appreciation of some of the finalists was audible with gasps and claps at their entrance. Approaches to hairstyling were varied with hair which was long, shoulder length and short. While hair was styled to be curled, straight and jagged. Colors were subtle, bold and stripy. This diversity reflects the current flexibility of style in fashion that allows for personal difference without cutting all ties to the world of fashion.
Diversity was certainly on display with some of the biggest names in hair in Indonesia using the gathering as a chance to display their art. The catwalk display after the competition was almost a display of science fiction with standouts being the bouffant green, orange, brown and black hairstyle tied together to come down below the model's knees from Alfon's Salon and the spiky, upswept hairstyle that took advantage of fairy lights by Willy Wahyudi.
Unfortunately the creativity and diversity was marred by L'Oreal's attempts at product placement that relied on traditional stereotypes of feminism. One dance featured an "ugly" woman dressed in a black shroud with what looked like hairy eyebrows approached by a magic fairy who, with her dancing elves carrying giant lipsticks and powder brushes, proceeded to make the woman beautiful. Another skit called "Life" had the lives of three young girls culminating in marriage. Makeup and hairstyling, instead of being promoted as ways to experiment and have fun were shown as ways to conform to a beauty ideal and catch a husband.
The winner was Firman Fhurqon from Is Salon in Jakarta with his hairstyle "Expression Color". First prize was an advanced course at Toni and Guy in Singapore for 3 days, a return ticket to Singapore, accommodation for 5 days and 4 nights and Rp 1,000,000. Second prize went to Jansen Hadinata W. from Martha Tilaar in Jakarta with his hairstyle "Art of Layer and Color". He received a Color Package Seminar at L'Oreal Technical Center in Jakarta, an advanced course at Rudy Hadisuwarno and Rp 1,000,000. Third prize was given to Jemi Likan from Alex's Salon in Surabaya with "Shaggy Tangga". He who also received a seminar in Jakarta and Rp 500,000. A special mention was given to Tommy P. from Tommy Salon in Semarang with "Millennium Hair".
Interestingly enough only one of the finalists was a woman in a competition for women's hairstyles. Each of the four winners (all male) said that women's hairstyles allowed them to be much more creative than those of men, saying that it was talent that gave them their edge rather than a gender difference. First prize winner Firman said "if someone wants something they will achieve it". Third place getter Jemi said the gender bias was simply a matter of mathematics "the majority of hairdressers are male, that's why the majority of finalists are male. The odds are much better for us".