10 minutes with dharma’s Jock Robson, L’Oreal Color Trophy 2011 finalist

The New Zealand leg of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Awards returns in 2011, and the 22 finalists for New Zealand’s Oscars of hairdressing have been announced. The country’s leading stylists vie for four major titles in a live recreation session in Auckland next April before the winners are announced the same evening. There are three major individual awards including the Supreme Award: New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year, the Next Generation Award and the Men’s Colour Award, as well as a team award for the Salon of the Year.
A finalist in the latter is dharma salon from Auckland’s Mount Eden, a hotbed of creative talent that is renowned for its super friendly and super talented team. The salon is co-headed by the extremely affable Jock Robson (pictured), who has worked backstage at both New Zealand and New York fashion weeks, and has been on the cutting floor for over 13 years. I had a chat to Jock about future hair, his sources of inspiration and how his salon’s entry came about.

How many years have you been involved in L’Oréal Colour Trophy in some shape or form now?
Approximately 15 years. I cut my teeth on it as a Young Colourist finalist many moons ago.
How do you keep things fresh - do you look for inspiration in areas like pop culture, or people on the street?
You can’t force inspiration, so I like to take notice of what is happening around me. I take inspiration from print and other media and let it evolve organically, and on set I try to step back so that I can “see” the look. Chatting to other creatives for their opinions helps as well.
Was your whole salon involved in your entry for the upcoming event, or just a core number of stylists?
We have a very strong, fantastic team at dharma, so we listed the “core team” on the entry even though everyone was involved in some way or another. I really took a back role in the development of the look and let some of the new talent take the reins so they can improve on their photographic hairdressing. I was also responsible for taking the photographs.
Without giving too much away, can you give me an inkling of what went into the entry or its theme?
I would love to spin a great yarn as to how it was put together with hours of brainstorming and experimenting with different aspects, however the truth is it was an organic process that evolved with very little planning. One of our regular clients (who does modelling work) was booked in the day before our shoot so the team took this opportunity and decided to create an entry for the Salon of the Year award. It was a last minute decision and we’re thrilled it worked out so well!
In terms of the upcoming season, what are some key hair trends coming through for Summer 10/11?
For me the hair will be more simple - simple shapes, simple colour placement, lived in texture with nothing too forced.
So will it be the usual return to "easy" hair for the summer months?
I wish! It will appear easy, but it takes so much consideration for us hairdressers to create “easy” hair. It is somewhat like achieving nude make-up or a balanced simple flower arrangement.
Summer hair is usually quite hard to keep in great condition, what are some products you recommend for keeping hair looking great?
I think number one is a Mason Pearson brush to distribute natural oils and smooth down the cuticle. From there you could use any number of leave in conditioners; however you must use the advice your stylist offers to avoid ones that may be too heavy or light for your hair type.
And last up, what is your desert island product, the one you can't live without?
A professional shampoo for my hair/scalp type, at least it will be feeling great.