All about: D&M hair design’s new collection, Beatnik

I have dabbled with blonde over the years, but one campaign that makes me want to go all out, no holds barred platinum is the beautiful new campaign from Ponsonby’s D&M salon, entitled Beatnik.

It’s salon co-owner and creative director Danny Pato’s latest collaboration with photographer Mara Sommer, and celebrates an era of rebellion chic, paying homage to the Beatnik. The official word talks of “calm, composed, intellectual mod-girls” and recalls a “time of scooters, bikers and smoky late night speakeasies, where the inner-circle is shared with thinkers, writers and poets like Ginsberg, Kerouac and Burroughs”.

The Beatnik - essentially a 50s/60s stereotype – has a style all its own that like many, has become fashionable again. “For our collection and where trends heading this winter, the Beatnik styles - including mods, biker-girls, rebels and screen sirens - have been given a roughed-up, contemporary twist,” says Pato.

Pixie cuts are soft and frayed around the edges, while shorter bobs are accented with choppy fringes. Shoulder length hair - AKA lobs - are textured and layered, and styled with grit. Long hair is kept glossy and styled with loose, glamorous waves. And everyone is rocking a fringe! If you’re about to go get yourself a fringe, ask your stylist about what type will suit your style and face shape, and get something soft and sweepy, choppy or dramatically dead blunt.

Solid colours and full head bleaches were definite trends of the Beatnik era, something that the salon team say we’re seeing a resurgence of for winter 2015. “Baylayage and ombre have been fading out of fashion for a while, becoming softer and more blended. We are now heading back toward more solid colour looks with subtle shimmers of light and depth.”

So yes, full-on blonde is back, while darker tones are rich and shiny.  Whether hair is light or dark, “a client’s natural colouring should be taken into account to determine if a warm, cool or neutral reflect would work best,” says Pato. “Everyone is unique, so make sure you work in tandem with your colourist to selects shades that truly compliment you.”

And if you’re going for the full-on blonde that I am so tempted by, try to find a colourist who’s using Olaplex (coming to New Zealand later this month), a new miracle product from the US that magically prevents hair breakage.

The Beatnik collection has earned D&M a top-four finalist placing for Australasian Salon Team of the Year at the 2015 Hair Expo Awards, A.K.A. the hairdressing Oscars. D&M is the only New Zealand salon to have ever been a finalist for this award. Danny Pato is also a finalist for New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year at the same competition.

CREDITS 

Photographer: Mara Sommer

Art Director: Danny Pato @ D&M

Hair: Danny Pato, Michael Sisaengrath and the D&M creative team

Styling: Rachel Morton

Makeup: Virginia Carde

Models: Grace and Kizzie @ 62, Lydia and Jesse @ Red 11, Danielle @ Unique