School Director Loretta O’ Connell has played a pivotal role in developing Boot Camp. Here she is with a diary of events from week one, two, three, and four. 

Week Four Diary

In week four, we introduced the art and technique of modern and creative, precision-based razor-cutting. It proved a great end to Boot Camp with all students embracing the classic and fashion-forward razor-cuts that defined the final week of the seminar.

Live model demonstrations explored cutting classic shapes with a razor––one length lines, graduation, and layering––as well as trend-conscious techniques such as asymmetry, disconnection, undercutting, and more.

After these skills were practiced by one and all in workshops, we then facilitated a city-wide model call so each class attendee would be guaranteed a great model for their final day cut and color presentation.

And we weren’t disappointed. The presentations were fantastic. A mixture of models produced a great variety of shapes, colors, and styles, with one in particular––a model who had ten inches of hair chopped off for Locks of Love and proceeded to go from long, thick hair into a classic graduated bob with toffee and caramel highlights––drawing beholden regard.

Other highs included perms that added texture to the terminally straight; relaxers that removed  too much texture from the chronically curly; multi-dimensional highlights that redefined texture and proportion; and scissor and razor cuts that displayed a newfound sense of technical application and creative versatility.

The lively and fun presentation took place in the classroom, with educators, salon staff, and cosmetology students invited to attend.

For their successful completion of Boot Camp, class ended with certificates for all attendees. A final act that ensured we finished with a hoop, a holler, a laugh, and a smile.

See you next year for Boot Camp 2! — Loretta O’ Connell (School Director)

Week Three Diary

“In week three we defined the practice of men’s hair cutting, coloring, and styling.

Through theory, demos, and workshops classic men’s cutting techniques such as long layers, square layers, graduation, and scissor over comb were brought into sharp focus.

To ensure the execution of classic technique, all work was done with scissors and, as students progressed through the week, featured techniques included: eliminating bulk for a soft and textured look; blending texture, elevation, and strong shape; and creating definitive, detailed looks with modern, lived-in style.

During week three, one demo in particular stirred the imagination. A long-length Afro was taken into a short, tight, scissor over comb cut. A lot of hair was lost and, as students saw what can be achieved with the application of proper technique, a lot of inhibitions were lost, too.

Adding another string to our students bow, a class looking at men’s facial hair considered trend-conscious and traditional styles, and highlighted how stylists can strengthen their client base by providing essential add on services.

Finally, hair color for men was put into a modern day perspective. The focus was how to create a palette of cool tone colors that compliment men’s skin, and look natural. This proved a popular throwback to week two as students took their cue from celebrities that have achieved the right color balance to create understated glossy, lustrous, and metallic tones that look contemporary, creative, and complimentary.

Next week, as Boot Camp draws to a close, students take all their newfound knowledge and apply it to advanced, fashion-forward, and uber-creative razor cutting techniques. Stay tuned…” Loretta O’ Connell (School Director)

Week Two Diary

“From single processes, highlights and slices, to creative and corrective color, it’s been an action packed, and color-focused, week two for the boot camp students. 

We discovered the effects of the same color in four different strengths and how varied the level, tone, and saturation can be. We experimented with modern fashion-forward colors, and with proportion of natural and intensive base colors for maximum grey coverage and tone. Everyone loved the fun make up of the color experiment, which, by dissecting a water based color using blot paper and water, showed how each hue is made of all of the primary colors - fascinating stuff! 

Educators demonstrated how different placement of highlights, and techniques such as slices and weaves, can give everything from an instant and bold color boost, right through to a natural-looking, diffused result. 

As the week progressed, we moved into advanced, creative color techniques. Chief among them: using color to create a focal point on any haircut. With some inspired placements and patterns, class discovered creative color can be subtle and wearable, or bold and trendsetting. 

Color correction, another advanced (and essential) technique, helped each student take away the fear of where to begin, and how to fix, a variety of color problems. Now Boot Camp attendees work methodically and confidently towards beautiful, dynamic, vivid tones–even when the starting point is a color misadventure.

The goal of the week was to provide demonstrations and activities that would make the students really think about, and gain understanding, of these topics before executing them in their workshop sessions. 

The vitality, zest, spice and impact of the looks that came out of the final workshop sessions showed a new sensitivity towards color, achieved by one and by all.

The week was rounded off with a texture class where students discovered how to create and remove texture from the hair, and how to confidently promote it to their clients as a great salon service. Some students were so excited they themselves booked to have texture added to their hair!” –– Loretta O’ Connell (School Director)

Week One Diary

“What a challenging and exciting week it’s been for our boot camp students. The focus was classic cutting; and with demos and workshops galore, each class attendee has had the chance to refine and improve their technique while under our watchful supervision.

Key skills that have been taught include the execution of a clean line and how that reinforces strong shape and structure;  working from a short to long layer; short, tight, and round graduations; and creating weight and structure in the back sections. Ultimately, the goal was to improve each students’ approach to cutting geometric yet organic shapes. The modern and creative, precision-based cuts we saw coming out of the workshops really made us feel like we had achieved our goal. 

There’s been a glut of positive feedback from the students, too. What was most keenly felt is our appreciation for, and understanding of, classic technique. Our emphasis on clean sectioning and the correct body position drew particular praise as it was a completely new insight for many––and it made a world of difference to all of the students’ haircuts.

After the intensive training of one-length lines, graduation, and layering, the week was wrapped up in a relaxed fashion: An interactive, hands-on styling class where classic smoothing, curling and texturizing re-enforced the importance of proper preparation when setting the hair for fabulous updos. Great job everyone!” — Loretta O’ Connell (School Director)

Tags: Continued Education

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