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Summer Lovin’

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Summer Solstice marks the beginning of British Summertime on 21 June so in anticipation of some regular rays, Style Director Cecilia Estevez brings you her top tips for beautiful summer hair:

1.  The most important thing is to protect hair from UV rays, as it can sunburn too.  The best protection is simply to keep hair out of direct sunlight, a perfect excuse to experiment with hats and head scarfs (be bold with colours and prints). Pulling hair back in a bun or chunky plait is also good as it’ll stop ends from being overly exposed.

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2.  Stop hair from getting too dry.  Give it a moisture boost by using a leave in conditioner after your normal shampoo and conditioning routine.  We love Bumble & bumble Leave In Conditioner but there are lots of other good ones on the market too.

3.  If you’re heading on a beach holiday Leave In conditioner is essential, and after swimming in the ocean make sure you rinse the sea salt out.  If you’re prone to tangles, take a deep conditioning treatment/hair mask to indulge your hair with one night, and use a detangling brush like a Tangle Teezer to keep locks knot free.

4.  If you’re staying city side but want to recreate that sea swept sexy look, Bumble & bumble Surf Spray is great for achieving that beach texture.

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5.  Ditch the hairdryer and straightners.  Summer is all about having a carefree sensibility so embrace this with your hair.  Ditch poker straight hair for gentle waves.  If your hair is too stubborn to dry in beautiful natural curls (the majority of us!), put it into loose braids when damp to help it along.  When dry, unravel and set with a texturizing spray.

6.  Can’t bear to lose the hairdryer?  Dry on a lower heat and make sure you use the nozzle for more protection.

Say BYE to dry and brittle straw and HELLO to shiny, healthy hair!

summer hair with hat

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Calling All Artists

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We’re on the hunt for painters, illustrators, mixed media artists, sculptors, photographers, graphic designers…and anything in between. Fit the bill or know someone that does?  Then keep reading!

Since the beginning of last year our Kaizo Hair&Art Series has been giving artists of all kind the opportunity to exhibit their work in the Kaizo salon for free for one month.

Whether you’re emerging or established, it’s a great opportunity to take advantage of a central Shoreditch space and get your work noticed. We don’t charge for the space or take any commission on sales and we’ll also help you promote your exhibition and preview evening.  We’re just looking for a strong collaboration for exposure, cross-PR and great art to adorn the walls!

Interested?  Please send us some information about yourself and your work to yukaito@kaizo-uk.com.  We’re particularly interested in an artist to fill our June slot (exact dates flexible).

Get in touch!

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We L.O.V.E Festivals

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Music festivals are synonymous with summer.  They conjure up memories of sunshine, long lazy days, great tunes, dancing, drinking, friends, fancy dress and fun times. Coachella in sunny California always kicks off the festival season and is the first hint at what trends will be big on the festival circuit over the coming months. If you’re staying local and festival-ing in the UK though, more often than not you’ll be doing the less glamorous camping in a muddy field with limited access to running water.  Copious amounts of wet wipes, deodorant and dry shampoo go without saying but here’s some more advice to keep your locks looking fresh.  Kaizo Style Director and Salon Manager Cecilia Estevez gives us the lo down on festival ready hair:

Day 1: Get Prepped

Before you head to a festival, shampoo twice and condition well. Don’t go mad with applying hair products, just a light hair oil (like Bumble & bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil) will do. This’ll help to keep your hair fresh for longer. Wear it loose – either wavy to channel the relaxed festival vibe, or if you’re a straightener devotee take advantage of being near electricity for the last time in a while!

 

DAY 1: Work wavy locks like Lana Del Rey

 

Day 2: Accessorise

Play with funky head scarfs, headbands, or flower garlands to keep roots under control. Apply a little more hair oil onto the ends to keep you free of annoying knots.

DAY 2: Start accessorising!

DAY 2: work a flower garland like Vanessa Hudgens

 

Day 3: Braid it

Spritz some dry shampoo (like Batiste) on the scalp, massage and brush through. Then plait or create a pretty loose up-do.  A touch of Bumble & bumble Semisumo will also help to keep any fuzzy flyaway hair around the hairline under control.

DAY 3: work a plait a la Mary-Kate Olsen

 

DAY 3: tidy hair away by sweeping into a side plait

 

If your hair simply refuses to behave, cover it with a statement hat like a trilby or floppy fedora.  Have FUN!

 

 

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Hair & Art 2013

7788 Present the Identity Series

Last Thursday evening lots of you piled into the salon to preview the exhibition from hot new collective 7788.   And for good reason as they are one very talented duo!  Neringa Rekasiute, Lithuanian born and London bred, is a fashion photographer featured as ‘one to watch’ in Wonderland. Her partner in work and life (they are engaged) is Gareth Paul Jones, Design Director of a Shoreditch creative agency. It’s the first time the pair have exhibited together, and we were very pleased they chose Kaizo.

The photos on show make up the ‘Identity Series’, a beautiful and unique look at postmodern identity. Each image heroes a female deity from Greek mythology – Artemis, Athene, Aphrodite, Hera, Hestia and Persephone. The figures are powerful and striking and interwoven with unexpected elements like birds, thorns, and bullets. It’s a unique take on what it’s like to be a woman in the twenty-first century. But it’s definitely not an exhibition just for women…

There was a great turnout on Thursday so thank you all for coming.  Lots of beer was drunk and lots of fun was had.  If you didn’t catch it, we suggest you pop your head in and check it out before it closes on 23 March.  Although some of the works were snapped up, the good news if you fall in love with any of them is that some are still available.  One of our favourites – Aphrodite (below top) – is also available as a print to order, limited edition run.

Check the work out here

And images from the night here or here

We’re always on the look out for interesting artists to exhibit at Kaizo.  To find out more just send us a private Facebook message

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Big, Bold & Beautiful: Seeing the world through Anna Rootes’ Eyes

One look at Anna Rootes is all you need to tell she’s an artist.  It’s not just the remnants of paint on her hands, and sometimes clothes; it’s everything.  The mish mash of rings adorning her fingers, the long, bright blonde hair with black streaks peaking beneath, the flashes of tattoos, brightly coloured clothes, and 9 times out of 10 the lashings of leopard print!

This is the first inkling you get into the kind of work she produces.  And her bedroom is another clue – every surface is crammed with studded skulls, fake birds, bursting moleskin notebooks, sculptures, religious iconography (the Hindu god Ganesh is a particular favourite), trinkets, and yet more leopard print.  As she explains it, ‘I know what I like and if I like it, it goes up.  I have to be surrounded by colour.’

Her work is not quite as OTT but it is BOLD, and it is BEAUTIFUL.

She works in any material she can find.  Household paint scrapped onto canvas using a palette knife, photo transfer, oil, acrylic, sequins, glitter, gold leaf, and illustration.  All her pieces hero the hand of the artist; this is about as far away from photorealism as you can get.  As she puts it, this is what gives the pieces ‘energy, spontaneity, and personality; it’s what makes them truly unique.  Five artists can paint the same scene but it’s when they put their own spin on it, add their own style that makes it really special.’

Anna’s interested in the relationship between art and wellbeing (her ultimate goal is to be an art therapist), and believes her subconscious is a big driver of the type of work she creates.  When pushed on where she gets her inspiration she can’t tell me. ‘I just know what I’m going to paint but I couldn’t tell you why.  It’s instinct, it’s my subconscious.  My work is a direct reaction to my life.’

Anna exhibits ‘Venture Far’ at Kaizo from Fri 3 May – Sat 4 June. It’s a collection of  energetic statement pieces in bright hues, a hyper-real world full of beautiful exotic animals. But don’t worry there’s no leopard print in sight!

This is her 2nd solo art exhibition and with never having had any formal art training she already has an impressive portfolio – 2 Olympic commissions, lots of group shows – local and places like Manchester and Birmingham  – murals (from the stunning peacock in Stoke Newington’s Coffee Bean to a school wall covered in a montage of fairytales), lots of community art projects, and private commissions.

If you’re still not convinced check out some more of her work here.

See you at the preview on Friday 3 May, 7pm onwards.

Words Robyn Walker

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Hair & Art 2013

7788 Present the Identity Series

Last Thursday evening lots of you piled into the salon to preview the exhibition from hot new collective 7788.   And for good reason as they are one very talented duo!  Neringa Rekasiute, Lithuanian born and London bred, is a fashion photographer featured as ‘one to watch’ in Wonderland. Her partner in work and life (they are engaged) is Gareth Paul Jones, Design Director of a Shoreditch creative agency. It’s the first time the pair have exhibited together, and we were very pleased they chose Kaizo.

The photos on show make up the ‘Identity Series’, a beautiful and unique look at postmodern identity. Each image heroes a female deity from Greek mythology – Artemis, Athene, Aphrodite, Hera, Hestia and Persephone. The figures are powerful and striking and interwoven with unexpected elements like birds, thorns, and bullets. It’s a unique take on what it’s like to be a woman in the twenty-first century. But it’s definitely not an exhibition just for women…

There was a great turnout on Thursday so thank you all for coming.  Lots of beer was drunk and lots of fun was had.  If you didn’t catch it, we suggest you pop your head in and check it out before it closes on 23 March.  Although some of the works were snapped up, the good news if you fall in love with any of them is that some are still available.  One of our favourites – Aphrodite (below top) – is also available as a print to order, limited edition run.

Check the work out here

And images from the night here or here

We’re always on the look out for interesting artists to exhibit at Kaizo.  To find out more just send us a private Facebook message

 

 

 

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Under the spotlight: semisumo from Bumble & bumble

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Bumble & bumble have added a little gem to their sumo range – semisumo.

It claims to be ‘strong on shine and soft on hold’ and that’s no lie. Not as heavy as a wax but thicker than a serum or oil, it’s the perfect antidote to frizzy or flyaway hair.  And being Bumble & bumble it has a lush scent too.

Whatever your hair type, run a pea-sized amount through dry hair to tame, define and add texture and shine without weighing it down. For medium to long hair use it after blow-drying to calm and tame frizz, and on short hair use it for detailing.  It’s also great for smoothing into an up-do for a high shine finish (check out the photos on our Facebook page).

Since the Bumble Artistic Team came to Kaizo to demo the new product we’ve loved playing with it.  It’s on the Kaizo shelves so ask our stylists to show you how to apply it and what shapes you can create with it.  For £21.50 you can take a pot away with you and wave goodbye to annoying flyaway strands!

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Under the Spotlight: Semisumo from Bumble & Bumble

Bumble & bumble have added a little gem to their sumo range – semisumo.

It claims to be ‘strong on shine and soft on hold’ and that’s no lie. Not as heavy as a wax but thicker than a serum or oil, it’s the perfect antidote to frizzy or flyaway hair.  And being Bumble & bumble it has a lush scent too.

Whatever your hair type, run a pea-sized amount through dry hair to tame, define and add texture and shine without weighing it down. For medium to long hair use it after blow-drying to calm and tame frizz, and on short hair use it for detailing.  It’s also great for smoothing into an up-do for a high shine finish (check out the photos on our Facebook page).

Since the Bumble Artistic Team came to Kaizo to demo the new product we’ve loved playing with it.  It’s on the Kaizo shelves so ask our stylists to show you how to apply it and what shapes you can create with it.  For £21.50 you can take a pot away with you and wave goodbye to annoying flyaway strands!

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Kaizo goes vintage

Earlier this month we hooked up with our favourite local boutique, Paper Dress Vintage, to create a look a million miles away from wintery London.  With hair by Yuka and Lorenzo here at Kaizo and styling by Paper Dress we catapulted our model to warmer shores with a hippy, laidback vibe reminiscent of the 1970s.  Keen to beat the winter blues, we chose natural, feminine styling to evoke a summery, carefree sentiment.

To create the look at home:

  • Add matt texture and give a just stepped out of the ocean, naturally sun-dried hair look by preparing damp or dry hair with Bumble & bumble Surf Spray.
  • Separate the hair into sections and lightly mist with Bumble & bumble Spray de Mode before using tongs to create loose waves.
  • Finish off with a touch of Bumble & bumble’s new Semisumo to add shine and hold.
  • For extra boho beach babe points add a headband or scarf.

All products available to buy from the Kaizo salon and samples available if you want to test them out for yourself before you buy!


Big thanks to everyone involved in the Kaizo vintage photoshoot.

Model: Billie Towers; Hair: Yuka Ito & Lorenzo Comparelli; Make-up: Clarisse Gill; Styling: Holly Smart; Photography: Lorenzo Comparelli; Clothes: Paper Dress Vintage; Accessories: Stylist’s own.

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Kaizo Hair & Art 2012

We take it for granted but hair is an artistic expression of self – it says something about the person we are, or the way we want to be perceived. Whether that’s free-spirited beach babe, highly styled fashionista, or closely cropped hard nut, hair plays a leading role as it’s the item of clothing we never take off.

At Kaizo we trade in hair, and as one form of creative expression, we decided we should be doing more to help celebrate creativity and share great ideas.  That’s why we launched Kaizo Hair & Art, to showcase great artistic talent in a whole range of different media.

This year we’ve opened the salon up to:

Emma Godebska – a mixed media artist who works with found objects to explore relationships – those we have with ourselves, our companions and acquaintances, and the outside world. emmagodebska.zenfolio.com

Betty Bonhard – a talented London-based fashion and costume designer who sells her beautiful designs in Brick Lane’s Laden Showrooms and Dalston’s Saint Best Boutique. bettybonhard.com

DeMi – a conceptual artist who focuses on the production of naive portraits.  His trademark is the moon, which features in the majority of his paintings. demiarts.net

Charlotte Kessler of Lemonstone Art – a painter with particular emphasis on beauty and the feminine form.  One of her most popular series is ‘Long Ladies’, a collection of magical tall and slender whimsical women. lemonstoneart.com

StudioLav – an impressive conceptual design studio who populated the salon to coincide with the London Design Festival. studiolav.com

Caroline Hartley – a painter who works with oxidized metals, crushed stones/trees, bee’s wax and chalks found at the bottom of lakes to create some fascinating paintings. saatchionline.com/carolinehartley

Chitra Karve of Karve Design – the artist who brought the 2012 Hair & Art series to a close with her geometric prints, and beautifully crafted leather jewellery and home ware.  Chitra’s work focuses on giving forgotten materials – such as maps, leather swatches, broken clock mechanics and old comics – a new lease of life.  She transforms them into something more beautiful. karvedesign.com

Kaizo Hair & Art will be back even bigger and better in 2013 so stay tuned…


                                                                                  

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