London Fashion Week is renowned for showcasing cutting-edge fashion, innovative designs, and influential talent from around the globe. This year, the spotlight shone brightly on VIN + OMI, whose 20th anniversary retrospective show captivated audiences with its visionary approach to sustainability in fashion – the duo has a long-standing collaboration with King Charles using materials including nettles and wood chippings from his Sandringham estate.
Multi-award winning sustainable salon & spa owner and leading hair artist Gina Conway (named Marie Claire’s Best Sustainable Salon; a Sustainable Beauty Coalition board member ensuring the hair and beauty industry make carbon zero choices, and called a “brilliant voice of the industry” by Millie Kendall) was called on by the duo to create hair styles for the MOXIE show, which saw the likes of Prue Leith and Jo Wood on the catwalk. Gina and her team of talented stylists created 120 looks for the show which incorporated bio-friendly materials and textures, as well as paying homage to the two decades of VIN + OMI’s forward-thinking fashion shows, using the new-to-the-UK Philip Martin’s bio-organic haircare range.
Image courtesy of VIN + OMI
Gina told us, “I’m a huge admirer of VIN + OMI’s work and their philosophy, and it’s the perfect fit to introduce Philip Martin’s whose products are launching into my salon & spa. The range is an absolute joy to use, containing natural ingredients including Ginkgo Biloba, Moringa, Aloe Vera, Agarwood, Maple Sap and Birch Extract, and delivers incredible results without compromising the environment. This season, the runways are all about individuality and creativity, blending fun and flair with old-school sophistication. The trending styles have been anything but ordinary, with an “anti-gravity” vibe that incorporates found materials like upcycled natural wool and wood to add volume, texture, and visual interest. The hero look from the show is “Baubles and Waif”, a whimsical, playful look that we recreated in salon to show how to band hair to mimic club looks for the high street.
“Start by sectioning off random pieces of hair around your head. Create a small ponytail close to the scalp and secure with an elastic. Add two or three more elastics down the length of the ponytail every few inches, depending on your hair length. Pinch the middle of each section and push the elastics upward to form “baubles.” You can pull out some hair for a softer, more relaxed finish, or leave it tight for a structured, runway-ready effect. If you have longer hair, try braiding the ends and gently tugging at the braids to add width and softness.
“The key is to experiment and create the look using the minimum amount of natural hair product like Philip Martin’s to achieve sleek styles, amazing texture, and volume without the plastic silicones typical of traditional hair brands.”
Gina is dedicated to the use of sustainable, quality products that create the perfect look without compromising the environment, and is the exclusive London launch partner to Philip Martin’s. You’ll be hearing a lot more about these fabulous products which are based on the principles of green chemistry, utilizing biodegradable materials and employing energy-efficient manufacturing processes to minimize their ecological footprint. Packed with beautiful essential oils, they’re your hair’s new best friend – book into the salon to be among the first in London to get your hands on them…
To book an appointment at Gina Conway’s award winning salon, visit https://ginaconwaysalons.co.uk/ or call 020 8090 5818
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