Big hair days

6:57am Tuesday 28th October 2008

HAIRDRYERS at the ready… and prepare to get glamorous.

Big hair is the latest trend, with the likes of pop stars Duffy and Amy Winehouse becoming fashion idols for a new generation.

It’s no coincidence that their look pays homage to the Sixties, when the beehive ruled and the shampoo and set was standard in all hairdressing salons.

Fast forward to today and one York salon is hoping to bring Sixties styling back into vogue by launching a Blow Dry menu.

The innovative project, which launches this week at Bang Hair in Gillygate, features eight different styles, all centred on a decent blow dry.

Each style is inspired by an icon from the world of film or music – from the Sixties through to today, including Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Gwen Stefani.

Contemporary singers Duffy and Winehouse also make the cut, joined by maverick pop diva Alison Goldfrapp, known for her mane of soft, lose curls. For a sleek look, Charlies’ Angels favourite Lucy Lui is on the menu, as well as Barbarella – Jane Fonda’s character from the Sixties cult sci-fi film of the same name.

Bang Hair owner Sarah Cotton said she was inspired after a shopping trip to London.

“Topshop in Oxford Street has a blow-dry bar – a big pink pod in the middle of the shop where people can book in for a 30-minute appointment,” said Sarah.

“We’d already been thinking about trying to bring back the blow dry and came up with the idea of using female icons for the menu.”

Blow drying was once a core part of the hairdressing business, recalls Sarah. “When I first started hairdressing, people would come in once a week for a blow dry, but they don’t do that any more and I thought we should offer it as a service.”

As Bang Hair is a fashion-minded salon, Sarah is confident her Blow Dry styles will go down well with customers.

Sarah said: “At prom time, or Christmas, we do get women coming in wanting their hair up, or asking for a blow dry, but sometimes they are short of ideas and want us to inspire them.”

Now customers can refer to the take-away menu with pictures of each style, or simply ask for a look by its name.

The menu is split into two categories: The Blow-Out and the Blow-Up.

The Goldfrapp, Monroe, Lucy Lui and Barbarella all feature in the Blow-Out section, and are recreated by setting the hair in rollers or using tongs. Included in the £22 price is a wash, blow-dry, head massage and a free drink. Appointments last between 30 to 40 minutes.

Anyone booking in for a Blow-Up style – Stefani, Winehouse, Duffy and Hepburn – is asked to arrive with their hair freshly washed and dried or a £10 supplement will be added to the £25 charge. Most of the 40-minute appointment is spent on pining the hair up, creating height using pony tails, rollers and backcombing.

Ideally, said Sarah, customers need shoulder-length hair to carry off the looks.

“But we can still work with people with shorter hair. If you have a bob, but fancy a ‘Stefani’, we could give you a quiff and scrape back the sides. Each style is adaptable.”

The great thing about it, she added, was that women could change their image on a whim.

“A girl could come here three weeks in a row and go out with a different look every week,” said Sarah. “Appointments are about 40 minutes, so women can come in and get a new look in their lunch hour or after work.”

•For appointments, contact Bang Hair, 86 Gillygate, York. Tel: 01904 637636

Charlotte Percival tries big hair in the name of duty

“GOOD God,” gasped one of the sports reporters as I walked into work. His jaw hit the floor and the entire newsroom turned in astonishment.

It’s not the response I usually get on a Friday morning, but I don’t usually turn up with a “Winehouse”, one of the styles on the new blow dry menu at Bang Hair salon in Gillygate.

I arrived at 9am, to have my locks backcombed, curled and piled on top of my head to create the huge beehive usually synonymous with Winehouse. Sure enough, it was done and dusted within the promised 40 minutes.

I was delighted with my new style, and loved being able to try something different. For everyone at work though, it was a bit of a shock.

“Wow”, “it’s fantastic”, “it totally changes your face shape” and “don’t you just want to break into song?” were some of the more favourable comments, while “can I be honest? It looks a bit tarty” and “not everybody can pull of glamorous” were offered too.

It provided a talking point. Outside, “Nice hair love”, “wow,” and questioning glances were thrown in my direction, and I was impressed by the people in the deli, who didn’t bat an eyelid. Shoppers in Tesco, however, were not as forgiving.

Having a Winehouse was great fun and if I had somewhere special to go, then I would consider the blow dry menu again – although perhaps I’d choose something more sedate.