ATHLETICA | SASSOON

	SPRING \| SUMMER 12 COLLECTION INTRODUCTION Fashion and sport have been entwined for decades and tend to meet on the street. Trainer wars and logo-mania are swept to the side, however, as the Olympics draw near. Here we have real athletes in the pursuit of perfection – and very modern glamour can be found in the row upon row of athletic bodies all unified in the quest to be the very best. "A VERY MODERN GLAMOUR CAN BE FOUND IN THE ROW UPON ROW OF ATHLETIC BODIES" With this in mind, hair is working at peak performance this season as Sassoon presents a modern take on iconic Olympian symbols. The interlocking circles of the Olympic flag, first unveiled in Paris in 1914, provide the touchstone for a perfect blend of wearable cuts and personalised colour with a sophisticated palette inspired by the victors’ medals of gold, silver and bronze. Concise colours come courtesy of Sassoon Professional. Chromatology is a range with unlimited inter-mixing possibilities and, when applied with our refined techniques, works seamlessly together with the body showing the grace and fluidity of the hair and cut in motion. This is SASSOON. This is hair design.

	SASSOONS OLYMPIC RECORD Whether it's the running track or the yoga mat, the SASSOON hair philosophy is a perfect fit with the world of sport. Vidal SASSOON was the first hairdresser to realise that hair was organic material that had to be treated as such - it should be able to move yet stay in shape. SASSOON believed that optimum hair health was linked to diet, exercise and fitness, a philosophy that was well ached of its time. SASSOON's hair mix of fashion made it the obvious choice for hair consultant at the Olympic Games, a relationship that was first forged at the 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck, Austria. It was here that Dorothy Hamill won the Women's Figure Skating Gold Medal with an aerodynamic wedge by Suga at SASSOON. Hamill's cut became a global showcase for the SASSOON philosophy of dynamic movement, healthy shine and the eminent suitability of the perfect cut. As Vidal put it, "the hair became part of her act." "A MIX OF FASHION AND FUNCTION MADE SASSOON AN OBVIOUS CHOICE FOR STYLING HAIR AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES" In 1984 Vidal SASSOON was chosen as the official hair care consultant to the athletes of the Los Angeles Olympics. SASSOON and his international team had conducted months of research with 100 athletes to determine how haircuts best performed during different sporting activities. After observing the natural movement of hair in action a collection of haircuts was developed that maximised function, movement and comfort for every sport during the Games. A huge campus salon was set up in the City of Angels to cut and care for the hair of 2,500 athletes using the new techniques which had been developed - style had truly altered sports and fitness became a total concept. Today's athletes can now look good before, during and after their sporting performances, as SASSOON cuts and colours lend themselves well to any physical activity. They're precise, easy to wear and care for - and that's always a winning combination.
		THE MAKING OF THE ATHLETICA COLLECTION The spark that ignites the fire of every SASSOON collection begins with an idea which can come from a myriad of sources. This season it's the Olympics and the intriguing relationship between women, sport and hair. One of the unique features of SASSOON is that the journey of every collection takes the same route as that of high fashion - SASSOON's distinctive "couture for the head" parallels the conceptual and experimental work created by the world's finest catwalk designers. "This season it's all about ease and wearability, so the first drawings show how honed and athletic models with modern streamlined or techno styling" says Mark. "THIS SEASON IT'S ALL ABOUT EASE AND WEARABILITY" Mark Hayes - SASSOON International Creative Director "We wanted to concentrate on cuts that work with athletic movement. Clearly defined cuts and colours that are easy to care for and work with today's demanding lifestyle." These evocative sketches form part of the brief that is given by Mark Hayes to all involved with the shoot. - the photographer, stylist, make-up artist and, of course, the International Team. As in fashion, after the theme of a collection is decided upon by International Creative Director Mark Hayes, fashion drawings are created in order to evoke his vision and the fascinating as they are the first indication of the new cut and colour techniques that will be launched with the collection.
	BACKSTAGE AT THE ATHLETICA COLLECTION As in fashion, SASSOON's couture approach to hair is about creating the best of the best using the highest quality products and the most accomplished craft and design techniques. Each hair cut and colour on every model is thought through and its design developed after much consultation between Mark, Bruce Masefield, UK Creative Director and the dynamic colour partnership of Peter Dawson, European Colour Director and Edward Darley, UK Colour Director. The looks couldn't be more exclusive designed with the personality, bone structure and lifestyle of the model in mind, a philosophy that comes through in the SASSOON salon experience where every cut and colour is designed to meet the needs of each individual client. "THIS IS ATHLETICA - THIS COUTURE HAIR IN MOTION" It's in the photographic studio where the ideas come to life, animated by the accomplished hands of the International Team. The bright lights on set and the glaringly whit theme in a contemporary and conceptual way studio space throw every hair into sharp relief so all has to be perfect. Stylist, Cathy Edwards creates the shapes on set, sculpting clothes by hand to fit each model and convey the Athletica theme in a contemporary and conceptual way. The result: sculptural body armour that plays with transparency and layering to create an imaginary set of sporting archetypes without reverting to the more obvious route of decking each model out in today's branded sportswear. As each model steps on set to be photographed by the expert lens of John Akehurst they balance in series of poses inspired by the stances taken by athletic bodies in motion. Make-up is fresh, dewy and minimal with defined brows and nude lips - it's not about over-emphasis this season. Styling is white in contrast to the dynamic colour and dramatic cuts that come courtesy of SASSOON. This is Athletica - this is couture hair in motion.