South African hairdresser, editorial artist and former salon owner Candice McKay stopped by Australia in her array of global travels, educating for Davines in her role as an international guest artist. We caught up with the acclaimed hair artist to talk through her latest inspiring collection, a natural look at the weight and effects of the pandemic, titled Intrinsic.
“It all started with being in lockdown, and the whole city was neglected. All along the sidewalks there were just wildflowers everywhere, and nature was sort of creeping in and taking over. It was amazing to see that with this little bit of human neglect, that nature was overcoming things, so I started becoming really a lot more aware of what nature was doing and the fact that nature felt like it was persevering,” Candice said.
Aesthetically, this built the abandoned and overgrown concept of the collection, which was shot in London with an international creative team and group of models, variously hailing from the UK, Slovenia, Brazil, Finland and Thailand, with creative personnel from London, South Africa and Spain. Philosophically, it converged with evolving thoughts on environmentalism and climate change, fitting in perfectly with Candice’s and Davines’ core ethos towards sustainability.
“I’m not sure if Davines has affected the way I think or if I was drawn to Davines because I think this way, I think the two work together,” Candice shared.
This natural instinct pertained to the aesthetic as well, forgoing retouching and filter effects for a more organic look, which reflected the impact of the global lockdowns as well, as merged with a more neutral colour palette and mushroom-based tones.
Grown out mullets, simple, undone makeup and natural fibres in the fashion styling also spoke to this period of time and shifting aesthetic preferences. Seeping the whole shoot with a feel for the Victorian era also added to the aesthetic. The collection was built to feel timeless, nostalgic and ever-feminine, while staying salon relevant with chair-worthy styles, built from Candice’s esteemed salon career as well.
“I have been trying to reconnect and respect nature more and in the process I have learnt to respect myself more,” Candice said. “We have become so entangled with technology. I wanted to create a world of filter-less fashion. Hairdressers are feeling insecure because of filters and fake tutorials, which are weakening our industry. The collection is minimally retouched, the hair left true to shot. We created techniques That are easy to replicate within a normal salon day but are stimulating for both the hairdresser and client.”
Educating globally and sharing her inspiring colour and editorial lessons to salons on Australia’s east coast on her recent trip, Candice is world-renowned for her session skills and Intrinsic continues that legacy.
Find the notions of growth, nature and perseverance captured in this collection.
Credits:
Hair: Candice McKay using Davines
Hair team: Yvonne Flick Barbanti,
Anne Veck, Richard Ashforth
Photographer: Jack Eames
Styling: Clare Frith
Make Up: Megumi Matsuno
Set Design: Kara Van Wyngaarden
Video: Live production studio
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