Leading UK hairdresser Tom Connell, Davines’ Hair Art Director, travelled to Australia and New Zealand to tour and educate on behalf of the brand, and we were at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art to witness the inaugural stop.
Celebrating all things craft, community and culture, the event congregated local and global heavy-hitters to take to the stage to discuss the brand’s approach ans show off some looks, amidst drinks, fittingly Italian food and a finale of a live photoshoot. All of this was to showcase the new THE PRESENT TIME collection of colours, and Tom’s artistic creations inspired by the technology.
The event, collection and colour range drew inspiration from the concept of Japanese Omikuji, which are proverbs and fortune slips usually found at temples or shrines. The colour range’s boxes showcase different proverbs next to the collection’s trademark red line, encouraging busy colourists to take a moment to pause and reflect while mixing colour, ushering in the name THE PRESENT TIME. The event utilised this concept as well, presenting a tree with various proverbs hanging from it on display. That idea also anchored Tom’s campaign to complement the collection.
“I liked the aesthetic of this white background, so I made an art installation. We hired a gallery in Modena and commissioned an artist to paint these huge white canvases with a clean red line cutting through the present time,” Tom shared.
“That was the inspiration, it was an art installation that people could visit and the models spent two days walking around and we took portraits of them. We wanted to show every type of colour, from blondes to coppers and darker browns and more vibrant reds, and we wanted to show the performance of the products on different ethnicities and hair types as we’re in over 92 countries. You want as many people in the world to see a version of themselves or their clients.”
These versatile looks were presented by Tom on stage, as he showcased three looks that ran the gamut between more commercial and Avant Garde, both of which Tom sees extreme value in, as images from both types of shoots were shown on screen. Live shaping, cutting and styling took place on stage in what Tom described as “cutting and colouring for a person, not on a person”, culminating in a final artistic look with hair used as a mask. Through it all, guests were shown a mood board with a missing piece – filled in later that night in a live photoshoot of the looks.
Joining Tom on stage was colourist Nadina Thelen Ray, with information and representation before the education showcase from both local and international representatives, such as Olivia Toohey and Vanessa Esposito. Vanessa explained the European Regenerative Organic Centre that is driving the sustainability processes of the brand.
Davines’ Global General Manager and Director, Mark Giannandrea, also from the UK, gave rare insights from the top of the brand, especially in relation to the education event.
“Crafted is built up of three pillars – culture, community and education. Culture is the inception of everything we do, our cultural inspiration is one of the key things that drives our design stage and then, without community, and you guys, we don’t have a business,” he said.
The brand’s focus on sustainability and innovation were in full focus as the audience learned of the technology behind the products, alongside this vital focus on culture and community. Davines’ Creative Director Maria Vittoria also made the long trek over from Europe to share her approach to this collection and the brand at large.
“If a brand isn’t a community, it dies, if it’s detached from us,” Maria shared. “THE PRESENT TIME gives a way for people to be seen beyond what we’re doing, ensuring you’re a name more than a profession. It’s a colour but there’s something for you as a person, not as a colourist. The main pillar for Davines is culture, inside the culture we also have sustainability of course, but we believe that culture is the only thread that unites all humans, where we can communicate our differences and uniqueness and empower people in this industry.”
The colour range itself prioritises both care and longevity as ammonia-free demi-permanent alkaline colour technology, which offers gentle lightening against comprehensive coverage for vibrancy and shine.
“This is a line that cares, it cares for your clients and it cares for the planet. Our patented Biomimetic technology restores the hair lipids for integrity during the hair colour, where you know the product will perform without the damage,” Olivia explained. “We’ve also in built the Biacidic bond complex, created in the Davines laboratories using a blend of two molecules, into the formulation, so we know we have those strengthening properties that we often miss when doing a colour service.”
This complex helps repair damaged bonds and protects hair from oxidative stress, while also combining with the formula to protect the hair from UV exposures and shampooing overtime.
Other key components such as natural coconut oil, which is a Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) ingredient, and Omega 9, help to improve the hair structure and restore hair lipids, as always manufactured using processes that respect local communities and the environment. Patented plant-derived cellulose replace synthetic gelling agents, helping the biomimetic ingredients penetrate the hair fibre in a natural composition.
Sustainability is core to every facet of the technology. The colour cream is formulated with 88 to 93 per cent natural-origin ingredients and 89 to 99 per cent biodegradable ingredients, while activators are formulated with 93 to 95 per cent natural-origin ingredients. Easy rinsing formulas reduce water usage by up to 40 per cent compared to most alkaline colours. The recyclable packaging is composed from recycled and lightweight aluminum and FSC-certified paper and any plastic component is made of bio-circular mass-balance plastic, which is derived from renewable biomass.
The collection can be diversely used across a range of services, for a vibrant refresh to softening regrowth and broad coverage. Within these services, the brand has a radical approach to the longevity of the hues.
“It’s about the evolution, it’s colour that doesn’t fade, it evolves,” Tom explained. “When we were stress testing the line, we found that when we shampooed it, it evolved into something that was still beautiful, so we documented that in the shoot over three, six, nine and twelves shampoos so you can see the gradual evolution of the colour.”
Fusing artistry, environmentalism and science at every turn, Crafted showcased the power of THE PRESENT TIME, for your inner artist and your inner human, thanks to Davines.
For more information visit world.davines.com
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