There's a new haircut in town, so Ayesha Muttucumaru picks George Northwood's brain on how to get The Karlie
Karlie Kloss is the fashion world’s model of the moment, known for her fun-loving attitude and long toned limbs. She’s recently had her hair cut into a cute featherly-fringed bob, so we asked George Northwood, the man responsible for the super cool tresses of Alexa Chung and Gwyneth Paltrow, for his tips on perfecting ‘The Karlie.’
Cut by renowned fashion hair stylist Garren Defazio for a Vogue photo shoot, The Karlie makes a daring and welcome change to the long tousled locks seen on most supermodels. According to hair stylist George Northwood , “The style’s fresh because it’s been chopped or razored at the ends to give a classic shape, but softer. It’s modern because it looks effortless, like you’ve just got cool hair that hasn’t been styled in any way.”
Feeling inspired to change up your ‘do for 2013? We asked George for his essential guide to recreating the look and to help you follow in Karlie’s well-tressed footsteps...
DO ensure that you have the right hair type
“This look works best on hair that is quite fine, soft, smooth and easy to manage. It also looks great on wavy hair but it’s not suitable for frizzy hair types.”
DON’T look too “done”
“The hair needs to be cut in such a way so that it falls jaggedly. It’s this slight imperfection that sets it apart from other short styles. Women tend to opt for a more polished look in America, so it’s great to see that they’re moving towards the more London-inspired, “undone” look that we’ve been doing for a while now.”
DO choose a fringe that suits your face shape
“Anyone can have a choppy bob, but make sure that you choose the right fringe for your face shape. If you have strong features, avoid the type of fringe that Karlie’s opted for as it’ll make your face appear harder. Opt for a longer fringe that’s swept to the side instead. If you have softer features like Karlie or Emma Watson for example, you’ll be able to carry off a wider range of fringe styles.”
DON’T opt for short hair if you have bad posture
“As this is a longer bob that sits just below the jawline, most face shapes can pull off this length. However, avoid a shorter cut if you have broad shoulders or bad posture, as it will only draw attention to these parts of the body.”
DON’T over-layer
“Make sure that your hairdresser avoids cutting too many layers into your hair and ask for a simple bob that’s cut softly and not bluntly. The idea of this style is that it’s all one length that’s semi-straight and loosely cut round the bottom. Ask them to chop through the ends to add invisible layers, to make thicker hair less heavy.”
DO opt for low-key maintenance
“To prevent this style looking too “mumsy”, avoid blow-drying your hair. It’s best to wear it a little more messy, so I’d recommend washing your hair, towel-drying it and working Kerastase Elixir Ultime ( www.kerastase.co.uk ) through the mid-lengths and ends of the hair, using your fingers to style it in the way that you’d like before letting it dry naturally. Avoid brushing it too often and instead use wide-barrelled tongs to prevent it looking over-styled. If you have greasy hair, I suggest applying a dry shampoo like Redken’s Powder Refresh ( www.redken.co.uk ) to roots during the day to get rid of any excess oil.”
Book in with George at the Josh Wood Atelier on reservations@joshwoodcolour.com and follow him on Twitter @ georgenorthwood