Inspired by the Aveda Mission, the spirit of the new Aveda SS20 creative collection is a combination of punk, teddy girl and 1950s French New Look. I was inspired by these eras of political activism, protest and female empowerment.
I have always believed that hair is the fashion of the body, and the idea of this collection was to take classic techniques and market finds and blend them with pieces from the newest catwalk collections. Doing so would show that something old can look just as fresh and relevant as something new, as well as how both can be combined seamlessly to create a modern, contemporary and entirely relevant new hybrid look.
All of the hair featured in this collection is either recycled or re-used, from techniques to actual hairpieces.
The message is one of valuing those items that already exist and using them as building blocks to create something brand new. Additionally, all of the fabrics featured in the shoot are naturally occurring.
The world is currently in the midst of a new “Youthquake,” where young people are rallying their forces and taking over the political mantle of the day. Uppermost on their agenda is the protection of our planet and the desire to bring an end to the senseless destruction that we, as a race, have caused in recent decades.
Climate change and global warming, the plastic waste that is polluting our oceans and the giant landfills that are endangering our natural habitats are all central topics in this new dialogue, which has redefined the conversation amongst our youth. The need to curb completely unnecessary and unacceptable levels of consumption and, in turn, limit the wanton waste that has come to define normal life is now being heralded as the most important political topic of the day.
This new political agenda is also reflected in young people’s style decisions, such as how they express themselves through the clothes they wear, the hairstyles they go for and the beauty and grooming decisions they make. Most important is the desire to be seen as both responsible and conscious when it comes to matters of consumption and the resulting waste.
A recent cover of British Vogue features pop icon Taylor Swift wearing a vintage Chanel jacket. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, explains that his decision to feature vintage on the cover was motivated by the increased focus on conscious fashion and social responsibility that readers are looking to find in the publications they read. This sentiment is echoed by American Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour who is passionate about addressing the throwaway culture that has come to define fashion the world over. The message they are both looking to communicate is one of ‘buy less, buy better and buy to last’.
This is exactly why I wanted to launch “The Revolution of Reinvention” collection at this moment in time. We don’t always need new techniques, new clothes, etc. It’s all about quality that can last the test of time, whether that’s in a haircut or in a dress, and that’s why it’s so important to be a master of the classics.
