Evaluation

During the research process of the Elizabethan era, I noted elements that intrigued and inspired me the most to bring forward into my designs. When it came to incorporating these elements onto contemporary hairstyle images, I developed a very different insight into the design process and I adopted a different thought process when it comes to gathering inspiration and creating designs.

All of the designs I created, I went on to trial in order to assess their feasibility. Trialling each design also gave me an insight into how long they took to create, the technical ability involved and whether they best fit the brief, giving a perfect balance of Elizabethan and contemporary. All of these elements helped me decide on my final design, also taking into account the fact that this design would be carried out by my partner, therefore I would have to provide thorough instructions on how to create the style. Also, it was during the practise process that I got to make slight adjustments and arrange advanced preparations to save time.

The technical sessions were immensely helpful and meant I could expand my designs to include new techniques that could provide texture, shape and volume. I do however feel I could have improved my designs by increasing my creativity and exploring the use of different materials in my hair designs.

When it came to interpreting my partner’s design, I initially thought it would be difficult. However, being able to practise the style and discuss it with my partner and teachers gave me much more confidence. 

My Assessment

I followed Corey’s design plans accordingly to create her hair design. Though the style did resemble her design plans, I was stretched for time and would have spent some time perfecting the shape had I’d had longer to work on it. I should have used more pins to secure the rats too as the bottom section was looser than I’d have liked.

Here are the images from the assessment.  

Partner's Design

Corey provided me with a design plan and method of how to create her hair design. To create Corey’s design, I had to crimp her entire head of hair as well as some additional hair extensions. I gripped these extensions throughout her hair and then sectioned her hair horizontally into two parts. Using hair rats/props, these two sections were rolled around them and secured with pins to create raised areas in the hair. The fringe was then styled into a plait and feathers and gems were added for decoration.

Originally Corey had opted for the bottom section of the hair to be styled into a bun however after some trial runs and a discussion with our teacher, Lottie, it was suggested that we include a second padded roll instead. Corey then amended her design for this technique to be included in the final assessment. 

Here are images from my practise.

Hair Assessment

During a practical session, my assessment partner, Corey, trialled my hair design on me. I was able to talk Corey through my design to ensure she understood it fully. It was during this session that we concluded that I would curl my hair prior to the assessment to save time. We also decided that a larger rat/prop would be used in my hair to achieve a look more similar to my design.

During the final assessment, Corey followed my hair plan accordingly to create my hair design. She worked efficiently and professionally to achieve the look in the allocated time frame and in conclusion, it did resemble the design I’d created. 

Here are the images from the final assessment. 

Final Design Method

These are the instructions I gave to my assessment partner, Corey, to work from. 

Equipment & Products:

• ·        Pintail comb
• ·        Curling tongs
• ·        Sectioning grips
• ·        Hair grips & Wavy pins
• ·        Rat/Prop
• ·        Orange coloured hairspray
• ·        Length of red ribbon
• ·        Hairspray

Method:

• ·        The hair has been curled in advance and these curls have been fixed with hairspray
• ·        Section into three parts
  - the front section is separated in line with the ears
  - the remaining hair is separated horizontally but bottom heavy (middle section is enough hair to wrap around a rat)
• ·        Wrap the middle section of hair backwards around the provided rat and grip securely
• ·        Spray the very ends of the hair with the orange hairspray
• ·        Style the back section up and over the rat to create a band of curls along the crease, securing with wavy pins
• ·        Style the front sections back and around, following the style of the back section but disguising any of the rat that is still visible, leave a few loose strands around the hairline
• ·        Use hairspray to secure the style
• ·        Tie the length of ribbon around the head into a bow on the left hand side of the models head

Final Design

Though my intent was to choose my third design as my final design. I encountered too many flaws during the experimenting period and I realised the style wasn’t achievable in the time frame. Therefore, I adapted the style slightly to make it more accessible.

To create my final design, the whole head is curled using curling tongs and then sectioned into 3 parts. The front section ends behind the ears and then the remaining hair is separated horizontally into even parts. The middle section is wrapped forwards over a rat and secured with hair grips. The ends of the back section are styled upwards, over the rat and pinned under the rat leaving a band of curled ends. The front section is then bought around the sides and secured beneath the rat with a few loose strands. Finally, a length of red ribbon is tied as a band in front of the curls and styled into a bow on the left hand side of the head. The entire look is fixed with hairspray.

To save time, I will curl my hair in advance and fix the curls with hairspray. In order to carry out the design, ribbon and orange hairspray are required which I’ve already sourced from a local fancy dress shop.

Design 3

My third design involves the use of a ‘rat’ like they used in Elizabethan times. I wasn’t sure how I was going to achieve this look but after a practical session where we were introduced to using ‘rats’ in the hair, I was inspired. To create this style, the entire head of hair is curled using curling tongs and then the back of the hair is bought forward over the rat and secured discreetly. The ends of hair will create a band of curls which can be styled against the raised portion of hair.

Design 2

As previously trialled and blogged about, my second design was inspired by the Elizabethan fashion to style their hair up. In this design, two French plaits line the hairline with ribbon intertwined. The ends of the plaits are wound back up over the head and then the excess ribbon is knotted into a bow at the nape of the neck. The rest of the hair is heated around large barrel hair curlers and fixed into four large pin curls in a grid formation.

Design 1

My first design was inspired by the texture of hair that Elizabethan’s preferred. To create this style, the hair is frizzed and then scraped back into a ponytail which is then plaited. The frizz would be achieved by wrapping small sections of hair in a figure of 8 around a wide hair grip and then heating under hair straighteners. This method is very time consuming and considering the time frame we have to style the hair, it would not be feasible to frizz the entire head of hair. Therefore as a time saving compromise, I would frizz only the front band of hair and dress the frizz back over the hair to give the illusion that the frizz runs all the way through the hair.

Experimenting

Here is a collage of images documenting my experiments with my hair designs. I've used a variety of methods and techniques to trial all of my designs and assess which would be feasible to carry through as my final design. 

Tech File: Backcombing, Crimping & Frizzing

Products & Equipment required:

·        Backcombing comb

·        Pintail comb

·        Hairspray

·        Hair grips & wavy pins

·        Hair straighteners

·        Crimping Irons

Method:

Backcombing

1.      Take a section of hair, hold it vertically

2.      Using a backcombing brush, start at the roots and brush towards the scalp to create lift

3.      Use small movements and secure with hairspray

Frizzing

1.      Take a small section of hair

2.      Wind it tightly in a figure of 8 around a wavy hairpin

3.      Secure this by sliding a hairgrip vertically down the centre of the wavy pin

4.      Heat under hair straighteners and then leave to cool

5.      Release from the hair grip and then tease the styled hair to create frizz or style in the released formation 

Crimping

1.      Prepare the hair with heat defence spray

2.      Take a section of hair a little narrower than the width of the crimping irons

3.      Beginning at the roots, hold the crimping irons down on the hair

4.      Release and then down the hair towards the ends

Tech File: Padding

Products & Equipment required:

·        Prop
- tights
- fabric wool or cotton wool

·        Pintail comb

·        Hair grips & wavy pins

Method:

1.      To create your own rat, take some tights and stuff tightly with fabric wool or cotton wool to achieve the desired shape and length. Knot securely at either end and ideally match the colour of the tight to the colour of the model’s hair.

2.      Section the front portion of the hair to one side

3.      Create a plait along the sectioned line and secure

4.      To fasten the rat onto the plait, use hairgrips and ensure the grip goes through the tights as well as through the plait

5.      Style the front section of hair back over the rat and secure with hair grips

6.      Alternately, take a section of hair big enough the cover the rat and hold vertically and slightly forward

7.      Place the rat at the top and roll the hair over the rat and downwards until you’ve reached the scalp

8.      Then, secure with hair grips and style accordingly 

Tech File: Curling & Pin Curls

Products & Equipment required:

·        Curling Tongs

·        Heat Protection Spray

·        Hair Brush

·        Pin Tail Comb

·        Hair Grips & Wavy Pins

Method:

Curling

1.      Prepare the hair with heat protection spray

2.      Take a small, neat, section of hair

3.      Wrap the hair into the curling tongs and wind up using a spiral motion in the direction you want the curl to go

4.      Hold for roughly 8 seconds before releasing the curl

5.      To release, slide the curl off the end, using the leaver to loosen the hair slightly

6.      If you want to maintain the curl whilst it cools, fasten with a grip in a pin curl against the head

Pin Curls

1.      Take a small section of hair

2.      Curl it up neatly in a spherical motion until you’ve reached the scalp

3.      Fasten securely and discreetly with a hair grip

4.      To maintain form, you may want to wet the hair beforehand or fix with hairspray

Twists

1.      Separate the hair into two equal sections

2.      With a section in each hand, twist both sections to the right

3.      Then, overlap the right hand section over the left

4.      Twist them both to the right again and overlap the right section over again

5.      Repeat this until you’ve reached the end of the hair

6.      Fasten securely with a hairband

Tech File: Buns

Products & Equipment required:

·        Hair Brush

·        Hair Ties

·        Hair Grips & Wavy Pins

Method:

1.      Fasten the hair into a ponytail in the centre of the head

2.      Separate this ponytail into four equal sections

3.      Barrel curl each section outward and secure with hairgrips

4.      Using wavy pins, tease the creases of the four sections to fasten together

Tech File: Plaits

Products & Equipment required:

·        Hair Brush

·        Hair Ties

Method:

Regular Plait

1.      Separate the hair into three equal sections

2.      With the three sections between both hands, bring one outside section over the middle section

3.      Then, bring the other outer section over the middle

4.      Repeat this until you have reached the end of the hair, be sure to keep the hair taught to get a neat plait

5.      Fasten securely with a hairband at the end

French Plait

1.      Take a section of hair from the top of the head, from the hairline to crown area

2.      Divide this separated hair into three equal sections

3.      Begin a traditional plait, bringing the outer parts over the centre, one at a time

4.      Upon repeating this, pick up a section of hair from the side and add to the section of hair that you’re about to bring over

5.      Take these sections from the front of the head and keep taught

6.      Continue this adding method all the way down to the nape of the neck and then, when there is no more hair to add, plait regularly

7.      Fasten securely with a hairband at the end

Fishtail Plait

1.      Separate the hair into two sections

2.      With a section in each hand, use your index finger to take a small section of hair from behind one of the sections and loop it around to join the section in the other hand

3.      Repeat this step with the other hand, looping a small section around to join the other

4.      Continue this until you’ve reached the end of the hair

5.      Fasten securely with a hairband

Tech File: Blow Dry

Products & Equipment required:

·        Hair Dryer

·        Barrel Brush

·        Sectioning Grips

Method:

1.      When the hair has been washed, you should begin to blast it dry to reduce the amount of excess water on the head

2.      Before the hair is entirely dry, stop blasting and add some product
- serum is ideal for dry ends
- mousse is ideal for flat hair

3.      Standing behind your model, section off the sides of the hair to leave a brush width down the back of the head

4.      Section this strip, you want to work with a small amount of hair at the nape of the neck

5.      Put your hairdryer on a medium heat and full blast

6.      Aim the dryer right into the root to give lift, dealing the hair over the barrel brush (lift in the roots is very important and if the roots aren’t dry, the style won’t sit)

7.      Aim down to direct the hair as far as mid length

8.      Continue over the same section of hair until it is dry

9.      You may use the cool setting to set the hair if you wish but try not to touch the hair too much

10.   Use the curve of the hairdryer to manipulate the hair around the brush

Tech File: Washing Hair

Products & Equipment required:

·        Wash Basin

·        Shampoo

·        Conditioner

·        Hairdressing Gown

·        Towels

·        Wide Tooth Comb

Method:

1.      Undergo a consultation with the model
- ask for the model’s name and age
- find out if your model has any allergies or is taking any medication
- find out what treatments your model’s hair has had (colouring, perming etc.)
- check the density and condition of the model’s hair by physically touching and feeling the hair

2.      Take the model to the basin, protect their clothing with a hairdressing gown and put a towel around the back of their neck

3.      When the model is comfortable, with their head in the basin, check the hair once more looking at the scalp condition for issues such as dandruff and check for head lice (they’ll generally be around the back of the ears where the head is warmer)

4.      Should head lice be present, the treatment can no longer be carried out as the risk of contamination is too high

5.      Begin the flow of water at a warm temperature and start to move the tap around the model’s head to wet all the hair

6.      It is important to check with the model that the temperature is not too hot or too cold once the water has reached the scalp, if it isn’t satisfying, you should alter the temperature accordingly

7.      To get the hair line wet without spraying water onto the model’s face, you should use your spare hand (providing it is dry) and cup the model’s hair line to act as a barrier

8.      It is also important to cover all parts of the model’s head including right underneath the nape of the neck

9.      Moving onto shampooing, the amount of shampoo is entirely dependent on the amount of hair your model has

10.   Begin to work into the scalp in a rotation motion and work into a lather all across the scalp and down the hair

11.   Rinse all the shampoo out and repeat the shampooing process again and rinse again

12.   Then, you should condition the models hair, working it into mid lengths and the ends, avoiding the scalp if they are prone to greasy hair

13.   Work a little conditioner into the scalp giving a nice and relaxing massage to make the treatment more enjoyable

14.   Comb through the hair with a wide tooth comb to detangle the hair

15.   Rinse the hair of all the conditioner, listen out for the squeaky clean noise to indicate clean hair

16.   Squeeze the hair of all excess water and use a towel to hold the hair once it’s been washed to avoid it dripping onto the model’s face or clothes

Tech File: Health & Safety

These are health and safety practises that should be identified with and present during all studio/ practical work…

·        Prepare your station in advance with any equipment or products you many require

·        Lay couch roll onto the surface prior to setting up your station

·        Carry out a consultation on your model and refer to it regularly to ensure a safe practical session

·        Make sure you wash/sanitise your hands regularly

·        Ensure you are presentable, respectable clothing, hair tied back, no jewellery etc.

·        Ensure that all electrical tools and appliances being used have been PAT tested

·        Stow/trail wires of electrical items safely to avoid a trip hazard

·        Ensure all products and equipment are stored in accordance to their regulations

·        Clean and sterilise all brushes and tools between use on models to avoid cross contamination

·        Use disposable tools where necessary to avoid cross contamination

·        Decant products and work from a separate palette to avoid cross contamination

·        Protect the model’s clothes during the practical with a wrap or couch roll

·        Should a model present any contra indications that restrict or prohibit the practical session, act accordingly

·        Be sure to report any accidents, spillages or other hazards that occur in the work room immediately