Top Three Festival Styles For Summer 2017

Westrow Co-Founder And Director, Steve Rowbottom, Reveals His Top Three Festival Styles For Summer 2017

Neon Night

The perennial trend for sugary-sweet pastel shades is taking a backseat this festival season. While unicorn-inspired shades of mauve, lavender and dove grey have been a go-to festival palette for the last few years, 2017 will be the year of highlighter hair. As sported by Kylie Jenner at this year's Coachella – a good barometer of trends in the making – I predict a rise in requests for neon green, highlighter pen yellow and luminous pink. I suggest that festival-goers keen to dabble in the trend for crazy neon colours speak to a highly skilled colourist, who can advise on what kind of colouring technique is most suitable, as well as on ways of ensuring the colour is long-lasting and not damaging to the hair.

Grown-up Pigtails

Pigtails will be the braids of 2017. Easy to create and a nonchalant look that requires little maintenance and no hairbrush, it's hardly surprising that this look, as seen on quite a few celebrities at Coachella 2017, will be a hit with festival goers this summer and will take over from braids as the number one festival style. To recreate the look, create a centre parting and then tong long hair in to dishevelled waves. Divide hair in to bunches and tie loosely in to place. To add body and make the look extra dishevelled, use a volumising spray and backcomb at the roots before styling, and then finish by teasing the hair above the hair tie upwards, to create volume around where the hair is tied.

Beachy Waves

Relaxed, summery, easy and low-maintenance: beachy waves are a festival no-brainer. A salt spray, such as L'Oréal Professionnel Wild Stylers Beach Waves, is ideal for adding waves to dry hair that already has a natural kink, and will create the texture and tousle of hair that's fresh from the sea. A salt spray is a great addition to any festival bag, as it can be re-spritzed every time hair needs a boost in volume or curl. If hair lacks natural kink, then apply the salt spray to damp hair, and then braid in to two plaits. Wait until hair is fully dried before removing braids to reveal long-lasting waves. Using the sea salt spray first will add guts to the hair and will create a texturized matt finish. If hair is already quite curly, or slightly frizzy, curls will need taming in to beautiful waves. An intense control smoothing serum, used on damp hair before air-drying, and then again once hair is dry, will give hair smoothness and shine and will help to tame unruly curls. Look for a serum with a 24-hour humidity protection and a UV filter, so that hair is not only nourished and styled, but also protected. Just in case you're lucky enough to see some sun.