Get the Dish On Next Year’s Hottest Looks

The Jakarrta Globe, Silviana Hamdani

P&G predicts that next year’s hottest hairstyles will feature plenty of length and volume. (Photo courtesy of P&G)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. How true. From one era to the next, the concept of beauty continues to evolve along with shifts in the world’s economic, technological and fashion trends.

And next year promises to be an exciting time. As more countries emerge from the financial crisis, the world of beauty will rejoice and celebrate the revival by launching a new series of hair and makeup trends that celebrate the return of luxury and glamour.

“If we look at the economic crisis, we’re now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Ronald Low, education manager of P&G professional care. “We’re coming back up.”

Every year, Procter & Gamble, a multinational company that produces hair and beauty care products, holds an international event showcasing upcoming beauty trends.

Previously held in locations such as Milan, Sydney, Shanghai, Singapore and Kerala, India, this year’s event took place in Bali.

Named “Beautisphere,” a number of Australian and Asian media representatives were invited to the event to get an exclusive sneak peak at the trends for the year ahead.

“We are proud that Indonesia was trusted to host this major international event,” said Bambang Sumaryanto, external relations director for P&G Indonesia. “During this event, some of the best Indonesian hairdressers and beauty experts worked together with their international peers. This brought awareness and heightened the appreciation of the international world for the world of beauty in Indonesia.”

For the event, which ended on Dec. 11, international celebrity hairstylist Sam McKnight and the makeup artist for the Oscars and Emmy Awards, Bruce Grayson, worked with Indonesian hairstylists Rudy Hadisuwarno, Jonki Pitoi, Alfons, Kusumadewi, Jacky Timurtius, Andiyanto, Irwan Muljadi and Sugimartono, as well as Indonesian makeup artist Qiqi Franky.

Also involved in the collaboration was Malaysian hairstylist Lim Soon Sin, Filipino hairstylists Arnel Monis and Henri Calayag, Thai hairstylist Sindy Lim and Vietnamese hairstylist Tran Thu Hang.

Vassiliki Petrou, P&G’s beauty director and trend expert, together with her team, offered some forecasts for next year’s hair and beauty fashion trends.

“We take into account sociocultural changes, demographic shifts, technological breakthroughs and consumer feedback in predicting future trends,” Vassiliki said.

The trend forecasts are then handed to Dr. Jasmine Karsono, P&G’s principal scientist and manager. “The research and development department needs two to three years to develop products that customers will need in the future,” Karsono said.

According to Vassiliki, hair and beauty trends next year will lean toward a glamorous, yet warm and romantic, look.

“It’s the year of innovative femininity, with lots of positive energy and freshness,” Vassiliki said.

Dubbed “Techno Romance,” the predicted trends will feature vibrant pastel colors, along with floral fragrances with notes of orchid, daisy, iris and violet.

“Today’s lifestyle depends so much on high technology. There’s high-performance fabrics for fashion and high-tech products to create color effects and styles for hair and makeup,” Low said.

“High-technology fabrics create feminine looks that have a very romantic feel. That’s why the new trend is called ‘Techno Romance.’ ”

Hairstyles will be soft and feminine. “It’s a year for the long hair,” McKnight said. “Shine is another big thing. It’s a long and luxurious season in this department.”

The key hair and makeup looks were presented in an exclusive runway show at the Bvlgari Hotel and Resort in Uluwatu, Bali, on the evening of Dec. 10.

Hosted by SK-II brand ambassador Susan Bachtiar, the show was opened by Indonesian singer Anggun, who performed the song “Crazy” from her album “Luminescence.”

The looks of the season by McKnight, Grayson and Indonesian and other Asian hairstylists and makeup artists were all inspired by the Techno Romance theme.

The women’s hairstyles were taken to new heights with elegant solid structures that were softened with romantic touches, such as soft twists, braids and frills, that created a gentler, lived-in look.

“The trend for hair is now more voluptuous and sexy,” McKnight said. “It’s got a slight 1960s coquettish kind of vibe.”

“For tonight’s show, my interpretation of Techno Romance is a blend of the traditional French twist and a modern-styled hair bun,” said Sugimartono, an Indonesian hairstylist, who collaborated in the show.

“With this hairdo, you’ll look gorgeous at evening parties,” Sugimartono said.

Rudy Hadisurwarno, an experienced Indonesian hairstylist, offered his take on next year’s hot look for men. “For the men, the hair is layered with a little bit of bangs on the forehead,” Rudy said. The length of the bangs depends on the shape of the face.

“It’s a bit of a messy, natural look for men with ash brown and light ash blond highlights around the edges,” Rudy said. The highlights give the hair more texture, as well as show more movement.

In terms of makeup, passionate red lips and articulated lashes set against smooth, elegant skin evoked glamorous scenes from the Hollywood classics, while skin architecture — curves and definition — accentuated by playful pastels were the order of the day.

“I always try to articulate my looks with the look of skin,” Grayson said. “Because skin is 80 percent of any makeup. You may have great eyes, great lips, but the rest of it lies on this vast area of the skin.”

“Tonight’s show is a ‘feast of the eyes,’ ” Low said. “The show is to inspire. For everyday looks we can tone it down. The style is actually very simple. For the hair, you just wash it, apply volumizing mousse and dry it. Use cool brown or pale blonde coloring. There isn’t a lot of styling involved.”

“ ‘Techno Romance’ is the answer to our stressful and hectic daily lives,” Vassiliki said. “It answers the need to cope with a complex urban reality, but in a way that makes life more beautiful and poetic.”