For someone who's quite paranoid about having their hair cut, I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I was invited to try out Lorena Severi's 'master cutting skills' at the Philip George Salon. I mean, high end salons usually meant super dramatic, ultra-wild hairdos to me, which I believe I've had just about enough of those during my time in Hong Kong, if not my lifetime (thankyouverymuch, Mongkok barbers).
However, when I found out that the Italian-born Lorena is somewhat of a legend in the hairstyling world, having won her first hair competition at the age of 14, becoming the World Champion of Unisex Hair Design and styling top-notch celebrities like Brad Pitt, Kate Moss and Catherine Zeta Jones, how could I say no? My first impression of her was fierce and feminine, as this is one woman who knows what she's doing.
From the moment she glanced at me, Lorena already knew my hair woes and what needed to be done. It was like she read my mind when she said it was too heavy in the front, on the bottom and pretty much overall. "Stand up," she said. Not quite sure why, I did as she said.
"When cutting hair, I like to look at the whole person, not just the head," she continued as she snipped away. "This way, you can really tell if the hairstyle will suit the person, including their height, body type and choice of clothing."
Makes sense, right? Later, when I sat back down, Lorena used her trademark approach of using scissors, a razor and clippers to help me create a wispy, soft and layered look within 10 minutes that would be easy to maintain.
"Women shouldn't have to spend hours on their hair or use fancy equipment to create a style," she said to me while blowdrying my hair with her bare hands. A fan of the natural look, Lorena is also well known for the balayage technique of applying hair colour by hand, which creates natural contrasts in the hair to add body and movement.
"A hairstyle should represent an individual's personality, not hide it," said Lorena, and I couldn't agree more. For those who'd like to turn some heads this summer, she recommends going for a short, sassy cut or the latest hair dye technique - dip dye and ombre. The former is when one end of the hair is dipped into any usually contrasting colour of your choice (pictured below), and ombre is when the hair is dyed to fade from dark at the roots to light at the tips.
It might not be for everyone, but it'll be sure to get you some attention during the summer months! For appointments, call +852 2524 3143 or visit The Philip George Salon, 23/F, 1 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong.
