For her latest collection, Joanne O’Neill (@joanneoneill15)—a three-time Avant-Garde Hairdresser of the Year nominee of the British Hairdressing Awards—was inspired by the chiaroscuro portraits made famous by iconic artists Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio. The Italian term means “light to dark,” referring to clear, tonal contrasts in the subject, which O’Neill captured using the background, hair and clothes. “Delicate lace and fabrics contrasted with stronger hair shapes to really play up an angelic feel,” says O’Neill, owner of an eponymous salon in Dunloy, Northern Ireland. “Avant-garde hair should always be beautiful and mesmerizing.”
After dividing the model’s hair into two sections, O’Neill created a skull cap by applying a strong hold gel to 1-inch sections before twisting and placing them in circles. The remaining hair was crimped with irons, brushed out and finished with a dry spray to create frothy texture.
O’Neill pin-set the hair with a dry texture spray to achieve a raw, tousled feel. She then prepped wefts with a strong hold gel before placing them on the model’s head and crimping them for added contrast and shape.
Photography: Tony Le Britton
Makeup: Carol Brown
Fashion Styling: Radcliffe & Sciamma