I first met Gustav Fouche, Senior Stylist at Michael Van Clarke Hair Salon at the Quintessentially Weddings event. Gustav is such a wonderful talented gentleman, after styling my hair in no time at all, it looked so beautiful and most importantly was extremely wearable. I wanted to find out more about the Michael Van Clarke salon experience and find out what brides can expect from London’s most luxurious hair salon.
- 5 Star Weddings: What top tip would you offer brides when choosing a style for the big day?
- Gustav Fouche: The most important thing is to come with and open mind. It’s really good when you have ideas of your own, but be open to explore all options, as this will give you the best result. Pictures of what you like are always welcome as we want to see what you like.
- 5 Star Weddings: Are there any favourite styles amongst brides at the moment?
- Gustav Fouche: My personal experience is that brides want to look really natural, soft and sexy. The best look is to look like you, but at your absolute best. If that means supper styled or soft curls, whatever works best for you.
- 5 Star Weddings: What’s your advice on how to achieve the latest look you created for the models at Brides The Show?
- Gustav Fouche: Brides the show was really amazing. The looks on the catwalk were simple but really sufficient for most brides. Both looks were done in a very organic way.
Brush all the hair into a ponytail. The next step is completely up to you on how to achieve it. You can either curl the ponytail and loosely pin it up, or take individual strands and pin it. This creates a structured, but loose look.
I absolutely love this look. It’s ultra-modern and extremely feminine. The best way to achieve this look is to dry the hair very gently. Start by using the smallest tongs you can find and tong all the hair. Once you have done this, start brushing the hair out. This look is all about personal feel. You can achieve very different results by brushing the hair more, or less to see the difference in shape and curl.
- 5 Star Weddings: You’ve been in the business for a while now – what changes have you seen in hair care and styles over the last decade?
- Gustav Fouche: In the 12 years I have been doing hair, things have changed dramatically. Styles have changed from being really punk to glam to soft natural and period inspired. Products have expanded the most. When I started doing hair, you only got the big names like L’oreal, Wella and Swarzkopft. I remember KMS coming out and it was really amazing. Today you get so many different things, including our range” 3 More Inches”. The biggest change in hair care is the fact that clients are very well informed on products and ingredients. Silicones are a big No for hair and there are companies that are really embracing it, giving clients better ingredients and excluding silicones and SLS.
- 5 Star Weddings: What’s the experience for a bride coming to get her hair done at Michael Van Clarke?
- Gustav Fouche: Maybe I’m biased, but if I was a bride I would choose Michael Van Clarke. As a bride the whole experience is seamless. We really take care of you and plan everything for you down to the last spray of perfume and all the time and effort is placed into every bride, to make that day as special as it possibly can be. All our stylists will take a gift, inviting the bride back to the salon for a complimentary service after the wedding or honeymoon. No detail is overlooked and this gives brides the peace of mind that they will look absolutely fabulous on the day.
- 5 Star Weddings: What’s the best advice you can give to brides wanting to keep their mane looking beautiful during their honeymoon?
- Gustav Fouche: Most brides will go somewhere where it’s warm. Protecting hair from UVA, UVB, chlorine and salt is very important. “3 More Inches” protects against all of them. The pre-wash treatment is ideal for treating the hair before and after the wedding.
- 5 Star Weddings: You’ve just launched a new range of products “3´more inches” – how do they differ to what’s currently out there on the market?
- Gustav Fouche: “3 More Inches” has definitely changed the way I look at hair. The biggest difference is that it’s silicone free. The pre-wash treatment has changed every single one of my clients hair experience. It has also been voted no 1 treatment by the Wall Street Journal. The treatment gets applied before you shampoo and can be slept in. In the morning you will follow with the shampoo and conditioner. The range works on most hair type and will never build-up as there are no silicones.
5 Star Weddings: What is your ‘can’t live without’ hair product and why?
Gustav Fouche: “3 More Inches” Finishing Feed and Thickening Spray are the 2 things that never leave my bag and I love love love them.
- 5 Star Weddings: What, in your opinion, makes a 5 Star Wedding?
- Gustav Fouche: A 5 star wedding for me is all about the experience, the journey the couple takes with you in those few hours spent together. You want to feel the love, energy, attention to detail and most important you want to see the Bride and Groom’s personality. A 5 star wedding should be spoken about for years to come, the feeling of togetherness and love should leave every single person with a worm fuzzy feeling.
Copyright: 5 Star Weddings
