Celebrity hairdresser Richard Ward talks to 5 Star weddings about iconic hairstyles and what it was like to be a part of the biggest ‘hair gig’ of the century. Over the decades, Richard Ward has witnessed the ‘Sassoon bob’, ‘the Wedge’, ‘the Rachel’ and most recently he created ‘the Kate’ – we hear from the man himself, how to achieve The Duchess of Cambridge’s beautiful style.
Richard Ward5 Star Weddings: What top tip would you offer brides when choosing a style for the big day?
Richard Ward: Something I tell every bride is to just try and be yourself. You really don’t want to walk down the aisle, have your future husband turn around to look at you and then not recognise you!
5 Star Weddings: Are there any favourite styles amongst brides at the moment?
Richard Ward: The demi-chignon that we created for Kate’s wedding day is a style that many brides with long hair love to wear. It creates a soft romantic feel to the look and compliments most bridal dresses.
5 Star Weddings: What was it like doing Kate Middleton’s hair on the day of the wedding?
Richard Ward: It was such an honour. The Middleton’s have been customers of my salon for almost 7 years and although I’d always hoped we would have been asked, you never want to assume. When she asked if we could look after her and her bridal party for the wedding, it was a great feeling. We were very grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the hair gig of the century!
5 Star Weddings: What’s your advice on how to achieve Kate’s glossy look?
Richard Ward: Click here to see how you can get the Chelsea Blow-dry
Richard Ward Hair Products5 Star Weddings: You’ve just launched a new range of products – how do they differ to what’s currently out there on the market?
Ricahrd Ward: I have developed Couture Hair™ using my 25 years hairdressing experience for clients, celebrities and in my media work to deliver luxurious salon performance and give you beautiful, manageable hair every day. These are my dual function, multi tasking hair care products created for today’s modern hair styles and lifestyles. They have been specifically developed to help the consumer make an easy selection with my no.1 premise on Couture Hair ™ being ; is their hair normal to fine (silk thread) OR normal to coarse (cotton thread)? Hair texture not density is the key to selecting effective hair care. I know from my 25 years experience that frizz and dry, dull, damaged hair often due to colouring and or from heated styling equipment is a big issue for a majority of my clients, so I’ve developed Couture Hair™ to meet this need. All products contain Aquarich® an advanced moisture complex to prevent frizz, help strengthen each hair and repair damage whilst increasing shine they also all have Colour Lock technology to help maintain colour vibrancy and reduce colour fade, plus all the styling products have Humidity Defence technology to guard again frizz 365 days a year and heat protection to prevent damage from heat styling.
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?
Richard Ward: I’ve been hairdressing over 25 years and so much has happened! Over the decades there have been many iconic hairstyles created; the ‘Sassoon bob’, ‘the Wedge’, ‘the Rachel’ to more recently ‘the Kate’ with her beautiful blow-dried style. Hairstyles are constantly evolving, taking inspiration from the past but moving forward with a contemporary feel. Hair care has evolved hugely, new science and technology has opened this market up and you will find brands taking skincare r&d and developing that into hair care and vice versa. I was really involved in the creation of the Couture Hair range and worked closely with the scientists to really perfect my range. I wanted it to be 100% perfect and many times products were sent back again and again for tweaks until I was satisfied.
5 Star Weddings: What’s the experience for a bride coming to get her hair done at Richard Ward?
Richard Ward: The Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa is the perfect place for a bride. We have a strong team of bridal hair experts who specialise in classic to contemporary styles to suite the bride’s preference. We also have the Metrospa team who can assist with beauty preparations and makeup. We provide bridal packages that include consultations, trials, in-salon or location styling, depending on the bride’s requirements.
5 Star Weddings: What’s the best advice you can give to brides wanting to keep their mane looking beautiful during their honeymoon?
Richard Ward: If frizz is a concern, then treat your hair to a Memory Forme treatment a couple of weeks before your wedding. It’s a 3 month smoothing treatment that prevents frizz, hydrates the hair and leaves it looking fabulous. Alternatively, take a deep conditioning treatment with you and use it twice a week to inject moisture and protein back into your hair. My Couture Hair Conditioning Treatments come in handy travel sizes so enough for a 2 week honeymoon.
5 Star Weddings: What is your ‘can’t live without’ hair product and why?
Richard Ward: The Couture Hair Voumiser Root Booster is my hero product. People have commented it’s like taking me home and having me style your hair everyday! It creates the most perfect volume and doesn’t leave your hair feeling heavy or producty.
5 Star Weddings: What, in your opinion, makes a 5 Star Wedding?
Richard Ward: Being prepared! Its one day and you need to ensure it’s perfect. So, take your time, get a plan and start that checklist. Also, don’t leave your hair to the last minute and do invest in a professional person to style it on the day. Brides spend so much time and money on the dress, shoes, underwear etc and then it can all be wasted if the hair isn’t looking fabulous.
Copyright 5 Star Weddings 2011
