Athletica from Sassoon

High-performance hair from Sassoon, inspired by the Olympics and athletes in motion.

Hair: Sassoon International Creative Team
Photography: Jonathan Akehurst
Make-up: Petros Petrohilos
Fashion styling: Cathy Edwards
Products and tools: Wella Professionals hair color

This month, the world will be watching London, host city of the 2012 Olympic Games and the home city of Sassoon. To commemorate the connection, the Sassoon International Creative Team, led by Creative Director Mark Hayes, created a summer collection to reflect the brand’s heritage with the Olympics (see Behind the Cover, page 40) and the relationship between women, sport and hair.

“We’ve taken the most recognizable and iconic symbols of the Olympics, such as the interlocking circles of the Olympic flag, and used the shapes as the foundation for the cutting and sectioning techniques,” says Hayes. “The color palette was inspired by the victors’ medals of gold, silver and bronze. Perhaps the most important influence, though, is the idea of physicality—the human form in movement. We want the cuts and colors to work seamlessly with the body in motion.

Vibrant colors were applied in concentric circles to enhance the shape of the cut, concentrating on pale roses through deep red golds. Silver moves from tones of soft gray through to violet, and there are hints of flame orange.

Ultimately, kindred philosophies are at the heart of the connection between the Olympic Games and Sassoon: both are guided by performance at the highest level, intense training to reach a pinnacle of excellence and a practical, individual approach.

With Athletica, the Sassoon team once again introduces the level of technique, attention to detail for which the group of salons and academies are known. Classic champions of style, they once again design a fashionable yet functional way to highlight clients’ best assets.