Mitchell Field, who works out of Mitchell Field Salon in Fairfax, California, has seen hippies, punks and hipsters come and go. A 50-year hairstyling veteran, he began in London at the original Sassoon Bond Street Salon, working personally with Vidal himself. From there, he owned and operated two Montreal salons in the ‘70s, traveled for two years as a platform artist and became styles director for Stewarts, which at the time was a renowned Midwestern salon chain.

What did he learn from these experiences? “Never say never—almost everything comes back,” says Field. “I'm working on a lot of modified mullets right now; I just call it something else.”

The ‘80s found him in Hollywood, styling hair for celebrities, bands and musicians, including Billy Idol, Adam Ant, Guns 'n' Roses, Michael Schenker of The Scorpions, Alice Cooper, Michael Richards (Kramer on TV’s Seinfeld) and Dan Hamilton of Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds. But eventually, he settled in affluent Marin county as a Solo Artist. To reinterpret the original hippie style for his current well-heeled clients, he started with this cut, which features a one-length back and face-framing sides: “Sexy face-framing layers are still a big hit,” says Field. Then, he added the crucial blonde. Here’s how:

Start with ash blonde background color (Wella Color Charm liquid permanent tint # 8A) and overlay with warmer hazel-blonde chunks (Color Charm # 6G and 7NG with 20-volume developer). Next, follow-up with bleached babylights (Clairol BW2 powder bleach with 40-volume developer and Olaplex). Lastly, gloss with Redken Shades EQ Clear.

Adds Field, “It’s obvious that today, hair coloring is important—it has replaced cutting as most salons main revenue generator. Hair color is the cut of the twenty-first century.”

Solo Artist wants to see and share YOUR work! Please send your favorite Solo Snaps (a collection or single images of a client makeover) to soloartist@vancepublishing.com and include “Solo Artist Solo Snaps” in the subject line. Please include any info on formula, technique, photo credits, etc., and the best phone number for the SOLO ARTIST Editor to contact you. Also, please submit 2-3 paragraphs about yourself - (this may include your artistic style, specialties and information on your chair & suite).