Blond on Blond, Red on Red : Hair Design in the ‘90s Will Be Keyed to Creatively Combined Layers of Color

Color, stylists predict, will be the new direction in hair fashion. The cut was crucial in the ‘70s; waves, curls and volume have been the basis of trends in the ‘80s. But the ‘90s will be a decade dominated by innovative color, stylists say. They foresee women using color to brighten and enhance, rather than to simply hide dull or gray hair.

The trend was presaged in the mid-’80s when Cyndi Lauper and other flamboyant types experimented with punky pinks, oranges, blues and greens. “That was a fun period that opened people’s eyes to the possibilities of making statements with their hair,” says Louis Licari, color director of La Coupe salon in Manhattan. “The increased sophistication of products and techniques allows people to enjoy color, not fear it.”

But the look of the ‘90s will not be one of Technicolor artificiality. Instead, Licari says, it will be based on natural-looking shades “that incorporate subtle combinations of colors.” Licari says two important trends in hair color have already emerged: red and blond. Women who hadn’t previously considered dyeing their hair will be layering one or both shades onto their base hair color “as long as the overall look is natural,” he predicts.

Redheads hadn’t been in style for years, but actress Molly Ringwald and “Fergie,” the Duchess of York, changed all that. “Everyone wants red hair right now,” says Hollywood hairdresser Yuki, whose clients include one of America’s best-known redheads, Lucille Ball. “Women who have been blondes want some excitement, and many brunettes are bored, so they go red to get a lift,” Yuki says. “It’s as if they change their personality when they become redheads.”

But the red of the ‘90s won’t be a vivid Lucy shade; nor will it be rinsed in henna or dark burgundy. Picture instead strawberry blonds, rich auburns or the color of Irish setters in the sunlight.

Licari says women formerly avoided red because “they equated it with brassiness. But now we combine warmer blond tones with the red, so there’s no hard, brassy look.” He stresses that the variety of shades available allows women of all complexions to add a fiery cast to their hair. “Even women with the darkest hair can add red highlights. What’s important is that the color complement the skin tone. That’s when the color looks most natural.”

Beverly Hills stylist Cristophe calls red highlights “a fashion accessory, a dramatic frame for the face.” A few years ago, he says, women used to beg for ash-blond shades to tone down a natural red cast. “That was a phase. Now everything from subtle highlights to dramatic statements in red is very important.”

As for blond ambition, Licari says “Americans love blond hair. We always have, we always will.” Licari, who keeps famous blondes such as Cheryl Tiegs, Christie Brinkley and Kim Basinger looking golden, says not every woman can wear a sun-kissed Brinkley look, but “there is a degree of blondness for everyone. Even a very dark brunette can add golden highlights that make her feel like a blonde.”

Highlighting shouldn’t be confused with frosting, he says. Frosting techniques, developed in the ‘60s, produce thick streaks that now look dated. In contrast, the technique in highlighting involves weaving one or several colors--strand by strand--into the base color. “The subtler the highlights,” he says, “the more natural the look.”

Blond hair in the ‘90s will be “woven with many shades,” Licari says.

Unlike Madonna’s all-bleached-out locks, the new blondes will be “highlighted with the lightest platinum around the face, getting slightly darker at the back and woven throughout with golden brown.”

Cristophe likens it to the late Jean Seberg’s look. “Innocent, childlike. . . . To keep it looking its healthiest, the hair should be kept very short, so that any over-processed strands are immediately clipped off. That way, the hair maintains a beautiful sheen.”

Licari expects the last two years of the ‘80s to be a time of experimentation. Hair-care technologists will continue to improve the quality of dyes and tints, and colorists will be layering shades in more creative combinations than ever, he says. And women will be playing with color more than ever, too, he adds. “They’ll be able to think of it as makeup,” Licari says, “a way to look better, not just a means to cover up defects.”

makeup and hair by Beth Katz / Cloutier; model: Lisa Hewitt / LA Models.