HAIR HIGHLIGHTS: LAURA KLEIN
photo credit - Anna Gallifent for the Loxx
Laura Klein (@lauraelizabethklein) has a head of hair that absolutely everyone loves. Her red hair and exceptional style has created the signature look that has given her an impressive following on instagram and the recent opportunity to design her own collection with ASOS. We sit down with Laura to discuss her hair habits and why hair means so much to her and her brand…
“When I went back to the red my hair just felt the most me, I really think so much of my personal identity is my hair.”
On what her hair means to her…
My hair is an extra protection later. If I don’t feel like I look nice in my face or my appearance then my hair still pulls the whole look together and makes me feel better. If i’m going to fashion week it gives me an extra boost of confidence. I might be second guessing my outfit and sometimes when I look back at pictures I’ll think the outfit is alright but the hair is what made that look. It ties it all together and you can have a really simple outfit and the hair just completely elevates it. I had a simple denim look last season but I put loads of red bows in my hair and for me that completely changed everything (it also ended up being featured on vogue online). I like how versatile I can be with my hair and as Im a stylist, so often my looks completely change. They can be girly or grungy and with that I can also change my hair to match my personality that day. Hair is an added accessory to any look and with that you can do as much or as little as you like with it. Its taken me a long time to get to a point of loving and working with my hair, like anyone I always wanted what I didn’t have and for so long. I wanted poker straight hair but now I’m glad I don’t have that as I probably wouldn’t be able to achieve half of the looks I do everyday - I really have learnt to love my hair.
On where she gets her hair done…
I’ve got a really good hairdresser called James Akers (@jamesakershair). He works at cuttlefish in Hove which is where I’m from and he’s the guy for me. With my job I get to try loads of different places but I always end up going to him for my haircuts because he just gets my hair. He’s been an educator for such a long time and done everything and anything in the industry and we just click, he’s gets it. That being said, I never like my hair when its first cut but after a week of him cutting it it always falls perfectly and is exactly what I wanted. Loads of layers works in my hair because of how much hair I have. The flicky blow out is kind of my signature look and layers elevate that. If I have a simple blow out I can guarantee at some point in the day someone will stop me and say your hair looks amazing, so the cut is something I need to work with how I style my hair everyday whether that’s me doing it myself or going to the salon for a blow dry.
On her hair journey…
I feel like growing up I had that classic thing, because my hair was ginger I got a lot of stick from mean kids. I dyed my hair every colour you could imagine to try and change my red hair and because of that, for so long the texture and condition of my hair was completely ruined. One day I decided to stop dying it, I just didn’t care anymore about what anyone else thought about it. Surely enough the texture and condition slowly started to come back to what it once was and I realised I loved my hair. It was when my brother made a comment about my hair being like straw that I started a full haircare journey and now I’d say its where I want it to be condition wise. I’m recognised for my hair and that’s pretty special to me.
Hair is so important to me, its such a big part of my personality. I look completely different with blonde hair, I look completely different with black hair. When I went back to the red my hair just felt the most me, I really think so much of my personal identity is my hair.
On her hair icons…
Matilda Djerf is my one and only. She’s the reason I cut my bangs in about 10 years ago and I’ve just always been such a big fan of her hair - she’s a perfect example of someone who’s hair is an important part of their brand. I do also really like Elsa Hosk because she’s so diverse. She can do the long hair and she can do the short hair, whatever she does always looks great. I think I’ve also at times been told by people my hair has a Farrah Fawcett feel to it which i’m totally here for.
On hair products…
I absolutely cannot live without detangling spray because of the sheer amount of hair I have. Kerastase Elixir hair oil is also something I can’t be without, I’ve used that for over 10 years. I’m really lucky as I get sent a lot of products to try but often find with oils they are either too heavy and oily or not hydrating enough but the Kerastase Elixir is spot on for me and my hair. I also think a hair masque is really important for condition and I love either Kerastase or Ouai. Regularly using a masque has definitely helped transform my hair and keep the condition consistent.
I know products can be on the more expensive side but I think its important to invest in products that you know will deliver the results and work on you and your hair. My hair always looks good because I have chosen to invest in the right products for me. My key goals when it comes to product choices is always about condition and care. I colour my hair and I shoot a lot for work so constantly have heat on it as well a lot of product (especially if its fashion week). Consistent condition is something I try to maintain with all of my hair product choices. I want to make it as easy as possible when Im doing my own hair and with the right products I don’t need to try to hard or fight against my hair, I can leave it and it looks alright.
LAURAS FEATURED PRODUCTS:
Ouai St Barts hair & body mist
Kerastase exlir ultimate
Olaplex NO. 4 volume detox dry shampoo
Drunk elephant wild marula tangle spray
@jamesakershair