the new Rachel...

THE latest buzz in the hair industry overseas, we hear, is the Kate Moss haircut: long, shaggy locks and long, healthy bangs. The hair, which seriously reminds us of Farah Fawcett in the 1970s (or Lily Tomlin), covers up almost half of the supermodel’s face, yet still manages to highlight her beautiful eyes.

But that’s the big difference between Kate and us.

Even United Kingdom’s The Independent has reported on how thousands of women in London have been asking hair stylists for the cut that’s already been dubbed “the new Rachel” — in reference to the hairdo popularised by Jennifer Aniston in the TV sitcom Friends.

“Kate needed to freshen up her look and move with the times, so its great to see her change her hairstyle,” says Roy Sng when we shared with him the news. Roy is a senior style director at TONI&GUY Hairdressing, the London-established hair salon, at The Heeren.

Thing is, we’ve already seen the same style many times before: on the pages of Vogue, the fashion runways from two years back, Anne Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada, and even among Singaporean ladies trawling the alleys of Clarke Quay — so we really wonder why it’s taken this long for the rest of the world to catch on.

Perhaps it does take a Kate Moss to make things trendy?

(Incidentally, the makeover happened just days before James Brown, Kate’s hairstylist since she was 15 years old, was to launch a hair product line under Boots Pharmaceuticals.)

But does the Kate Moss ‘do fit all types of Asian hair? “ The style will look good if one has sharp features to complement it — such as a pair of large eyes with a high nose bridge,” opines former beauty queen Audrey Quek, who now runs Audrey Quek Image Consultancy and suggests that this haircut would look good for women who work in the advertising, creative, marketing and sales — but not for those in more serious industries.



“Ensure that the fringe does not cut into the eyes as it distracts others,” Singapore’s premiere image consultant warns. “The cut may take away the attention from the face. It will look good on oval faces or rounded faces, but not oblong or rectangular faces as it lengthens their faces. Also, it depends on the texture of the hair. Limp hair will definitely not be able to take such a style as you would require lots of blowing/styling to create the look.”

Neither is it compatible with rebonded hair, though Dila Rasiti, TONI&GUY Academy’s technical director, says anyone with naturally straight Asian hair could achieve this natural movement effect with a digital perm to create wonderful soft curls.

“The Kate Moss cut is a classic style for longer hair. However, the strong fringe is quite high maintenance and requires regular fringe trims (which TONI&GUY Hairdressing provides for free to regular clients),” says Sng.

“Always seek the advice of a professional stylist when thinking about a new style, as they should understand your natural hair movement and growth patterns and make the best of what you have,” warns Sng, who can give you the Kate Moss cut for at least $70. “Our Toni&Guy philosphy is that a fantastic cut should be personalised towards a client’s hair texture, face shape and lifestyle!"

Still, it’s not all about the hair. “Whatever the hairstyle, it is important to always dress in the correct attire,” says Quek.

She means dress like a supermodel, right?