Archive copy by Jenni Baden Howard

The answer, of course, is simple: they always have at hand a team of stylists with the tricks, techniques and equipment to coax wayward hair into place and add volume and gloss. We asked three top hairdressers from the international shows to share their styling secrets.

ULTRA-SHINY HAIR

Thanks to all that chemical processing and daily styling, lacklustre locks are an occupational hazard when you’re a supermodel.To gloss over dullness, Orlando Pita, international creative director at John Frieda, uses John Frieda’s Shampoo and Polisher for Dry/Chemically Treated hair, £2.99.

‘It contains silicones to improve the texture of the hair, makes styling easy and gives an incredible gloss,’ says Pita. For an instant sheen on dry hair, he relies on hair wax or John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Serum Finishing Spray, £4.95. ‘Worked evenly through the hair with the fingers, it gives a separated, textured look and adds shine. But be careful not to use too much,’ he advises.

Guido Palau, creative director at Toni & Guy, warns against too much mousse. ‘It takes the sheen off hair when styling.’ Dry shampoo is another no-no if it’s shine you’re after. Like Pita, Palau uses products formulated by his own salon. In this case, it’s Pure Gloss, £9.90, from Toni & Guy’s Tigi haircare range. ‘I rub a coin-sized amount into my palms and then lightly smooth them over the hair.’

Pita also advises against extra strong-hold products. ‘Sometimes ingredients are included solely to give a firm hold, but they make the hair look dull and lifeless,’ he warns. His motto is: ‘Prevention rather than cure. Frequent, minimal cutting will ensure hair stays looking strong and healthy. Using effective conditioners regularly, together with an occasional deep treatment, will also help.’

Why does Linda’s hair always look so healthy, despite the fact that she has gone through so many colour changes? ‘You’ll notice that Linda always has her hair short,’ says Scottish stylist Sam McKnight. ‘Once hair is long and colour-treated, so the ends are old, then problems arise. It starts to break, for instance. That’s why Nadja had to have her hair cut off. Most models have short to mid-length hair. Amber Valletta’s is long, but she colours it extremely gently. It’s not a full-head bleach job.’

According to Palau, Linda is only too aware of the importance of gentle treatment. ‘She’s kind of careful when you work with her that you don’t keep applying heat to her hair.’

McKnight also believes that gentle treatment is the key to preventing further damage. ‘I developed my own styling products because I wanted to make some that don’t harm your hair, so it still feels like hair,’ he says. ‘The models are always trying out my products. The Styling Base, £2.95, is a particularly good protective product and the Thermal Atomised Gel, £2.95, is specifically formulated for use with heated appliances. I spray Extreme Spray, £2.95, on all my brushes because it makes hair so shiny it looks like a mirror.’

STYLING ADVANTAGES

Ironically, chemically treated hair is considered to be a bonus backstage. ‘It makes styling much easier,’ reports Guido Palau. ‘Overprocessed hair is easier to put up and straighten. Virgin hair is terrible to work with because it’s fine and slippery.’

For the same reason, product build-up is viewed as a styling advantage. ‘When I’m creating a style that is more static or moulded, it is actually easier to work with hair that is not in pristine condition,’ says Orlando Pita. ‘Hair that has been freshly washed and conditioned can be particularly difficult to work with.’

LOTS OF BODY

According to the superstylists, Cindy, Christy, Claudia, Niki Taylor, Karen Mulder and Kirsty Hume are all blessed with naturally full-bodied hair. ‘Kirsty’s sometimes needs to be plastered into a small knot just to get rid of the volume,’ says McKnight. ‘On a recent trip for American Vogue, I thinned it out a lot.’

Those whose tresses need more coaxing include Kate, Nadja and Amber. ‘They have beautiful hair, but it’s much thinner and benefits from the use of thickening products for extra volume,’ says Pita, who recommends John Frieda’s Thickening Lotion, £3.75. ‘Apply it first to wet hair close to the roots, then spray lightly through the rest of the hair. For best results, apply it repeatedly, in several coats, throughout styling.’ When blow-dryinh, he advises against pulling the brush through the hair. ‘Too much tension greatly reduced body,’ he says.

To give Nadja’s locks more oomph, McKnight applies his Big Spray, £2.95, and sets hair on thick Velcro rollers. ‘After ten minutes under the drier, I brush it out. A little bit of backcombing never hurt anyone.’ For more instant results, Palau has the following tip: ‘Spray hair with dry shampoo, put your head upside down and then toss it back. It’s the quickest, easiest way to give it some guts.’ If you’ve got time for rollers, he recommends applying Tigi’s Enviro-Fixx, £7.10, and using six or seven normal or three or four big rollers. ‘Getting volume is just about lifting the hair away from your scalp - always keep that in mind when you’re styling.’

Grease is a volume-killer, according to Palau. ‘You’re not going to get any volume if your hair is greasy, so don’t put loads of oil on it. Spray shine products, for example, when the style is finished,’ he advises. ‘Also, if you over-condition your hair, it will be lank. Avoid the root area and use conditoner only on the ends of your hair where it’s damaged. Comb it through and wash it straight out.’

THE CUTTING EDGE

Split ends and catwalk hair do not go hand in hand. According to Sam McKnight, frequent trims mean model’s haircuts always look neat. ‘It doesn’t get a chance to look old at the ends because it’s always been freshly cut,’ he explains. ‘Even it’s a messy, razored look, it’s trimmed by a fraction of an inch at the least once a week, either backstage or on shoots. I always razor-cut Kirsty Hume’s hair around the bottom, so it’s new-looking.

‘Usually models have layered hair, which allows more versatility when styling. It’s very rare that a model’s hair will be blunt-cut, what I call “schoolgirl hair”. Layers around the face also give hair extra body and height, which is a help.’

STRAIGHT AND SLEEK

We always want what we weren’t born with. If, in your case, that’s straight, sleek hair, then you and Linda have something in common. ‘Linda’s hair is naturally curly, you have to give it a good blow-dry and get the straightening irons over it,’ says Palau.

Depending on how unruly hair is, Palau employs different techniques to make it supersleek. ‘If it’s really curly or wavy, there’s no quick way,’ he admits. ‘When you’re blow-drying, use the largest brush you can find because you don’t want to wrap the hair around it so it curls. Work through the hair in sections, starting at the bottom and drying the underneath sections first, moving up. If you don’t want any volume, push the brush down on the top of the roots, against the scalp, for a sleek look. If you want volume, put the brush underneath your hair and lift it up at the roots while drying.’

If necessary, use straightening irons after blow-drying. ‘Run them through the hair very quickly; they should be used just as a finishing tool,’ explains Palau. To combat the frizzies, he applies a small amount of Tigi’s Pure Gloss, £9.90, or a heavier wax, used sparingly, around the hairline.

Pita agrees that straightenining irons shouldn’t be over-used. ‘They are by far the most effective way to achieve that sleek look, but you must be careful not to overdo it as regular use can damage the hair.’ He always primes wet hair with John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, £5.95. After styling, he applies Serum Finishing Spray, £4.95, to seal in moisture and protect hair from the hot catwalk lights.

CURLS

Superstylists favour loose, natural-looking curls on the catwalk. To achieve them, McKnight favours hot rollers on hair that has been set with his Thermal Atomised Gel, £2.95. ‘I’m very fast with hot rollers; they’re great. Remington Steam Setter rollers (£29.99), which are pastel-coloured but turn white when they’re ready to use. You can whip them in and out. I usually have about ten sets ready, just in case.’

For full, soft curls, says Pita, choose large Velcro rollers, or curling tongs if you want the curls to be tighter and more defined. He always primes hair with John Frieda’s Thickening Lotion, £3.75, to add weight and body, and sets it with Controlling Spray, £2.99, for maximum hold.

If you’re using tongs but don’t want a contrived look, try this trick from Palau: ‘I never take the tongs right up to the roots or put the ends in, as hair tends to go into ringlets and looks too romantic. For sexier curls, I always leave the ends of the hair sticking out.’ For full-bodied, healthy-looking curls, he suggests using Tigi’s Extra Strong Mousse, £4.25, before you start styling.

HIGH STYLE

According to Palau, we shouldn’t try to emulate complicated catwalk up-dos. ‘The way I put hair up is very much about keeping it simple. You can literally just put hair into a ponytail, twist it round and use a covered black elastic band to hold it in place, leaving a bit hanging out. You can glamorise it with cheap black clips, slides or bands. Keep it plain.’

If you want a more intricate style, Pita advises going for maximum root lift. ‘Hair should be blow-dried upwards to counter the effects of gravity. In the morning, put your hair in a ponytail or topknot, so it sets upwards. When you untie it later, to put your hair up, the roots should be shooting upwards.’

Instead of trying to handle all your hair at once, Pita suggests parting it from ear to ear and dividing hair into a front and back section. ‘Pin the front out of the way, then take the back section and twist it into a knot or pleat, securing it with pins. Then separate the front section into a further two sections. Decide which shape will suit your face, then either smooth the hair round, blending it into the know or pleat at the back, or dress it on soft curls to frame the face.’

McKnight’s solution is simple: ‘Do yourself a favour. Give yourself a really tight, high ponytail - and a face-lift at the same time. You can backcomb the ponytail and pin it under like a topknot, using a chignon pin as they’re stronger than hairpins. Or put a couple of heated rollers in your ponytail and leave it loose. Have it as smooth or as messy as you like.’

QUICK COLOUR CHANGES

Is she or isn’t she ... dark, blonde, two-tone? The chances are, those streaks aren’t for real and her roots were sprayed on backstage. ‘At the Ghost show last year, I used a water-based stage make-up called Kryolan Aquacolour, £5.35 from Screenface, and painted it straight on to the hair,’ recalls McKnight. ‘You can get it in any colour, such as blue, orange and purple. Or you can get “wefts” (prices start at £19.90 at Hairaisers) which are piece of real hair, dyed and fixed into placed with eyelash glue.’

Palau uses the same trick, using dark hair on blonde and vice-versa, to create dramatic streaks. ‘The trick is to lift up your own hair and clip it underneath. They’re great for thickening hair.’ He also likes coloured mousses, especially on lighter hair, for stronger looks. ‘But if your hair is processed, you’ve got to be careful. Bleached hair grabs any colour. If you’re going to mess about with colour, it’s best to go to the salon.’