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BENDING
THE HAIR RULES
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"It is only in the
past thirty years that hair that is other than
straight has been admired by America's mainstream
culture..."
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These
are the words of Anthony Dickey; a creative
director at the Louis Licari salon OC61 on East
61st Street, New York. In addition, he is sought
after by industry trend setters, image experts
and celebrities. His visionary work is regularly
featured on runways, print campaigns, films
and editorial. The fashion and beauty industry
have recognised his unique abilities and the
merger of R&B with Hip Hop culture into the
world of fashion was a true master stroke.
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Ethnic
Roots
Before
he took New York by storm, his own roots were
in Seattle, where he grew up as a multi-ethnic
child and for the past 16 years he has had a
tremendous influence on multicultural hair care
and style. Prior to working at OC61, his salon
work included Oribe and John Frieda.
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He
is a rarity amongst stylists, a specialist in
'ethnic' hair and can frequently be seen scrutinizing
the shelves of Apollo Beauty Supply at 158 West
25th Street, in Harlem, looking for special
products to treat a variety of hair types. "What
the industry doesn't realize," says Anthony,
"is that with black women alone there are over
50 hair types." Some of his clients want straight
looks, others prefer curly, each has different
needs. Before heating a client's hair, he thoroughly
prepares it first. He provides blowouts through
to rigorous chemical relaxers; he's made women
realize that they have a lot of choice about
the way their hair looks and responds to different
treatments.
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Alicia
Keys, Michael Michele, Naomi Campbell, TLC,
Gloria Reuben, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Andie
MacDowell are but a few of the women he's styled
for publications including Essence, Vogue, Vanity
Fair, Harper's Bazaar and Vibe.
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Gives
it to you Straight
For
those who aren't able to have a personal consultation
with Anthony, he has drawn on his wealth of
experience and written a book called Hair Rules!
(published by Random House), it is an excellent
hair care guide for women with kinky, curly,
or wavy hair. It includes some tributes from
his celebrity clients:
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"There
are plenty of stylists who care about the short
term. Dickey is concerned not only about making
sure you and your hair look good, but about
your hair's long term health. I don't think
there's a person in the world who doesn't love
him."
- Sarah Jessica Parker.
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"Dickey
has always put me at ease and made me feel comfortable
about wearing a style that was appropriate to
my own texture. He never sacrificed the health
of my hair for a look." -
Minnie Driver.
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"Dickey
doesn't jut tell you what you want to hear,
he gives it to you straight, no chaser. Just
beautiful results. Listen to him, ladies. He
knows of what he speaks."
- Tomiko Fraser.
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Pick
'n' Mix
The
professionals often shop at Apollo Beauty Supply,
because there is such a vast selection to choose
from. A great believer in the use of light,
natural oils, Anthony avoids the usual Murray's
pomade, which he considers too waxy, and selects
the PM Night-time Oil Treatment ($5.99), moisturizers
infused with safflower oil, vitamins A and D
and aloe extract.
"These are light and that's good," said Anthony,
"In summer humidity, you want products that
add weight to keep hair from getting frizzy.
What you don't want on ethnic hair is a heavy
product. It just sits collecting dust."
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He
treats another model, Kara Young; her hair has
the dense and wavy texture common among Hispanic
women. Coating her hair with moisture, he then
presses until it is flat and shiny. He palms
in a small amount of Mirta De Perales honey
and almond conditioner ($7), also from Harlem.
Ten minutes later, it is rinsed out and followed
by a spray coating of Dudley's Q Spray Sheen
($7.99), a silicone sealer. Then it is time
for the hot iron and Kara's hair steams. Anthony
just smiles. "Everyone gets freaked out when
they see that steam," he said. "It's the silicone,
not the hair."
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Later,
Denise Wilkerson took her place in the chair,
shaking out over 30cms of water-logged curls.
Rather than relax her hair, Anthony intended
to 'enhance the curl.' He primed her naturally
curly tendrils with B&B Carrot Butta leave-in
conditioner ($3.99), and then he ran his fingers
through them as she bent over backwards. "I'm
finding the wave pattern." he explained. To
set it, he used a fine mist of silicone. "When
it's dry you can break up the curls," he said.
"Curls are a great way to go in the summer,
informal and just like a spa on your hair."
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| It's
a liberating experience when Mr Dickey gets to
work on your hair; he understands the individual
needs of his clients - treating each one with
specific products and tailor-made style. |
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