You may know Summer Mcintosh because she had the fastest time ever by a 14 year old swimmer worldwide in her pre-Olympic trials which qualified her for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo; or, because she followed this up with a win in the 800 m freestyle event, or perhaps because she was the youngest person named to the Canadian Olympic Team. Wow – we’re tired just thinking about it! But did you know Summer just got a full head of GL extensions? Summer’s coach insisted she cut her hair for the 2020 Olympic Games, which left her feeling unlike herself and unhappy with her look – stars, they’re just like us. Summer reached out to us and told us about it and we just knew we had to help her get her hair confidence back! We teamed up with Superstar stylist Richie Araish and top salon, Evolve Hair Studio in Toronto to give Summer the record breaking makeover she deserved! Summer received 8 bundles of Pre-Bonded/ Fusion extensions with 4 standard shades. Richie blended colours #62, #68, #85 and #86 to create dimension and a seamless, chemical-free Balayage. This is Summer right before her GL Application Are you ready for the transformation?! Here is Summer after: Now that deserves a gold medal. What do you think about Summer’s new look? Make sure you save this so you can show it to your GL stylist as inspiration at your next consultation.
Fall 2021 Trends are here – so grab your PSL, throw on a chunky sweater and let’s see what’s coming down the runway! FIVE HAIR TRENDS WE LOVE FOR THIS FALL SEASON Zig Zag Parts Hello? Is that 2001 calling? Yes. She’s here and ready to put an end to the Millennials vs Gen-Z hair part debate once and for all. We’re reviving this classic which adds texture and volume at the root. Spotted on the most A-list of celebrities, the Zig Zag part is an easy and chic way to glam up your daily look. How to? When your hair is freshly washed, simply draw a zig zag line down your part pushing some hair to the left and some to the right as you move towards the back of the head. This can be done with your finger or the tail-end of a styling comb. This look is not only GL extension friendly, it’s encouraged. So whether you were team “Side Part” or team “Middle Part” before, I think we can all agree that we are ALL team Zig Zag Part now. *Julianne Hough sporting a Zig Zag Part Low Pony Tails You know its Fall when you start your day with your hair down and as the temperature rises throughout the day the hair inevitably ends up in a low pony. Why the mid-day change? We say, start the day with the look and commit, girl. This look is seen on the runways and on the red carpets in a variety of styles; from straight and sleek, to wavy and intricately embellished. The secret to an easy, elegant low pony is to hide the hair tie with a strand of hair, or better yet – add a chunky scrunchy and you’re set! We love bling and extremes, but sometimes simplicity is simply perfect. Our favorite thing: low maintenance hair that looks like high maintenance hair. * Kim Kardashian West sporting a low, sleek pony. Sombres and Low Lights Darker, more shadowy tones are making an Autumn comeback! These colours are always popular but we notice a major trend in our light blonde clients making a moodier choice for fall by adding some Sombre or low lights to their regular shade mix. The secret? Our Two-Tone Pre-Blended Shades have done the guessing work for you. Our most popular fall shades are proving to be 66 on 08, 63 on 61 and 03 on 05. Have you tried them yet? *Pre-Blended Two Tones worn by Natalie Sexton from @natalie_sexton_ Blunt Bobs This versatile cut has little to no layers; hits just below the chin and provides enough volume to wow a crowd. It’s a good cut for anyone going short for the first time, or for someone who needs to let go of long, damaged hair. Lacking volume? Extensions can correct this, by filling in the gaps in the finer areas and creating thick, beautiful, healthy-looking hair - all necessary ingredients of the perfect GL bob. * Katy Perry wears a blunt icy blond bob Curtain Bangs This face-framing fringe, better known as a curtain bang, is a glamourous and eye catching trend you just can’t miss! The soft and flirty look, which can be done with a variety of lengths of hair, is extremely versatile and easy to maintain. The best part? Very little upkeep! No more running to the salon every 3 weeks because you can’t see in front of you. You can get your curtain bangs trimmed up at the same rate you get your GL extensions re-installed! That is a win-win. *Priyanka Chopra shows off her sultry curtain bangs
Angela Hutchison is the founder and owner of Alchemy The Studio, a private one-on-one studio space located in Oakville, Ontario. The word “alchemy” is defined as a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination, and is also a pretty accurate description of the styling that Angela does in the Studio. Certified with Great Lengths for 17(!) years, Angela works magic with Great Lengths extensions, giving her clients consistently beautiful results. (Seriously, check out the before and afters on her Insta!) We were so excited to get to know a little more about Angela for our Stylist Spotlight this month. Tell us a bit about you and your career! How did you get your start, and what has led you to where you are today? I knew I wanted to do hair at a very young age. I got my education immediately after high school and couldn’t wait to start my career! I quickly realized how important it is to surround yourself with strong leadership and passionate stylists and found myself working for and with inspiring people that helped shape my career. Their mentorship helped me find my own style and create a strong foundation to open my own hair studio in 2018. Great Lengths has always been part of my career and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve been Great Lengths certified for 17(!) years- what was your inspiration to join the GL network? I was approached by a salon owner while I was still in school. He told me all about Great lengths and provided the opportunity to get certified through their salon after my apprenticeship. I feel so lucky that I was I introduced to such an ethical and superior brand right from the start. It’s still the only extension brand I work with. This year has been unlike any other and many salons have been or continue to be temporarily closed across the country. Have you faced any challenges as a stylist or salon owner due to the current situation? In Oakville where Alchemy the Studio is located, salons were closed for 13 weeks and the area is currently in a red zone. Being a GL artist has had some extra difficulties beyond being a stylist and owner during the closure. Some of my clients needed their extensions removed during that closure, but there was no way to safely do so at the time. Instead, there were plenty of FaceTimes and lots of communication to problem solve and check in. Luckily, my clients are the absolute best and couldn’t have taken better care of their hair. Since Great Lengths never damage hair when properly installed and taken care of, these client’s extensions were totally fine when they came back to see me (just extremely grown out!). What advice would you give other Great Lengths stylists going through similar things? My advice would be to take care of yourself and focus on your physical and mental health. Our industry requires us to give a lot of ourselves, and times have never been so tense and emotional. Our clients need us more than ever because of the relationships we’ve cultivated with them and how we can make them feel. Also, I highly recommend absorbing all of the free incredible educational content on social media right now! Do you think the current situation will impact the industry as a whole in the future? I really do. I lease a studio in a Sola Salons and the space and business model is ideal for our current situation. A one-on-one private studio space allows for a more calm, controlled and safe environment for everyone. I worry that new talent won’t be starting their education and apprenticeships for a few years but I’m hopeful for our industries future! What impact has being a Great Lengths Artist had on you and your business? Great Lengths has allowed me to have an impact on my clients, one that would not be possible through only colouring and cutting. Seeing the confidence created with every new installation will never get old for me. It makes me as happy as the client every single time. What do you love about Great Lengths? I love everything about Great Lengths! It’s such a professional brand. Because it is ethically sourced and traceable, it is the only option I could ever work with. The fact that I know there will be no issue with the hair quality or patented bond allows me to feel confident providing the service. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night otherwise! Seriously. My clients trust is everything to me. My end goal is to always improve the integrity of their hair. Great Lengths allows me to do that. Over the 17 years you’ve been doing Great Lengths you must have noticed a lot of changes in trends and market. Tell us about some of those changes over the years Social media has changed how people can see our work, as well as the products we use. It definitely allows us to share with the public the possibilities that extensions can provide. They are not as exclusive as they once were and I love that. There are options for everyone! There are so many new extension methods and brands since I started my career, but I still personally love the classic hot fusion keratin bonds. They are the best in my opinion. What is your personal favourite hair trend right now? Why do you love it? I’m obsessed with creating a damage free/no maintenance colour change with the use of extensions. Especially right now with the pandemic, my clients want low maintenance hair colour, and still want their extensions. It’s the perfect way to achieve colour longevity and it keeps it fun! Do you have any colour or style trend predictions for Winter 2020-2021? Colour blocking! And I’m so happy about it. I’ve always been a huge fan of it. It’s also so perfect to create with extensions. Do you have a style icon? Or a hair hero? I worked at Toni & Guy for a few years in Toronto and got to know the creatives and leaders. I love their vibe and the hair culture they have created. If you could pick a celebrity, a public figure, anyone at all - whose hair would you love to work on? I’d love to do Betty White’s hair. Just to meet her! I clearly binge watched Golden Girls recently. What or who do you look to for inspiration? Honestly, my clients. They inspire me with their personal style and push me to create the perfect customized look that’s right for them. And I’m always so inspired by my peers. I’m so lucky to have always been surrounded by so much talent. What personality traits do you feel are most beneficial to your ongoing success? My professionalism and consistency have definitely been key, as well as my willingness to learn and my drive to give the best experience for my clients. What advice would you offer newly certified stylists to best take advantage of their GL skillset? My advice would be to really perfect the art of consultation. It’s the foundation to providing a superior service. You can be technically perfect but still not deliver what they want if you’re not asking the right questions or are not really listening. Also, I suggest finding yourself great mentors, even if it’s through social media. Surround yourself with people that are professional, passionate and motivated. Do you have any Great Lengths do's and don’ts? My dos are to install the last bond with as much care as the first. Always do thorough consultations with every new set of extensions even if they have been with you for years. My don’ts are: Do not work on people that are not a good fit. If they are being demanding, wanting something unreasonable that goes against what you think is proper, don’t do their hair. What is your favourite part of being a stylist? I’m a creative so I feel so lucky to work with my hands for a career. I love to impact people and make them feel good. This really is a dream job for me. Do you have a favourite mantra, quote or saying you like to keep in mind? Ha. We need all the mantras for 2020. A simple one I like is “Keep going, you’ve got this.” After such a wild year in 2020- what are your hopes and aspirations for the new year? My hopes for the hair industry in 2021 are that we are able to continue to provide safe service, and for businesses and stylists to thrive. My hope for everyone is health and happiness. FIND ALCHEMY THE STUDIO ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM.
Soupir. Nous savons que le COVID a reporté de nombreux mariages de vos clientes cette année et elles peuvent bien se sentir déprimées. Ce temps supplémentaire peut être utilisé pour avoir d'autres consultations virtuelles, ou si cela est sécuritaire, essayez de nouveaux mélanges de couleurs, longueurs et styles pour leur grand jour! Jenna notre gagnante de #BigDayGiveaway, est bien une des premières à connaître cette peine. Elle avait prévu son mariage pour le 12 décembre 2020, mais à cause du COVID. 🤷🏻♀️ Leur grand jour est désormais prévu pour le 11 décembre de l'année prochaine. Nous avons contacté Jenna pour voir comment elle et son fiancé faisaient face aux changements. «Mon fiancé et moi sommes reconnaissants de notre santé et de celle de notre famille et de nos amis. Nous n'avons rencontré aucun problème avec le changement de date, tous nos fournisseurs étaient merveilleux », a-t-elle déclaré. Nous adorons entendre que tant de petites entreprises et de fournisseurs sont flexibles avec des dates changeantes en raison des restrictions du COVID. Nous sommes si heureux pour Jenna que tout le monde, y compris sa ravissante coiffeuse, ait accepté le changement de plan. Pour faire face à ces temps incertains, Jenna et son partenaire ont adopté un petit bouledogue français à leur famille! Jenna nous dit: «Nous allons prendre nos photos de fiançailles avec le chiot, car c’est quelque chose de spécial à retenir sur notre période de fiançailles. C'est une femelle et nous l’avons nommée Luna. Elle est si mignonne! Quelle incroyable tournure! Dans l'ensemble, Jenna dit qu'elle a hâte de continuer à planifier pour leur nouvelle date. Nous sommes tellement excités de pouvoir faire partie de son grand jour. Nos stylistes experts (et deux de nos fantastiques éducateurs), Judith Parrish et Marianne Savage, vont donner à Jenna les cheveux de ses rêves - c'est-à-dire le volume que JLO envierait et un balayage sans produits chimiques. Nous avons hâte de montrer à notre famille GL son look final! POURRIEZ- VOUS VOUS METTRE DANS LES CHAUSSURES DE JENNA? QUELS CONSEILS AVEZ-VOUS POUR GÉRER LES ÉVÉNEMENTS QUI SONT REPORTÉS?
Great Lengths is thrilled to introduce their newest innovation: GL Pre-bonded Two Tone Shades. The GL Pre-bonded Two Tones Shades are extremely unique in that each side of the strand shows the colour a little differently. One side will show the lighter shade more prevalently, while on the opposite side, the darker shade shines through, thus allowing for major creativity. Depending on your choice of pattern, each installation can look slightly different from the next. Your guests will love their new look! A welcome addition to our lineup of products, these pre-blended tones promise to make the application process much quicker and easier for the stylist (no more custom blending needed) and deliver a more natural affect for the client! GL Pre-Bonded Two Tones will be available in 12, 16 and 20 inch strands in the following blended tones:
Kelly Convery is a seasoned hair industry professional, with more than 10 years of industry experience. In 2019, she opened SKC Salon in Edmonton with two other independent stylists, Scirocco and Chelsea; and she welcomed her second daughter into the world. It was a big, and busy, year for Kelly to say the least! We got to know Kelly through our Stylist Spotlight. Check it out below! Tell us a bit about you and your career! How did you get your start, and what has led you to where you are today? I've been in this industry for about 12 years, and it’s been amazing! I couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling career choice. To be honest, it kind of happened by accident. My mom was the one who suggested hair school. Two weeks into my schooling I was convinced. I thought this is actually amazing, I haven't looked back since. It has taken a lot of hard work to get me where I am today; our industry isn't easy. You want to please everyone, and sometimes you just aren't the right fit for that specific client, it can be hard not to take it personally or see it as a failure or an, I’m not good enough situation. It took me a while to get to the point of realization that, you know what, for every ten you impress there will always be the one that you don't. We are only human at the end of the day. You salon, SKC, opened in July of this year. As you approach your six month mark, what has been the biggest lesson learned and what has been your favourite part of the experience so far? Opening SKC was and has been amazing. We have obviously had some learning curves and having just had a baby it was overwhelming at times, but my two partners have made it such a fun experience. When you work closely with like-minded individuals and can still hang out with them outside of the salon and not get tired of one another, I think that says a lot about the relationships. We keep each other accountable and I think that is something that you need when running a business. How long have you been working with Great Lengths, what was your inspiration to join the GL network? I’ve been with Great Lengths for about 8 years, and I’ve had them in my hair for about 10. My mentor at the time would always let me watch her client installs, and once she put them in my hair, (regretfully, I had cut my hair into the Victoria Beckham bob at that time) I was immediately hooked. Seeing the look on women’s faces, and how much their confidence sky rocketed once they saw their new look made me realize I NEED to work with this company. What impact has being a Great Lengths Artist had on you and your business? Great Lengths has been such an amazing addition to my business. It has created an additional sense of trust with my clientele, as well as within the industry as a whole. Anyone who has heard of Great Lengths knows the training that comes with being able to offer this service. That value on education is a good indicator to people that the brand isn't gimmicky, and it isn’t something that is going to fade out in a year or two. They have been around for a long time, have won countless awards and are the best extensions out there for your hair. And it shows. What do you love about Great Lengths? What don't I love is the better question! Having had them in my hair for so long, I feel lost without them (for the whole three days in between applications haha). I love that they are ethically sourced, that is a huge factor for me. I love that the bonds are customizable, that the shades never lose their tones and can be altered so easily. I love them because you can just do so much with them; add length, volume, fix a bad haircut, add colour without actually colouring the client’s hair if their hair is already compromised. Plus, once they are in, they are in. There is no coming in every couple of weeks to tighten them. And last but not least, I love the removal. Once their extensions are removed, I love showing clients just how much their hair has GROWN and that it is still in great condition. In addition to being a busy stylist, you’re a mom to two daughters, one under the age of one - how do you manage to do it all? Do you have any advice or time management tips for those trying to juggle a number of things on the go? I have a great support system, my fiancé has been my rock during this whole process, I couldn't have maintained my clientele, opened up a shop, or been the mom I am without him or our family. I’d like to be able to give advice, but I never understood when I asked clients and friends how they did it all, and every response was, you just do, but I totally get it now. You really just do what you need to do. You’ve spoken on Instagram about the importance of education, what led you to speak up about the topic? As cliché as it is, you really don't ever stop learning, and in our industry you need to stay on top of your craft or you will be considered a dinosaur. I think that sometimes people in our industry get to a place of, Oh I’m doing so well, I know everything, but realistically you can be replaced very easily. Keeping yourself up to date is important. If you go to a class and take one thing away from it, you’re already ahead. It’s not like our classes are taught in boring locations; we can be in New York, LA, or somewhere cool like that and that just makes the experience and the education that much better. What is your personal favourite hair trend right now? Why do you love it? I would say my favourite trend at the moment is going grey, and I don’t mean the artificial grey shades, but the natural growing out grey in between colours. Grey hair always had this stigma of being old and unkempt, and I completely disagree. When I see a woman wearing her natural shade with some pops of colour, the first thing I think is, Wow, this woman has so much confidence and does not care what people think.” I just love how the stigma of it is changing. It makes me look forward to when my hair goes that route. Do you have any colour or style predictions for Winter 2019/2020? What I hope comes back, and think will come back, is old school highlights. We have consistently used balayage and lived-in looks as our safety net (no hate to artists who capitalize on these methods), but I think there are a lot of technical aspects and placement/ positioning that you can’t hide with highlights, as opposed to hair painting. Do you have a style icon? Or a hair hero? My style icon is Riawna Capri. I absolutely love everything about her and the 901 Salon. She’s also a Great Lengths artist, so that adds to my love. Everything she does is so natural; it’s like talent and inspiration just ooze out of her hands. And of course, she’s stunning! If you could pick a celebrity, a public figure, anyone at all - whose hair would you love to work on? If I could work on anyone’s hair, I would go back in time and do Britney Spears hair after she shaved it and then had countless types of extensions... the images still haunt me. Ha! What or who do you look to for inspiration? I look to my peers around me. Social media is all smoke and mirrors, I try not to get too wrapped up in it, so I love watching my colleagues and fellow stylists in our area. And of course, my daughters, they inspire me to be a better person and I feel like they’ve helped me connect on a whole other level, not just with clients but with everyone I encounter. What personality traits do you feel are most beneficial to your success? I think being open to criticism, my drive and ambition to continually educate myself and my attention to detail have benefited me. (Especially when it comes to Great Lengths; applications are a very meticulous process!) And, I think a sense of humour is important; two to three hours with one person is a long time, it shouldn't all be serious! What advice would you offer newly certified stylists to best take advantage of their GL skillset? Practice with customizing the bond! I find it so satisfying to know that different bond sizes can be used throughout a client’s hair. Knowing that I’ve created different colour, movement and density in different places gives me such a good feeling when I look at the finished result. Do you have any Great Lengths do's and don’ts? Clients, DO: Your research on your Artist. The Great Lengths website will show you who is certified in your area. Do research: check their Instagram, read reviews, etc. Every artist specializes in different looks. DON’T: be afraid to ask questions! What is your favourite part of being a stylist? As cliché as it sounds, My favourite part about being a stylist is the relationships you create with your clients; developing that trust, being able to try new things on them, or offer something you know they were nervous to ask for. And, I love the constant learning, I love being a sponge and watching stylists do their thing. It’s very uplifting and rewarding to see other stylists love something as much as I do. Do you have a favourite mantra, quote or saying you like to keep in mind? Work smarter, not harder. What are your goals and aspirations moving forward? My goal is to simply live in the moment. I love where I am at right now; I just want to continue at this pace, and to continue to focus on perfecting my craft. FOLLOW KELLY AND SKC ON INSTAGRAM.
BY STEVEN MATHEW Hello hair pros! I’m super excited to be discussing this topic! Growing your business with hair extensions is a subject I am passionate about! In fact, it’s something I think about all the time, as I myself am constantly looking to grow. With extensions booming as a niche business, it has become essential for some stylists to add them to their list of services, and others like myself feeling the need to specialize full-time. Whichever end of that spectrum you may fall, I hope these few simple tips will help you to grow the business of your dreams! First Things First: Build Your Brand If you have just started offering hair extension services, it’s important you’re able to launch with confidence. You may be wondering “How do you get people in the chair without any previous work to show them?” Well, you need enticing content, and fast! After completing a certification course, I would recommend booking several models, having a set “model rate” to cover costs, then photographing before and afters; shots of the hair extensions, and the process behind the scenes as well. If you are clever with your visuals, you can capture a ton of content with only a few different models. Don’t be afraid to style and restyle the same model’s hair, put them into different outfits or pose them in different areas of your salon for additional visual content. Collect as much content as you can! The more you are able to use social media to post about your new service, the more guests you will book! Look Within Your Existing Clientele Don’t be afraid to give your client list a healthy little “audit”. Chances are a number of your clients are more curious about extensions than you think, and they may not yet know their options! When people hear the words “hair extensions”, they automatically think of lengthening, when as stylists know, you can also highlight and volumize as well! Could some of your VIP guests benefit from additional strands? A flash of colour around the face? Do you have a fine-haired client with a bob whose sides could be fuller? While you may not convince your regular guests to do a full lengthening service right away, don’t be afraid to offer them a little enhancement with a less intense application in the meantime! And hey– almost everyone can use a little extra hair, right?! Use social media the RIGHT way One of the best ways to get new guests is to use social media to target people in your vicinity. My number one goal when posting to social media is to keep my chair full with consultations and applications. In addition to posting attractive visuals to engage potential guests, be sure to also do the following: Share your “Why” Why did you get into doing hair extensions? What makes your specific hair extension business unique? People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. Don’t be afraid to show off the process We all love to see behind the scenes. Before photos, the application process, tips and tricks for aftercare… Show it all. Clients will love how informative you are! Be accessible Make sure your name, preferred contact details and salon address are clearly posted in your bio. I can’t help but shake my head when I come across a great hair portfolio only to find the stylist has omitted an important detail like how to book them. Make it easy for people to find out how to do business with you. Show YOURSELF off! Potential clients love to see who they will be serviced by. After all, the person who will do their hair is just as important as your work. Every 6-9 photos you post should include a visual of you. Remind us who is behind all those beautiful heads of hair. Use location geo-tagging Posting at popular nearby attractions or establishments, where your target audience may be shopping, dining or hanging out, is a great way to capture people’s attention while out and about. Tailor your content If you have chosen to specialize in hair extensions alone, I recommend tailoring the content on your social media channels/website to reflect what you hope to do in your chair. You’ll get back what you put out. My best advice is to put yourself in a potential client’s shoes. If you stumbled across your Instagram page, would you be finding what you are looking for? Does it look like you’re at the top of your game? Passionate about your craft? Try to visualize what types of hashtags you would search if looking for an extension artist in your city and use them in the caption of every post. Hire a Business Coach or Seek Out a Mentor or Online Group Coaching Program There is a wealth of information, experience, great tips, and advice to be found from people who’ve already been there and done that. If you’re struggling to grow your hair extension business after some time, and you’re using some of the aforementioned recommendations, perhaps it’s time to seek out the advice from professionals who can help you along the way and be your cheerleader! There are wonderful group coaching programs out there to do just that! I am involved in one in particular: Hair Pro Extension Academy by Ashley Diana (@missashleyhair). Ashley is a certified Great Lengths Artist from Las Vegas. Her program is a combination of technical and business / mindset coaching. It is a lifetime course with content always being added, along with monthly coaching with Ashley herself! You can request specific topics, and they will add what you need to the course as you go along, helping you to grow your extension business and affording you a venue with which to share ideas and ask questions. Learn more about Hair Pro Extension Academy. I wish you all the best with growing your business with hair extensions! I love to see people succeed! If you have any great tips on how to grow in this niche industry, drop me a line @stevenmathew. I’d love to hear from you!
“The Kids’ Theatre” is the fifth episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, dedicated to Goethe’s Italian travel diary. This story celebrates the cheerful, playful side of Dolce Vita, that the two female foreign visitors discover by approaching a unique artistic expression, very peculiar of Palermo: the kids’ theatre, recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity. The puppet show has always been a fun way to deliver education to both children and adults, way before the diffusion of the public school. It starts in the mid nineteenth century, with stories of bandits and saints, Shakespearean dramas and above all the very popular events of the paladins of France told by Ludovico Ariosto in his epic poem “Orlando Furioso”. Mixing realism and fantasy, tragedy and comedy, the kids’ theatre, known in Italian as “Opera dei Pupi” convey the values of Sicilian people, such as chivalry, sense of honor, the defense of the weak and the priority of boundless love. Besides the literary aspect, this theatre exhibits a precious, rare, endangered and extremely skilled craftsmanship. Puppets are actually still made manually: forging their metal armor requires a month of work for each puppet. Every puppet, or pupo, is a unique wooden piece, different from any other, that can also be made on commission for a value of over 1000€ each. In Palermo the work of the puppets is linked to the names of various families. The theatre that hosted Great Length’s production is Franco Cuticchio’s, now a third generation of puppeteers (Franco is also displayed in the video working with a new pupo). The protagonist of this story is Agatha, a model and actress with an outstanding personality, who enters the micro stage herself to start making jokes with the puppet and playing the accordion, the musical instrument that is still used for the shows’ live soundtracks. Her casual, fresh, short, curly look with a bang is easy, fun and practical. It shows perfectly a less obvious use of extensions: one not applied to give length to hair, but to naturally volumize, and give height to the top of the head. Naturalness is also key to Agatha’s hair color choice, a warm chocolate shade, deep and intense, made possible with the application of GL Pre-Bonded strands in 12 length - colour 03.
“The Magic of Majolica” is the third episode of the “The Great Italian Journey”, Great Lengths 2020 communication campaign, inspired by Goethe’s Italian travel diary. In this episode Yzan, the Asian woman, welcomes us by opening the doors of a special place. She invites us to enter and discover one of Palermo’s hidden gems, The Casa Museo Stanze al Genio, a unique museum located in a baroque palace in the very heart of the historical centre. The museum collection consists of 5000 glazed square floor tiles from Southern Italy, manufactured between the 15th and 20th century for the pleasure and enjoyment of the aristocracy, the wealthy middle class and the religious communities. Besides the outstanding beauty and modernity of the tiles’ decorations, what is unique about this museum, is that it is hosted inside a fully furnished and functional private apartment, which is still used by its owners. Such an incredible combination of private and public living is a fascinating demonstration of how much Italian creativity is woven into everyday lifestyle and personal choices. The protagonists of the story sit on the floor, a perfect graphic framework, that enhances their elegance and majesty. In particular, we would like to draw your attention to Gintare, the only blonde woman of the group. Her timeless beauty stand outs in the cozy atmosphere of the room. With her soft gaze, her warm honey blonde hair color, she is the emblem of a gentle femininity. The Rossano Ferretti team shaped what is one of the most widespread women’s aspirations: long, voluminous, naturally wavy hair. Gintare’s look is so aspirational because of her light hair color, it looks as if she had been spending time on a Sicilian beach under the radiant sun for several days or weeks. Her roots are darker, while the lengths and ends of her hair have graduated tones. Technically speaking, Gintare’s look is achieved by using 150 GL pre-bonded hair, in a combination of colors: Rooted 68/23 where 5 cm of dark roots drastically transition into a shiny blonde and Bronde 63/23 where the darker roots subtly transition into much lighter shade on the ends.