LEGENDARY MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST SERGE LUTENS INSPIRES JOICO'S NEW COLLECTION FOR 2010

French hairstylist, makeup artist, perfume creator, fashion designer, art director and photographer Serge Lutens served as the creative director for Shiseido in the 1980s, and his images marrying graphic detail and otherworldly shapes enjoy iconic status in the worlds of fashion and beauty. It was Lutens' unique, boundary-breaking esthetic that inspired Le Graphique, Joico's cut, shape and color collection for 2010.

“Lutens was a multi-tasking artist with a unique sense of humor," says Joico International Artistic Director Damien Carney, who created Le Graphique with Vero K-PAK Color International Artistic Director Sue Pemberton. "He really changed the way we see beauty."

And so, after a complete "Lutens immersion," Carney believed Le Graphique must offer three key elements:
- Memorable silhouettes with crisp edges
- Strong lines that balance the knife-sharp with sinuous curves and fearless angles
- Extreme finishes, from high-gloss to matte.

Le Cuts
The result is Le Graphique Volume I and Volume II—a collection of four cuts, each of which is finished in three, startling different ways. "We start with neat, tailored polished shapes with strong technical foundations," comments Carney. "But with a flick of the wrist, each can be completely transformed." Each face-framing cut is designed to create the illusion of a perfectly oval face—the esthetic ideal--while adding drama to the facial features. Carney also used deliberately-placed disconnection to sculpt, balance and flatter. And because there is flow and harmony in each design, he points out, all of the looks are easily adapted to a wide range of hair textures and clients.

Le Color
Lutens' bold, innovative use of color and graphic shapes informed Sue Pemberton's color design choices. In a unique exploration of level, tone and intensity, she worked with uniform palettes of Vero K-PAK Color shades, but varied the intensities and base colors. For example, an intense combination of red, copper, gold and purple highlights radiate in a bright copper base; while a subtler combination of the same highlight shades take on a completely different character in a rich, red/brown base. On the cool side of the spectrum, Pemberton works with varying intensities of blonde, lavender and blue, set in both a pastel and brunette base.

Pemberton's artful color placement accentuates the focal points of each cut, and sets off the best features of each model. She adapted versions of the diagonal foil placement technique from the J-Color program to vary the effects of each color design, and to demonstrate how J-Color empowers color pros to extend their creative boundaries.

Voila!
Essential to every style in the Le Graphique collection, says Carney, is the new Joico K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Oil. This lightweight formula is equally effective as a treatment and as a styling product. Rich in Manketti oil, it seals and nourishes the hair cuticle, which discourages premature color fading. As it regenerates hair, it also protects from further damage with UV protection. As a styling aid, it reduces styling and drying time and provides vibrant shine without weight or build-up. "Our overriding philosophy," asserts Carney, "is that hair must look and feel healthy no matter what. So we always prepare the hair 'fabric' so that it is flawlessly smooth. K-PAK Color Therapy Restorative Oil gives you that fabric integrity—then you can go on to create the textures you envision—from subtle to significantly extreme."