Deconstruction

Putting together a magazine profile and shoot involves a whole team of people, each with their own skill. Fiona Cole filled the part of the writer as Joel Hornell assembled his team to recreate the look he took to last year’s Supreme Awards and gives us an inside look.

With his trademark dreadlocks piled high on his head, Joel Hornell stalks around the salon floor of Jagged Edge Style & Design in Whangarei. Comb in one hand, dye brush in the other, he flings introductions about for the growing collection of local talent that has shown up at 8.30am on a Friday to help bring together this profile.

Joel qualified to compete in last September’s NZARH Supremes in Christchurch by taking regional honours in Northland in the SMG Urban Night Hair senior category. Although he will tell you the idea of using Northland talent came to him on the plane back from Christchurch, the reality is, it all started with the dress.

The designer – Melanie Thomas

Not satisfied with simply shopping for the perfect outfit to go with his hairstyle, Joel approached the fashion school at NorthTec to see if they knew of anyone who would be interested in designing a dress for him. Melanie – a graduate of NorthTec’s Diploma in Fashion and winner of the Bernina Fashion Awards Northland in 2010 – put her hand up, and together they came up with a truly original dress. The shoes, by Alter Ego, completed the look.

The model – Fran Skullan

A friend of the family who stepped up when Joel’s original competition model had to back out two days before the regionals. It was pure luck that 18-year-old Fran had long enough hair and fitted the clothes but poise and her innate calm were both immense assets. When she’s not having her hair done, Fran is a Home Support Worker for an autistic boy through Intellectual Disability Empowerment and Action.

The ‘do

Joel Hornell: “I worked with the natural curl and fine texture of Fran’s hair and there’s lots of it! I wanted to stay with the Vintage theme [from his winning regional entry], and I noticed how hats featured so prominently in fashion in the first half of the 20th century. So then I thought, why not shape her hair into a hat?

“I used the rim of a felt hat to create the shape template, then by crimping Fran’s hair I have achieved this amazing texture and thickness. Back-combing the top section allowed me to create a ball effect to emulate the rounded top of the hat and then I wrapped the remaining length of the crimped hair around the base to give it a ribbon effect, with some strategic wispy bits. I blended two L’Oreal colours to enhance the look. I went for a subtle reflect colour rather than anything loud and bright.”

The make-up artist – Tarsha Dean

This talented local florist is actually a former top fashion make-up artist and trainer of fashion make-up artistry. Before escaping Auckland for a “quiet life” in Whangarei, Tarsha was at the heart of the fashion/TV industry for 20 years, started a successful training academy, and owned several inner city florists.

The photographer – Dawn Dutton

Professional photographer and another escapee from Auckland. Dawn originates from Zimbabwe and was a paramedic in Auckland before turning her passion for photography into a full time career. She aims to capture the personality as well as the moment, and she favours natural light and settings over studio conditions. “I’m really spoilt here in Northland, with its amazing locations and different geographic features.”

The stylist – Joel Hornell

Although Joel started his apprenticeship in hairdressing at age 15, he has only recently returned to the industry after a nine-year gap. When asked why he took so long to come back to hair, Joel replies: “It’s called finding yourself, dear.”

And find himself he did. In the four and a half years since making the decision to return and pursue his dream of becoming a top hair designer, Joel has already made a name for himself. He was awarded the prestigious Jasmine McBeth Memorial Scholarship in 2009 while working at Rodney Wayne, Bayfair, in Mt Maunganui, where he completed his apprenticeship under the guidance of the salon’s co-owner Stacey Rangitakatu. “It was Stacey who really set me back on my true path,” says Joel. Another strong influence for Joel has been Adrian Barclay of Venom in Invercargill, who showed Joel that being a great stylist is about creating your own individual style.

Jagged Edge owner Kyla Holland recognised Joel’s desire to be something great and has seen his passion for the industry rub off on the team. “Joel inspires others to achieve great things and tap into their individual style talents. In a short time he has achieved so many things.”

The salon wall is testament to Joel’s talent and to his passion for nurturing excellence in the industry. Alongside several industry awards are certificates naming Joel as HITO World Skills Trainer for Northland and the region’s only GHD Texture Expert. He was guest speaker at the recent Mana Dave Seminar in Whangarei and is also on the committee for the NZ Hairdressing Association’s Northland division.

Joel runs a perm workshop for year three apprentices with Anne Millar and regularly speaks at training centres in the region. He talks about what is expected of them in a salon and pursuing success here rather than leaving home to make it big. “To me it’s about bringing it home – it’s amazing what you can achieve in your own town,” says Joel.

The speed of Joel’s progression in the industry has been rapid to say the least. It is no surprise, therefore, to discover that since our interview Joel has left Jagged Edge to embark on the next phase of his journey with another Whangarei salon, Addiction Hair.