"Blondes are noticed but redheads are never forgotten." UnknownI LOVE red hair...not least because I was one for about 10 years from my late teens to my late twenties. I am a natural blonde (hee hee-well, as "natural" as one can be when one leaves one's teenage years behind ;-) ;-) but decided to embrace my inner Titian and went a glorious Pre-Raphaelite red. Actually I think it was my hairdresser who decided I would be much more fabulous as a redhead... and I blithely agreed*. And I loved it. It was different, it was fun and vibrant (err rather too vibrant at times I suspect: it did take on a rather orangey glow under the lights at the department store I worked in while I was studying) and it suited my fiery, passionate Aries temperament. I think it also went some way in fulfilling my childhood dream of being Anne of Green Gables :)
I knew my red hair phase couldn't last forever though and I am now back to being blonde again... but my love affair with red hair continues. I saw the stunning Keeley (above) and knew immediately that I wanted to photograph her. Keeley, a model and student, has an almost ethereal beauty but in a thoroughly modern way. Other redheaded women I would love to photograph? Karen Elson, Julianne Moore, Lily Cole, Alice Burdeu, Christina Hendricks from Mad Men (how ridiculously HOT is she?), Maggie Rizer, Shirley Manson, Lauren Ambrose... the list goes on and on. And that's just the girls!
One of my favourite UK photographers, the supremely talented Emma Hardy, photographed a number of redheads for Codigo magazine last year. The shoot took place in 2 public swimming baths in London and was styled by Lynette Garland. The photographs were stunning- you can check them out here (click through Emma's fashion portfolio to photo no.18)
And Keeley's furry hat? She is obviously onto a trend as I photographed the fab Phoebe Arnold (formerly fashion editor at POP magazine and now fashion editor over at Katie Grand's new LOVE magazine) a couple of weeks ago sporting the same look:
How marvellous is Phoebe's coral pink skirt? And her friend's brogues?
*It is amazing what we agree to once we are ensconced in the hairdresser's chair, no? "I think we need to go really short/cut a heavy fringe/tint your hair auburn for summer. It would look totally ah-mazing on you, darl!" And somehow I find myself agreeing. I suspect it rather has something to do with being plied with a pile of glossy magazines, cups of coffee (or wine!) and the mind-numbing effects of oodles of bleach being basted onto my head :)