new in: ghd eclipse

Yesterday, we introduced you to ghd, the revolutionary hair styler that has finally launched in Asia, right here in Hong Kong.  We chatted to ghd's Australian Ambassador, Jayne Wild, about what it's like to work with ghd.  Today, we're taking you deeper into the good stuff: the current trends in hair and how to get those luscious locks you've always dreamt of.  Electric sekki was lucky enough to talk to ghd's team of hair-stylists who flew to Hong Kong from all over the world for the launch of ghd in Asia: Jayne Wild, ghd Head of Creative Andreas Stavrou and ghd Head of Global Education Jo Martin.  If there's anyone who knows how to use the ghd stylers to recreate our favourite hair looks this season, it's this lot!

Electric sekki: What hairstyles are you loving at the moment?

Jayne Wild, ghd Australian Ambassador: There are fashions at the moment that are bringing back the late-70's early-80's Chelsea boy look, where they would have it shorter on the top and longer on the bottom, but it's changed a bit and not exactly the same for those of us who were there for the original!  Back in the day, Northern Soul was the music that they listened to.  Now it's all about texture and it's great that there are these tools from ghd that we can create texture with!  It's not just about making it all sleek and shiny, it's about little waves and curls.  It's the old coming back, it does come around again.

ES: What are some of the trends that you see this season in hair?

JW: Lots of texture in the hair.  Even if it's shiny and bouncy, it's got a bit of a kick to it, a bit of texture in there somewhere.  It might be a bit rough or a bit unbalanced.  I don't see it as being totally perfect.  It's a little bit quirky and I think it's gorgeous!

ES: And how can someone achieve that with the ghd?

JW: Well, if you have baby fine sleek hair but you want to funk it up and add a bit of body or a messy wave, that's when you can choose what size styler you like for that finished effect.  The great thing about the ghd is that once you've found the one that you like, that's all you need in your kit.  We have a model here today on whom we did lots of little curls, so we used the ghd mini on her.  We said to her for days, she's going to have people saying, "You have curly hair!  Did you get a perm?"  But the eclipse, I think, does everything.

ES: There's a range of different stylers in the ghd collection; how would someone use each one differently?  Does it depend on the person and their hair type?

JW: It's what the finished result you want is.  You can basically do anything with any of them, but I do think, for the best result, if you choose the right size styler for what you want that's the most important thing.  That's when you'll get perfection.  It depends on what you're going for, what your hair type is.  And how much time you have! It's all very well looking at a picture in a magazine and saying, "I want that," and then going out to buy the eclipse, but you have to know how to use it!  Which is why education is so important.

ES: What's your favourite hairstyle to create with the ghd?  Is there one that, time after time, people always just love?

Andreas Stavrou, Head of Creative:  You know what?  They do; they love the Gatsby style deep rich wave.  It can be difficult to achieve but, actually, with a ghd styler it's quite simple.  There are a couple of ways to do that and you can take it in so many different directions; you can put it up, you can pin it, you can have it classic, you can put it into a chignon.  I've always liked to work with hair in a very simple way to get the maximum results, nothing too intricate.  I think it's good for the soul because it's just simple and effortless to do.  That's what I love.  Even with our campaigns, they're actually very simple looks to achieve.

ES: They look so complicated!

AS: I know, but it's not!  It's so simple.  This is the whole point; it's about showing how simple it is to do that with the ghd. I always say that when you take the fear away from something, that's when you can enjoy it.  And when you enjoy it, that's when the creative mind is allowed to flourish.  And with the ghd, you've got that, and that's how we've managed to build the cult following that we've got.  

ES: What are some of the hair trends you love creating with the ghd this season?

Jo Martin, Head of Global Education: vThere are lots of multi textures in the hair, movement and volume this season.  Everybody loves that full, glossy hair.   If you've got a shorter bob or long hair, you can create movement, wave, curl and texture with any of the stylers.

The ghd eclipse uses patented breakthrough tri-zone technology to guarantee the optimum temperature through styling, it retails for HKD2,559.

ghd stylers and products are available for purchase in Hong Kong at selected salons and retailers.

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electric sekki talks: ghd's jayne wild

ghd has finally landed in Asia.  On 20 November, the brand marked its official launch in Asia right here in Hong Kong with an industry-insider event hosted by ghd CEO Paul Stoneham, with a live demonstration led by ghd's Australian Ambassador, top hairstylist Jayne Wild.  The launch in Asia comes at an opportune time, as ghd has just launched their revolutionary new styler, the ghd eclipse.  To get a better idea of what it's like to work with the world-renowned brand, Electric sekki had a chat to Jayne Wild, who has been with ghd almost since the beginning--that's over 10 years!  She chats to us about what makes ghd so special and how to guarantee that you'll never have another bad hair day again!

ghd Australian Ambassador, Jayne Wild.

Electric sekki: I'd like to start things off with a fun little anecdote.  I was traveling once with my ghd, and my suitcase was filled with nice clothes, luxury items, the whole lot.  When I finally got home and opened up my suitcase, I found that my ghd styler had been stolen...but everything else was in tact!  The thief was only interested in my ghd!  And I've heard similar stories from friends.  Why do you think people are so obsessed with these ghd's?

Jayne Wild: I have an answer!  I've always said from day one, when somebody picks that up, it's addictive!  It's like a drug.  That person that went into your bag and stole yours was an addict, obviously!  I've had clients whose relationships have split up because they've chosen not to stay the night at a boyfriend's house because they don't have their ghd's with them!  

Jayne Wild addressing the crowd at the launch of ghd in Hong Kong.

ES: How do you think ghd built themselves up so quickly to have such a well-recognised name? 

JW: It's always been about the user and what was going to make life easy for somebody.  Originally, it was hair dressers and they just wanted to make their lives easier.  But once you use it on the client and they see that they can recreate what you do, that just blows them away.  "I can actually do my own hair!"  When we launched the eclipse in London in January, we had a girl with Afro hair in tears because she actually was going to be able to do her own hair without having to chemically straighten it.  She was crying with joy, it was fabulous!  It's addictive!

Janye Wild demonstrates the abilities of the ghd styling tools for the crowd of industry professionals to see.

ES: Can you tell us in your own words what ghd stands for and what it means to you?

JW: We've been through many changes with the name.  Originally, it was good hair day and, thank god, it's gone back to good hair day now, because otherwise people say, "What does ghd mean?"  And I say, "It's a religion for hair!" But it's fantastic that it's gone back to the original name now, because it says what it does.  You're going to have a good hair day every day.  The importance of it, too, to stylists and clients and consumers, is that it's become its own fashion brand in itself.  By associating itself with big fashion labels and supporting those designers, they now are a wanted fashion item.  It's like your Prada.  And it's joy to my ears when I hear somebody say, "I've got my ghd!"  It's not, "I've got my styler or my straightener."  It's "ghd".  They're even referring to anything that resembles a styler of some sort as a ghd!

ES: It's like the Xerox phenomenon or the Kleenex phenomenon.

JW: Exactly!  Isn't, it?  It's a fashion brand in itself and it's because it's always associated itself with exciting fashion designers and, as they grew, ghd grew with them!  It's a very heartfelt company.  It's grown bigger than anyone did expect and so quickly. 

Four looks were completed on the evening, demonstrating the wide range of styles that can be achieved using ghd stylers.

ES: What do you think the ghd styler delivers that others do not?

JW: Continuity.  That's one of my main things.  I'll use any size of styler, and now the eclipse, and I'll know that when I use it I'll get that result.  If people aren't shown how to use it, they'll blame the tool rather than themselves for doing it wrong.  I guess it's like anything, really.  This is why we're very passionate about education and training, because it is a styler and that's what makes it stand out from other products out there.  And there are so many others that have tried to do the same thing, but they're just lookalikes.  And that's where it ends, they're lookalikes, but it's what's inside that counts!  ghd has such a great team of brains behind it that are so passionate about finding something perfect for us to use.  I say I have crushes on all of them!  How we're loonies about hair, they're loonies about technology!  We're all so passionate.

A mini ghd fashion show was staged for the audience to view the hair at all angles.

ES: Tell us about your role in ghd.

JW: I've been associated with ghd a little over 10 years.  Once they came to Australia.  I was blown away to be asked to be their Australasian Ambassador.  I get to do a lot of different launches with them and do a lot with them in the UK, being English originally myself.  I go with them every year to Salon International, where they always have a stand, and that's always fun!  From the beginning, I've always treated it like my own company - I have my own company, two salons in Sydney - and I even say to the CEO, "This is my company so look after it for me!"  It's the same with all of us who have been with the team from the beginning.  It's just such a great company to work for, because it's such a pleasurable tool to work with and you get great results.  It's such a successful partnership.  

The four completed looks that ghd showed at the launch.

ES: And can you tell us more about what you do for ghd?

JW: I'm a guest educator.  I get called in for launches and we have an education calendar in Australia, we do quarterly seminars all over Australia and New Zealand.  We get to try out products, too, when they're almost finished and I give them automatic feedback.  We all love working with the guys in Cambridge who come up with it all, because they are just so passionate and they think our way, but not as hairdressers! It's quite funny.  That's why it's so successful, because we all have different expertise that we can all bring to it.  They're very open and appreciative about the feedback.  It's all about pushing the boundaries!

The ghd eclipse uses patented breakthrough tri-zone technology to guarantee the optimum temperature through styling, it retails for HKD2,559.

ghd stylers and products are available for purchase in Hong Kong at selected salons and retailers.

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spotted: yao chen in chalayan

Yao Chen 姚晨 is not your typical Chinese actress.  Aside from being one of the top-billing stars in Asia at the moment, both critically acclaimed and beloved by the Chinese public, Yao Chen has also held the record of having the largest number of Weibo followers in the world for several years now.  And she wields that power for a good cause, using it to speak up about important cultural and social issues.  She is also endearingly down-to-earth.  In public appearances, she prefers low-key looks and natural hair and make-up.  So it made perfect sense for Yao Chen to select a gorgeous, relaxed-chic look from Chalayan's Resort 2014 collection to promote her latest film, Control <控制>, which she stars in alongside top Chinese actor, Daniel Wu.  Consisting of a sweatshirt style top and circle skirt, the look perhaps is an atypical choice for a top actress to wear for press interviews, but Yao Chen wears it graciously, while her elegance and poise lift the outfit to incredible new glamorous heights.  Yao Chen styled the look by pushing up the sleeves, letting her hair loose and applying minimal make-up, but she finishes it off with a pair of killer strappy stilettos.  We love this look on Yao Chen, don't you?

The look at the Chalayan Resort 2014 presentation.

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now in new york: sass & bide

sass & bide has finally landed in New York City.  After showing their collection in New York Fashion Week instead of London this past Spring/Summer 2014 season, their debut American store on the fashionable Broome Street in Soho is now officially open for business!  The store was outfitted in true sass & bide style, with its large sculptural centerpiece, designed to weave "in and out of the 

space to create this feeling that you’re immersed in nature," says Heidi Middleton.  "sass & bide represents the strong, the beautiful and the obscure and this is exactly what this sculpture reflects."  The spacious 2,000 square foot store was designed by Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative, whose mission was to create a "gallery-like space that blues the lines between sculpture and architecture."  Mission accomplished.  The store is in the perfect location, in New York's fashionable soho area; neighbors include other must-have labels, cool cafes and famed restaurants.  Well-known New York personalities have already hit the store, including Leandra Medine of The Man Repeller, who stopped by to check the space out over the weekend.  It's a must-visit destination if you're heading Stateside.  We can't wait to check it out for ourselves!

The Man Repeller visited the store over the weekend, sharing this snap on her Instagram feed (via @manrepeller).

Visit the Amercican sass & bide flagship at:

480 Broome Street

New York 10013, NY.

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house of holland is everywhere

House of Holland has been on a roll lately.  Having just opened up hugely successful corner at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok and showed an acclaimed Spring/Summer 2014 collection at London Fashion Week, House of Holland has become an must-wear designer amongst celebrities around the world.  In fact, we've already spotted American actress Elizabeth Banks of the The Hunger Games film trilogy wearing a dress hot off the S/S '14 House of Holland runway.  And, due to Henry Holland's long-standing support of and involvement in the music industry, well-know DJ's and fashion icons, Harley Viera-Newton and Leigh Lezark are frequently spotted in his designs.  In Asia, he's recently been spotted on top Chinese actress, Zhao Wei, as well as on Hong Kong celebrities such as Canto-pop star Fiona Sit, actress Karena Ng and model Kathy Chow, all wearing pieces from his Resort 2014 collection.  Henry's bright and cheerful designs have long been a favourite amongst celebrities who want to have a bit of fun on the red carpets, so we can't wait to see who wears House of Holland next!

Actress Elizabeth Banks of The Hunger Games trilogy, in a House of Holland dress.

Front-row starlets at the House of Holland show who regularly wear the designer's clothes include Harley Viera-Newton, Leigh Lezark and Pixie Geldof.

Top Chinese actress 趙薇 wears a House of Holland dress.

Model 周汶錡 Kathy Chow in a House of Holland leather skirt.

Actress 吳千語 Karena Ng in House of Holland.

Actress 吳千語 Karena Ng in House of Holland.

Canto-pop star 薛凱琪 Fiona Sit in House of Holland.

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baller bloggers

Stylestalker is always a favourite of fashion bloggers; the cool nonchalance of the brand's image, mixed in with a touch of undeniable sex appeal, and all at a very attractive price point, makes it a go-to brand for these fashionable ladies.  Season after season, we see some of our favourite bloggers sporting pieces by the label.  Stlyestalker's Fall 2013 'Baller' collection was another hit.  Inspired by the sporty silhouettes of basketball attire, as well as the too-cool attitude of famous basketball players, the 'Baller' collection has been a huge hit, both commercially and editorially.  And it's a versatile collection, too, because we've seen it pop up on bloggers with very different personal styles--they each wear pieces from the collection in their own special way, so it's interesting to see how the collection gets translated by each individual blogger.  From Tuula to The Blonde Salad to Amlul, here are some of our favourite bloggers wearing some of our favourite pieces from Stylestalker's 'Baller' collection this season.

Tuula Vintage in Stylestalker's 'Baller' tee.

Coco Chic in Stylestalker's 'Play Maker' skirt.

The Blonde Salad in Stylestalker's 'One-on-One' dress.

Peace Love Shea in Stylestalker's 'Hoop Dreams' parka.

Agogo in Stylestalker's 'Hoop Dreams' faux leather pants.

The Versastyle in Stylestalker's 'Rainmaker' top.

Amlul in Stylestalker's 'Basketball Jones' dress.

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best bet: superga loves laces

We're getting excited about all the creative and colourful ways that you can tie up your laces at Superga this month.  The Superga team is on a mission to inspire the people of Hong Kong to look at their laces differently and use them to their full potential!  Though there are so many fun and creative ways to tie your laces, most people end up doing a version of two pretty basic styles.  So the Superga team is presenting a special set-up in-store this month, displaying the various creative ways to tie your shoelaces, including adorable styles for kids, too.  There is even a variety of limited-edition special shoelaces available for purchase in-store, to get your creative juices flowing!  It's our Best Bet this week to head on down to the store and get inspired!  So don't be boring: add a special touch your sneakers this season at Superga.  If we see another stylish person tying their laces in the same boring way, we'll be very disappointed!

Visit the Superga Hong Kong flagship store at:

Shop 2607

Level 2

Gateway Arcade

Harbour City

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

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no. 21 launches menswear

It's official: No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua is officially launching menswear for the Fall/Winter 2014 season and we could not be more excited!  Dell'Acqua's womenswear collections are often inspired by menswear classics, updated with a feminine twist, so it makes sense that the designer is launching menswear next year.  Dell'Acqua made the announcement earlier this month and the international fashion press has picked-up the story with much excitement and anticipation.  Although the Fall/Winter 2014 collection will be his first menswear collection for No. 21, Dell'Acqua is not unused to dressing men; due to the masculine-inspired nature of his womenswear pieces, many fashionable men have already been seen wearing his womenswear line in recent months.  It must have been these men and their adoration of the label that encouraged Dell'Acqua to launch his menswear line.  Since the announcement, Dell'Acqua has been teasing his Instagram followers with snippets of his his menswear collection progress: one recent tip that he shared with his followers is that the menswear collection labels will feature a black ribbon instead of the nude of his womenswear line.  We can't wait to see what Dell'Acqua comes up with in the menswear department; rest assured, we will fill you in when the time comes and we will be waiting with baited breath until then!

No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua's announcement that they would be launching menswear was met with huge excitement in the press.

A recent snap from @dellacqua's Instagram account, revealing that the menswear collections would feature a black ribbon label instead of the womenswear's nude.

Although No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua has only ever featured womenswear designs, many of the masculine-inspired pieces are often worn by fashion-forward men, many of whom Dell'Acqua features on his Instagram account, @dellacqua.  See some of our favourites below!

Follow @dellacqua on Instagram here.

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