Kirsten Demant: “It’s wrong to think only about fashion”

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

Kirsten, this is your second time in Ukraine. What are your impressions of our masters, and has the opinion you formed last time changed? I have excellent impressions from the artists in Ukraine, and especially from the girls from the Davines team, who helped me in preparing the show. And, by the way, every time I see hairdressers at various events, I am surprised: how many beautiful girls and women there are in Ukraine! In your opinion, do the hairstyles, makeup and style of Ukrainian girls differ from European ones? I can answer on behalf of European stylists, and specifically as a resident of Scandinavia. I think that our trend is towards simplicity. There is a huge difference between Ukrainian women and Scandinavian women: Ukrainian women are much more feminine, more glamorous, both in clothes and in hairstyles. Your work is characterized by both rigor and simplicity. What are your taboos as a hairdresser? Perhaps more than three colors in one hairstyle, crazy bouffant or silver bangs? The main thing I don’t accept is doing a hairstyle from a collection for a client simply because “it’s so fashionable now.” I always look at the face and proceed from what suits the person and what doesn’t. What are your inspirations besides fashion looks from magazines or the work of your colleagues? I often use magazines and various films for inspiration, but I still find a lot of ideas in my travels. I travel a lot around the world, see different people and get inspired by them. Another big hobby of mine is painting. I paint with acrylic paints on canvas, I think it helps me a lot to develop my creative abilities and color perception. This way I also find new ideas. If it weren't for hairdressing, what would you do? Perhaps you would become an artist? Or is it just a hobby, nothing more? At school I was interested in languages. I always thought that my profession would be somehow related to translations. But when I tried my hand at hairdressing, I realized that I also have creative abilities. I already think that I could be either a hairdresser or an artist. You could say that my dream of working with languages has also come true - I travel around the world, conduct seminars in different languages in different countries, communicate with foreigners, and learn some words. Unfortunately, I haven’t learned Ukrainian yet, but I’ll work on it! What languages do you know perfectly? Do you teach only in English or in several languages? I teach in English, Danish and German, and also speak some Swedish, Norwegian and Italian. At what point did you decide that your knowledge was enough to share it with others? I started hairdressing right after school and worked in a salon for two years. I quickly realized that I needed to do something else in this profession. She collaborated with the Wella Professionals brand for five years. Then a Davines representative from Italy found me and I agreed to join them. I've been working with Davines for 18 years. The first two years it was work only in Denmark, but for 16 years now I have been an international coach. I worked as a Davines representative in Australia, New Zealand and Asia for two years, but then returned to Europe. Why have you been working with one brand for so long? For me, the most important thing is that Davines pays attention not only to its products, but also cares about the environment, about people, about their lifestyle. It is very important. I test all new products and understand that these are excellent products. Both in quality and design. Now I can’t imagine starting to work with any other brand. I think it is very important that you really have your heart in the work, that you can show your dedication, your passion, that everything is sincere and not pretense. You often travel from country to country. What is always in your makeup bag? I use different products from the Comfort Zone line from Davines, because I fly a lot, so I need to seriously monitor the condition of my skin. I use moisturizing products, anti-aging products, and drink a lot of water. One hair product that is always in my makeup bag is conditioner, which I mix myself. Tinting hair conditioner - silver shade with the addition of red. I need it to get pinkish tints in my hair. If I forget to take it with me, I use the air conditioner from the hotel. But it's terrible because my hair color becomes very dull. You said that you teach not only at hairdressing seminars, but also talk about lifestyle. What do you need now to feel like a modern and healthy person? Share your secrets! Taking care of the environment is very important - you need to take care not only of yourself, but also of the planet on which we live. I promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating, because if you eat the right foods, you will have beautiful hair without any special care. I lead a healthier lifestyle than most hairdressers. Hairdressers often smoke, drink a lot of coffee and forget about themselves. I try to eat healthy, don't smoke and always drink only green tea. When I give lectures to hairdressers, I talk not only about how to cut or dye hair correctly, but I also pay attention to how they stand, in what position they hold their body, because they often forget about this too. And then by the age of fifty they wear themselves out very much. So I correct them so that they maintain the correct posture. We have a special video - a short fitness training for hairdressers: life hacks, how to stretch and what movements you can perform right in the process of work to feel better. Which of all the not-so-healthy habits does the most damage to your hair? On the contrary, what foods should you increase in your diet? Of course, eating fast food greatly affects your hair. If we eat such food, we notice that the scalp becomes oilier and irritation appears. If we choose healthy foods, our hair immediately becomes shinier and has more volume. There are no specific products. The point is to eat as varied a diet as possible and maintain a balance of proteins and fats. And how do you manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle with such a schedule, get enough sleep, and have time to eat healthy food, if you have constant travel and lectures? Before preparing for the show, I was just discussing this issue. They brought pizza for everyone, as often happens at such events. But I asked for a salad instead of pizza, because I will choose the food that will give me more energy. True, I also don’t always manage to maintain a healthy lifestyle. When I come to Italy, where there is a lot of wine and very tasty food, I allow myself to enjoy Italian cuisine to the fullest. Which contemporary star is your style reference? I like Keira Knightley. I think she is very beautiful, although very thin. I also like Scarlett Johansson, she has more feminine curves. As for men, the trend for men with beards has been very popular lately. I'm really tired of this. And I’m glad that this trend is starting to go away. Do you follow fashion? How strongly are fashion trends reflected in your works? I believe that it is wrong to think only about fashion, and first of all I take into account the characteristics of the client. But fashion is also important. I follow trends and spend a lot of money on fashion magazines. Basically, I look at fashion trends in clothing as inspiration for hairstyles. And, of course, I follow the fashion for different colors in dyeing, because it changes every season. It's very interesting how new ways of layering colors, new ways of emphasizing haircuts appear again and again. Which of your fellow hairdressers would you call highly qualified specialists? Who do you admire? Of course, I admire the work of the third director of Davines Angelo Seminara, he has won the category "Best Hairdresser of the Year" three times in the UK. He is truly one of the best hairdressers in the whole world. He doesn't just do haircuts, he always emphasizes the beauty of a woman. What do you prefer: working with short hair or long hair? I prefer short haircuts because for me it is more difficult, and therefore more interesting. What will you do if a client demands a hairstyle that frankly doesn’t suit him and that spoils him? In such situations, I try to behave as honestly as possible: I immediately tell the person that this hairstyle may be beautiful on someone else, but not on him, and I try in every possible way to convince the client. And if the client insists, then I simply say that I don’t work in this style and advise him to go to another hairdresser. By what principle do you choose models for your seminars, what qualities must a model have? Or is the model’s appearance not important to you? If this is a model for a show, then her face shape is very important. I create a certain image, and I need it to suit the model. Otherwise, I try to refuse or find another model. It is also important for the show that all models are slightly above average height. It's not always about beauty. The most beautiful girl doesn't necessarily end up on the show. Perhaps this will be a girl with some peculiarities in her appearance, but she will best convey the image that is needed for the show. In your wardrobe, do you prefer clothes from famous designers or are these things made especially for you? In my wardrobe, I behave like a typical Scandinavian. Fortunately, I'm lucky: Copenhagen, and Denmark in general, has a lot of great shops and a lot of great designers. But since I often work on stage, I choose comfortable things - for example, trousers and a jacket, in which I feel confident. As a Scandinavian woman, I always have the thought in my head: “Do I look too daring?” Ukrainian women look very feminine, and I plan to learn this from them.