Colleen

Beauty, according to Hair Stylist Colleen Conway, should notbe “structured in any particular way,” but should be “loose and free...” Her conception of beautiful hair seems to go against thevery foundations of hair styling—which, traditionally speaking,have always been about defying nature. Colleen’s emphasison beauty, rather than on style, sets her apart from the multitude of other hair professionals in the industry. It is also what draws clients with a particularly strong sense of themselves—Björk, Milla Jovovich, Mischa Barton, and Mandy Moore to name a few—continually to her.

Although Colleen considers her approach to hair “easygoing,” when one looks at images of her work, onesees a detail-oriented, meticulous hand at work. Colleen is well-practiced at her craft, since she has put in her time working in salons, learning to cut and to color hair, doing fashion and hair shows, and creating looks for both editorials and film. Because she has had so much practical training in so many different areas, Colleen offers her clients a level of expertise rarely found in other hair professionals. For example, it is Colleen who has single-handedly crafted each one of singer/actress Mandy Moore’s looks; from her luscious brunette pixie cut to her beach-blonde layers, Colleen has been responsible for each one of her changes, all of which have been fawned over by the press in recent years.

Yet another aspect of her work that draws a steady stream of celebrities, photographers, and advertisingclientele to Colleen Conway is her ability to effortlessly combine a ‘natural’ look with an ‘edgy’ one. Stylist of Björk during her most press-worthy moments, British-born Colleen gained a solid reputation among pop stars who wanted hair that was “lively” and “textural,” as she puts it, without being too avant-garde. Naturally, the flock of young, hip Hollywood actresses followed soon after, and they have kept her busy ever since.

Colleen Conway’s skill is evident from a glance at any of her tear sheets. But she claims that these imagesreveal a lot about her personality, too. “I don’t take myself too seriously,” she admits. She would rather characterize herself as “versatile” and her work as “conveying movement, either through color, cut, ortexture.” Despite her low-maintenance attitude, however, Colleen maintains an intense focus on her work in every job—a quality that has apparently never failed her. When asked how she got into the business ofdoing hair. Colleen replies coolly, “I never considered anything else.”