The Importance of a varied Portfolio

A post for clients and fellow HMUAs

I’ve been thinking of the best way to approach this topic for many weeks now. I’m lucky that some of my closest friends work in Hair and Make-up and so we are able to have lengthly discussions about the industry, trends, weddings and business development.

We all spend a lot of time looking at our competitors and inevitably making comparisons. As artists there is huge buzz around finding your niche and selecting your target client, and then focussing your social media content on that field to attract said client. I really want to add an alternative view to this theory.

We work in a creative industry. Hair styling and make-up artistry are forms of art, we transform and enhance for beautiful results. Most importantly the aim is that we empower women. There is no denying the massive trend for the glam, youthful, polished look is justified and is truly a defining look of this decade utilising some very specialist techniques.

I want to challenge the idea that a portfolio need to be so focussed and repetitive in it’s content that there is little diversity in models’ ages, skin colours, skin textures etc. When I say ‘models’ I mean clients, real brides, models on shoots. Yes, I believe there needs to be consistency in the presentation and quality of the work but not at the expense of dismissing individuality and creativity. I personally don’t want to conform to this idea that ‘one look fits all’. Honestly, I think it’s boring and I don’t think I’m alone in this view. I prefer for my potential clients to land on my page and feel excited that I can create a look that’s right for them, that will enhance their features and make them feel a million dollars. Not everyone wants to look like a reality TV star! (and no, there’s nothing wrong with that look, but you know what I mean don’t you!)

The upside to showing diversity is that as artists we are taking a little bit of control back in managing expectations of what can be achieved in real life settings. The ‘pinterest perfect’ mood board of edited, filtered models that clients present to us has become a very big stumbling block in how we can meet expectations. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to explain to a client that the inspo image they have shown me isn’t real- it’s edited, it’s filtered, it’s studio lighting, it’s cosmetic procedures, it’s masses of hair extensions, it’s a professional model, it’s a snapshot of the fresh look- not 5 hours of wear. We should be showing real skin with texture, lines, personality. As I am racing through my 40’s I battle daily with the media’s obsession with youth and ‘beauty ideals’, I can’t be the only one guilty of wasting precious time focussing on the unattainable!

As artists I think it’s important to see the (small) role that we can play in helping women of all ages, sizes and ethnicities to not only embrace their own beauty and individuality, but to celebrate it!