Schwarzkopf Professional, a leading global haircare brand, recently unveiled Essential Looks 2023, a flagship product that presents important hair trends. Deepak Jalhan and Vaishakhi Haria, the lead stylists, delved deeply into the 2023 haircut and color trends before kicking off Essential Looks in Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi, and ending it in Kolkata.

A trend-based instructional tool called Essential Looks curates the newest trends in fashion and hair. Three major global trends—Virtual Eden, Selfhood, and Misfits—that Essential Looks identifies as its starting point and which are dictating everything from the catwalk to the high street are revealed.

Taking inspiration from this, they teamed up with Deepak Jalhan and Vaishakhi Haria, two of the most in-demand talent in the industry, for this edition. Both of them are well-established, and together they have brought together a special group of artists who are connected not only by their level of skill and knowledge but also by their love of hair. The artists did more than just contribute by creating motivational hair and imagery.

These three distinct trends for this season are based on the expanding significance of energy and feeling in defining both an individual’s and a group’s sense of style and aesthetic. Long flowing hair and figure-hugging clothing create a futuristic romance that is inspired by Virtual Eden and Elysian Fields. Taking a page from Selfhood Express, one can say that the unfinished textures and impressionistic optimism offer a window into the current generation’s carefree quest for protopian life, where development is more important than perfection. Last but not least, Beatniks—a term that originated from The Misfits trend—represent those who dwell in the shadows, defy conventional wisdom, and color outside the lines.

Essential Looks will serve as a platform for all things creative in hair, a tool to forecast and steer trends, and a standard for other artists, according to the brand’s shared vision.

Priyanka Dutta