Howard McLaren, co-founder of LA salon-cum-culture-lab Whitehouse, has been the creative director of some of the most influential hair brands, including Toni&Guy, Bumble & bumble and now R+Co. Early in his career, Howard began photographing everything he did, so who better to mine for advice on street searching for models?
“Don’t look for hair; look for the face. You can always add hair. Search for a face that you identify with and that your brand identifies with. Just put your camera in front of them and see how they photograph, and check out their own selfies on Instagram too. Sometimes you can get a beautiful girl who just doesn’t work!
It’s a way of looking at things that you need to exercise to make that muscle stronger – taking them out of context of the everyday. It’s a great thing to do, and it gives you a fresh way of working with your clients. It means that every guest that walks through your door you can see ‘beyond’ what’s there. You can train your eye to that aesthetic.”
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