Ancestral Spirits

Ken Kinoshita of Ken Studio in the heart of picturesque Mexico City shows off flourishing form with his latest collection “Ancestral Spirits”.  This beauty industry veteran is an icon in the art and medium of hairstyling. A National Platform Artist for Redken Mexico, Ken brings a robust sense of culture and personal warmth to all that he does.

Known for setting trends for hair, Ken and his talented team utilized an inviting arrangement of current styles for this series of imagery.  A harvest of color was implemented with finely tuned tone on tone placement techniques. Brilliant reds, golden blondes, and lightly toasted browns offer the ultimate dimensionality to these highly textured cuts.

Dimensional Layers

Wanting to capture the essence of his adoptive land, Ken chose the canals at Xochimilco as the backdrop for this collection. These beautiful winding waterways are shadowed by mythic and ancient structures. A sense of calm and ancestral belonging loom as little wooden crafts glide delicately over the surface of the moss-laden water.

Working closely with local fashion designers, Ken embraced an obvious Mexican flavor for the wardrobe. The brightly colored, hand embroidered pieces were well accented against the robust spectrum of the scene. Intricately detailed accessories added the perfect finishing touches for this visual feast for the Gods.

Earthen Splendor

Molded and shaped of unordinary clay, a feeling of belonging in a solitary way.

Christina was in need of a fresh look. Her length was outgrown and stringy, while her color was flat and monochromatic. To start the process, her color was brightened up a notch with the introduction of delicate and thinly sliced highlights on a rich chocolate brown base. To maintain some of her precious length, her hair was cut to just past the shoulders, which created a more manageable and updated style. Longer layering was introduced to add movement and texture to her otherwise lifeless strands.

To create the final style, Ken applied Redken Straight on her wet hair, which he combed through from the scalp to the ends and then blow-dried section by section with a large round brush. Next, the length was flat ironed with Spray Starch. Introducing movement, the ends were lightly pieced with Glass.  

Big Bends, Bold ShapeSacred Vitality

A breath of life to worship and endure, this vision of beauty is radiant, yet pure.

Having naturally coarse and very difficult hair to work with, Silvana simply wanted ease of care. A shorter length was introduced to accent her facial features while creating less bulk.  Layering unlocked her natural wave, which was then enhanced with a delicate warmth for the color.

To create a loosely tousled, yet multidirectional feel, Ken started with Redken Guts on towel dried hair, then diffuse dried to activate her natural texture. Once dry, Smart Wax was used to coil the curls, which were pinned sporadically to create the overall shape. For clean control and to shine up the look without weighing it down, Vinyl Glam was lightly dusted all over for a touchable finish.

Vibrant LayersSpark of Life

A spark of refinement longing to embrace, eternal life forces of ancestral grace.

To take Suzanna's look from basic to brilliant, Ken and his team started with the haircolor. With vertical panels placed in a freehand manner, a series of robust reds and red-browns were introduced using Redken High Fusion Professional Haircolor.

For an updated style, Suzanna’s length was taken up to the shoulder while the edges were shattered for movement.  To style, Ken started with Redken Clean Lift volumizing gel on wet hair, then blow-dried section by section with a round brush. For control, the dry hair was flat ironed with Spray Starch. To maintain a sleek finish, Glass was applied lightly to the surface of the hairstyle and more liberally on the ends.

Strong AsymetrySolar Gaze

A feast for the gods of uncommon delight, with radiant splendor in glorified sight.

Victoria simply desired a “pick me up”. Her fine and limp hair required a boost both in style and color.  To start, her blonde hue was brightened a notch while a darker block of color was placed underneath for depth. The ends were delicately razor cut for texture and volume.

In styling her hair, Ken started with Redken Glass to tame the frizz, then worked through Guts for overall volume and Clean Lift at the root for a light airy fullness. He then blow-dried section by section with a round brush. Once dry, Glass was applied as the hair was directed forward for a softly swept look. For a rougher finish, the hair was directed forward and upward at the ends with the use of Water Wax.

Credits: Hair: Ken Kinoshita for Ken Studio – Mexico City • Makeup: Chamo • Fashion Stylist: Laura Espitia • Photo: Taggart Winterhalter for Purely Visual

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