Hairstyling has acquired the dimensions of an art form with talented and skilled people joining the profession. But rarely have I seen someone handling hair with the love of a true connoisseur as does Joakim Roos. Literally designing hair, this gold medalist international competition trainer was in Karachi to conduct programmes for the trainers of Pivot Point Member School, Pakistan. As is the wont of the local franchise, a one-day open workshop is included in the schedule to benefit outsiders.

Pivot Point has a strong presence in Pakistan thanks to the professional foresight of pioneer stylist and the driving force behind Ravissant, Daulat Rahimtoola. Speaking to her at the event, she said that it is the only institute in cosmetology whose certificate is recognised internationally, and it has played a key role in providing manpower from Pakistan to places such as the Meredian Hotel, thereby earning it valuable foreign exchange. She identified spa treatment professionals as the need of modern times and something that holds the promise of gaining a respectable vocation abroad for the local workforce.

Back to Joakim, and the French educator is also the artistic director of OMC (Organisation Mondiale Coiffure) where he has been working for 23 years. Soft-spoken, articulate, and with a great sense of humour, he spoke exclusively to Images on Sunday on his first trip to Pakistan.

Q. With Pakistan on the travel advisory list were you nervous about coming here?

A. It is unfortunate that Pakistan has been in the news for all the wrong reasons, but I am so thrilled that I came because the media only projects bad things to westerners. It never speaks about the warmth of the people, about the rich culture and history which struck me from the minute I arrived here. I had been curious about the country as I had never been here, but had just met a few Pakistanis through my friends in the association when I had visited Sri Lanka for competitions and training.

Q. How conservative in experimentation do you find the Pakistani client vis-à-vis the western counterpart?

A. While westerners are definitely more open to experiments I find that there is a lot of stuff we do that can be pulled in here that is not outrageous and gives us tremendous fun stuff to work with. It’s also time to prove our skills, because we can change people’s behaviour.

Having said that, I would say the general fashion we see here is actually not very different. Take long hair, for instance: they may wear it in a more classic style here, whereas abroad they would experiment perhaps, with the colour. Admittedly, people generally sport longer hair here than in the West, but that’s because hair quality tends to be great here.

Q. As far as hairstyling and structure is concerned do you find us lagging behind the West?

A. I would say it is a development process. Pakistan is at the stage where China used to be 15 years ago. I went to China again recently and find they have now become so radical in trends and fashion because of the development of their country as a whole that even if I appeared before them with one half of my head shaved and blue polka dots and stripes on the other, it would not be fashion enough. Similarly, Europe reached its peak in the ’80s, which was an extreme period of experimentation; so actually, you are at an advantage because you are still experimenting, while we have stagnated.

Q. The latest styles you displayed at the workshop reflect the look of the ’80s. Is this an example that nothing new is being created?

A. There are always seven year cycles in trends. And, what’s more, economics has a bigger impact on fashion and trends than one thinks. Considering that the world is in a so-called ‘financial recess’, it kind of puts a damper on ingenuity as people can’t invent, but rather want to have something that reflects stability and durability. They want durable jeans, for instance. But, conversely, in order to boost feelings people want to indulge themselves and invest in products that will make them look fantastic, and get their hair done by expensive stylists, etc. That is why the glamorous look of the ’70s and ’80s is back: the dream state with glitter, sequence, the heavy fringes, extra detailing; the tendencies of the era can be seen, but are adapted to suit the here and now.

Q. How were your students here?

A. Very receptive and quite ambitious, and I am not being polite. They all have the know-how and they want to excel in their profession and have the technical inclination to understand all that is going on.