The Shattered Bob

By Heather Haemker

Chop, chop. That sound is music to a hairstylist’s ears, and it looks like you’ll be humming that tune quite a bit in the months to come. Thanks to trendsetting celebrities and models, and hairstylists, “just a trim” is being eclipsed by requests for chic new cuts with real character—like this choppy new take on the classic bob.

Whether, it’s coming up in length from last season’s lob (ahem, Julianne Hough) or growing our from pixie length (yes, you, Jennifer Lawrence), the edgy, new bob is shorter, sometimes disconnected and completely effortless! Celebrity stylists Riawna Capri of Nine One Zero Salon in West Hollywood is responsible for many of these looks—her clients include Hough and Lawrence, plus Demi Lovato, Emma Roberts, Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez.

“Bobs can be considered a little dated,” Riawna admits, “unless you add lots of texture and movement. And these choppy bobs flatter every face shape.” After creating texture with her shears, Riawna says it’s all about the beach spray! “UNITE Beach Spray is my favorite because it’s light, but you can add more to build up the strength of the hair, if desired,” she says.

Celebrity stylist Ken O’Rouke helped kick off the chop-chop craze when he took his shears to Kristen Stewart’s locks—in a hotel bathroom in Paris, of all places. “We were there for the Chanel show and thought it would be a fun idea to change her look,” Ken discloses, adding that the actress has been considering cutting her hair for a new film. “Karl Lagerfeld and everybody at Chanel loved it!” he admits.

Ken created the cut in stages, first snipping Kristen’s hair to about shoulder length, then removing excess weight and length with a slicing technique. After the hair dried, he applied Rene Furterer STYLING WAX to the roots and sprayed the entire head with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, which gave the texture a lived-in, rather than a freshly cut appearance. So Ken, any nerves as you were cutting? “Not at all,” he laughs. “Kristen really wanted this and was confident all the way. The second I finished, it was high fives and hugs all around!”