Happy Halloween from LAB

5 ways to win cool stuff from LAB!

You may not be aware of this ............... lab loves you and wants to give you free stuff!

Here's the top 5 ways you can win free stuff from your favourite hair stylists.

1) Win an iPod Touch by registering online and booking a haircut before Dec 1st you'll automatically be entered to win a custom lab edition iPod touch!

2) Win a $350 Moroccan oil gift pack by purchasing any moroccan oil product before Nov 15th you can enter to win this giant gift pack!

3) Win one of 10 mens grooming kits by registering for our MOvember team. Growing a moustache for charity can give you a chance to win a mens grooming kit from lab!

4) Get a FREE haircut Dec 5th by bringing in a warm coat to donate to the homeless. Coats for cuts!

5) Get a FREE haircut any other time by telling your friends about lab. Pick up a handful of our "tell a friend" cards next time you are in the shop. Your friends get 20% off and after we get a few back you get a free haircut.

You are welcome

MOvember

This year several of the kids from lab will be participating in MOvember.

In a nutshell boys start Nov. 1st clean shaven and grow only a mustache for the month. The idea is to get people to sponsor your facial hair, and all money is donated to prostate cancer research. At the end of the month there is the biggest mustache party you have ever seen, so yeah ...... it's worth it.

Lab has a registered team if you wish to join

Click here to get involved

Lab salon +1

We are very excited to welcome baby Adora Valentina Arter to the LAB family. Dave and Robin became proud parents early Saturday morning. Congratulations from everyone at LAB!

Aahmes Deschutter vs Kevin Murphy

This week lab stylist Aahmes Deschutter travelled across the pond to Vancouver for a up close and personal styling class with Kevin Murphy.

For those of you not familiar with his work, Kevin is one of the pre-eminent editorial stylists in the world. His product line is second to none and as far as Victoria is concerned it's sold exclusively at lab.

This year we are seeing tons of wave and movement created by classic setting techniques so you can be sure that Aahmes learned some pretty exciting stuff. Come by the shop and let him try it out on you!

New DJ TouchBass

After the huge success of Attack of Autumn Touchbass releases his follow up session for the season. Get on board and ride the train people.

UPSIDEDOWN by TOUCH BASS

Music you should love......Yeasayer

Another band you should love......Yeasayer. Here they are preforming

on top of a building in NYC here as part of the "don't look down" series.

They are worth your time.

Strip

Strip is a new artist focused magazine published quarterly right here in Victoria! It's full of comics, art, and culture, and it's local (and therefore deserves your support). They are available at all your favorite local hotspots, so next time you are in lab you can pick up your free copy.

Check it out at www.stripcomics.ca

WTWTA

Over the weekend several of the lab stylists went to see what will surely be one of the best movies of the year. Fans of the Maurice Sendak classic will be thrilled with the Spike Jonze adaptation. The visuals are incredibly faithful to the illustrations and the digital film stock makes for a visual feast. Especially striking is the soundtrack produced entirely by Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's.

If you get the chance...... we suggest seeing it.

Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

Ralph Lauren Photoshop disaster

Veteran Model Fillipa Hamilton is the center of a controversial photograph which has been severely photoshopped (and very badly) to make the 125 pound model impossibly thin.

Ironically enough she had just been fired from the Ralph Lauren campaigns which she has been made famous for, for being "too fat"

Bad Photoshop = good press

One more reason to come to lab

Hair salons are not traditionally known for the quality of their coffee. You can see it on the faces of clients when you offer them a cup. They are hesitant,with visions of choking back a full cup of Folgers instant, or Sanka, or maybe some 6 month old MJB "fresh" from the can. It is scary to think of how many places still offer sub par coffee to their clients causing this obvious emotional scarring.

At Lab we take our beverages very seriously. We now proudly serve fresh ground single origin coffee from Habit. This little diamond in Victoria's coffee culture has taken the vanguard in the hearts of our staff already, so we are excited to brew it in our salon. Habit's constant commitment to the local art and music scene fits right along side of our own, making them a perfect fit for Lab.

So next time you are in the salon and someone asks you if you would like a cup of coffee, don't be afraid, we got the good stuff.

True

Lab's favorite fall fashions.........1940's vintage

Women's fall fashion has taken a que from the classics. Polished tailored suits and sophisticated form fitting dresses hailing from war time in the 1930's and 40's are making a huge comeback. Men's trousers and riding boots offer a comfortable but sexy alternative for women this fall, while more structured, definitive shapes create a more elegant and feminine silhouette. Think Amelia Earhart, and Katherine Hepburn.

For footwear, say goodbye to your stilletos for a season, and say hello to thigh high boots and a softer stacked heel or wedge (often paired with short socks). Think Rita Hayworth and Coco Chanel.

To sum it up, tailored fashions with soft wavy hair, ivory skin, and cherry berry lips.

These are some of our favorite images from the famed "September issue" of Vogue magazine that demonstrate exactly what we mean.

Techromancer @ Luckybar

About Techromancer

Calli was in Beasts and Superbeasts, Andrew was Kennedy Skinny.
They met on the internet.
They named their band after a videogame.
They make tracks in Ableton and then play and sing over them live.
They play keyboards and drums.
They make music to make you dance.
They prefer dinosaurs to dragons.
They kidnap sea urchins and collect wisdom teeth.
They fear heart attacks and remote control cars

They are playing At Luckybar this weekend

TouchBass Returns

Lab's favorite wayward son has returned, and this time....it's personal.

Dj TouchBass returns to the steel wheels next Saturday night at LuckyBar.

Get there early to avoid the line!

20 questions with Chris Vickers

One of our nearest and dearest is local wonderkid Christopher Vickers. This virtual one man vaudeville act has become somewhat of an icon in the local improv scene as Remillio Sheen. Many of us first met Chris when he MC'd a fashion show for us last year. His stunning rendition of Elton John's "Rocket Man" left the crowd with gaping jaws and cemented his place in our hearts. Here is what makes him tick.

Who Are you?

Victoria's favorite lil' tramp, Christopher Vickers.

What are you most well known for?

Well, hopefully my acting or writing (Remilio Sheen and his Improv, a plethora of short films where I'm usually playing a street urchin, theatre once upon a time, music reviews for the Metropolitan or the new Rifflandia magazine.) More likely, people know me for my night moves (taking off my pants at Lucky, hitting on your cousin, dance fighting your uncle, etc.)

What is your must have item?

My man purse. Nothing fits in the tiny, tiny pockets of skinny, skinny jeans.

Who is your favorite band right now?

I don't know about favorite bands, but I'm listening to a lot of Bowie right now. Can't get enough of the newest Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. Mr. Long made a fine case for the new Dirty Projectors album - it's lovely. Oh, Beach House playing Rifflandia is a total boner.

What are you most embarrassed by?

Maybe the fact that my body is slowly becoming like the lovable Muppet, Grover's. (I'm biting that from John Ohrn.)

What was your worst date ever?

Um, pass. (OR... if anyone wants to tell me about their worst date with me - feel free.

Is winning the lottery a blessing or a curse?

I like free money. That husky fellow on Lost doesn't know anything. Let's go with blessing. First thing, house for my parents.

What is your act of green?

I serve at Mo:Le restaurant. We're all ups on local and organic food.

What is your best halloween costume ever?

My best idea is going all the way with a Hulk Hogan costume. I'm talking growing my hair long, weird goatee, bleaching every hair on my face, and shaving a bald spot. Figure-four leg locks all night!

What is your fashion accessory of choice?

Whatever pair of sneakers I've most recently purchased. Right now those funny Van's boat shoes.

Where is your home away from home?

Venice. Ah, the canals

What is your daily ritual?

Smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo

What is your guilty pleasure?

I've absolved my guilt. It's a bummer. That said, I should probably quit living like I'm 19 because this old dog is almost 30.

Camping or glamping?

I wish! I haven't left the downtown core since Hammer-pants were hot.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Paleontologist - big time! Favorite thunder lizard, you ask? Ankylosaurus!

Who is your hero?

Peter Sellers is tied with Batman

Boxers or briefs?

Briefs. I like em teeny and toasty

Cat person or dog person?

Kitties. My cat Bran Muffin was the greatest feline ever.

Last book you read?

Remainder by Tom McCarthy.

Who cuts your hair?

I'm stylist cheating on the wonderful Ashley Dusseault with the also wonderful Maia Simpson. They are both hair geniuses.

Happy Thanksgiving from LAB

Adam Sandler Thanksgiving Song from Jeff Mullooly on Vimeo.

Seriously......... stop it

Alexander McQueen......Wow

The topic of crazy "out there" designers popped up in the shop yesterday. We were talking about how some designers create wearable "off the rack" fashions and some others simply drive the whole fashion world forward with "wow art". The name Alexander Mcqueen came up to demonstrate the latter. We googled some of his latest work and were blown away.

Whatever your personal preference, you cannot deny that Alexander McQueen is a genius.........and quite possibly insane. His fall collection is clearly other worldly in nature, and the hair seems kind of Star Trek reptilian princess inspired.

Soak it up people

Wanna see what else gets us inspired?

Book an appointment

Lab loses it at Junior Boys

The hard working creative team at lab has been pulling long hours lately and last night they finally got a chance to blow off some steam at the Junior Boys show at Sugar nightclub. For the 500 or so in attendance this was potentially the best show they'll see this year. Even the sound at the ailing live venue seemed to come into crisp clean resonance while the "Boys" layed out their sonic euphoria for the crowd.

If you have never heard of Junior Boys, shame on you. They are definitely worth a listen.

Here's one of our favorites

Chris Rock's Good Hair Day

We are waiting for this movie to drop. Our bet is that the

opening weekend is going to be chock full of hairdressers,

but don't let that stop you from seeing it.

Music you should love

The french band Phoenix has been on and off the radar

for several years now. Something about their accessible

brand of sacarin pop music keeps bringing us back for

more.

And the only thing better than a song you can fall in love with, is when you mix it with a movie you already love.

You are welcome

DJ Longshanks gets some much deserved press!

Lab lover Chris Longshanks was recently featured in a story by the Times Colonist

We are so proud...
Click Here for the story

Green Hair

Matty brings Lisbon home

Last week lab director Matty Conrad traveled across the pond to Lisbon Portugal for Schwarzkopfs annual PH conference eager to share our culture and vision with other salons from across North America.

Needless to say that his trip was a huge success, and lab's innovative marketing and creative culture were a hit with the other salon owners.

" Any time that you get to share ideas and support each other without feeling competitive or threatened by each other you get a real chance to advance our industry" say Conrad. "Ph salons represent the top salons in North America as far as Schwarzopf is concerned so it was a huge honour just to be invited to participate."

While in Lisbon Matty spent several days at the Schwarzkopf ASK academy training with international Essential Looks artist Bradley Querl ( a former Vidal Sassoon prodige and RUSH London Artistic Director) training for the upcoming Fall & Winter trends. He also took time to comb the inner city fashion district of Chiado to spy on all of the current european street looks.

Rest assured he can't wait to share everything he's learned with his talented staff.

Wanna find out more?

Book an appointment.

Soldout " The Cut"

I realize the gratuitous nature of a producer called SoLab and a song called "The Cut" being showcased on our Blog. I hope the irony is not wasted. This little Belgian Duo is worth checking out.

Soldout "The Cut" from SoLab on Vimeo.