Irish Dancer has just had a chat with Susan from KirKit Champion Wigs. They are a relatively new supplier of Irish Dance wigs, so we thought we'd find out a little about them and check out what looks like a very good product range. |
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| Irish
Dancer Hi Susan. Tell me
how you became involved in the world of Irish Dancing
Wigs? Susan Really it all began because I am a parent of an Irish Dancer. Irish Dancer So you're an Irish dancing mum! Did you ever roll your daughters hair? Susan Yes, I used to roller my daughter’s hair and it was so time consuming, it took 2 hours to put them in and about half an hour at least to take them out. Not to mention the bad condition it left the hair in (broken and split hairs) Irish Dancer We’ve been there! (see here) How do you think dancers hair (or their wigs!) has changed over the last few years? Susan I think as time has gone by dancers have tended to go for a fuller look. I have even known dancers to wear two wigs to achieve this ……..can you imagine how hot the dancers head would be underneath! Also you can now get wigs that are two tone in shade. Irish Dancer So you eventually decided to stop the hassle of curling hair and make the move into wigs, like most of the rest of us. Obviously you weren’t supplying them at the time so what did you think of the wigs that were available? Susan Wigs have become a necessity and part of any serious Irish dancers attire. There are lots of different varieties of wigs on the market at the moment and I tried various different ones for my daughter. Some were better than others as regards to style and fitting, but the quality of the fibre on the wigs wasn't very good. As a parent of a step dancer I found it hard to find a good quality wig with the styling of curls I wanted, with the fullness that is needed. We didn’t want to have to resort to wearing two wigs which, as I said before, some dancers were starting to do. Irish Dancer So is that what inspired you to start your own business? Susan Yes! I found it hard to find a wig that I really liked for my daughter that looked full and glossy without compromising with quality. Although I was prepared to pay for the wig I wanted, the wig I had in mind didn’t actually exist! So then I thought “why don’t I source and make the wig that I want myself?” And that’s how KirKit Champion Wigs was born! Irish Dancer Tell us a little about your range. Susan The wigs are exclusive to KirKit Champion Wigs and were designed after months of consultation with the manufacturers. Samples were made and after a few changes and modifications I was happy with the result! Irish Dancer So what do you feel makes them so good? Susan Our wigs are made from the superior quality fibre – Kanekalon - which gives the wigs a lustrous appearance. The demand for wigs has been constantly evolving and my wigs are fuller and have lots and lots of curls!! The superior fibre is essential because of the nature of the dancing. The wigs take a lot of bashing and abuse. If you think about what purpose the wig is supposed to serve, which is mainly for cosmetic reasons, it does suffer more than the average! Irish Dancer Given the battering they get, how long should we really expect a wig to last then? Susan It’s difficult to say. KirKit Champion wigs aren’t indispensable (I would be lying if I said they were!) Dancing wigs will not last forever and will inevitably lose their “new” appearance after a few wears. However, to start with, the best possible materials have been used to prolong the “life” of the wig. Of course the longevity of the wig also depends on how it is looked after by the dancer, and how often it is used. If you start with a good quality fibre and then it is maintained well after wearing, and stored properly, it will last you longer. Irish Dancer Is there a proper way to look after the wigs then? Do you recommend any maintainence, like washing etc.? Susan I don’t recommend washing a wig. Air it as soon as possible after wearing and then store it in a box with the curls falling down into the box (skull cap facing upwards). Don’t turn the wig inside out! You can tidy up the curls by using a pencil and carefully wrap the curl around the pencil smoothing out kinks as you go – you may also trim away fuzzy bits of the wig. Irish Dancer What about when we first receive a new wig, is there anything we need to do for it to look its best? Susan It is recommended to take the wig out of its packaging and hold the skullcap facing upward (curls falling down towards the floor) and gently shake to release the curls. Ideally you should place the wig on a ‘wig block’ or suitable sized lampshade (make sure there is nothing sharp to snag the wig) to allow the curls to ‘relax’. Irish Dancer So we’ve bought our KirKit Champion wig, now what's the best way to make it secure? Susan The wigs come supplied with full combs on the top and bottom and the best way to secure the wig is to use Kirby grips around the base line all around the wig. Only the minimum amount of grips actually on the weave of the wig itself…………but in the same vein make sure the dancer feels confident that the wig is secure. There is nothing more embarrassing than a wig falling off!! Irish Dancer Is it difficult to get a Tiara to fit and stay on as well? Susan I personally don’t recommend tiara’s with wigs as they snag and pull the fibres of the wig and this can make the wig fuzzy. However if you do wear one it is best to practice and use a method you feel personally happy with. |
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| Irish
Dancer We’ve talked
about the wigs themselves but how does a dancer know
which type of wig will suit them? Susan We have three styles which should suit most
dancers. Irish Dancer What about the colour? Is it better for the colour to be lighter or darker than your own hair? Susan This is a very personal choice and I know dancers that have gone either a shade lighter or darker from their own natural hair colour. The most important thing to remember is to choose a colour that suits your complexion and if you have a fringe don’t go too extreme! Irish Dancer Does the colour of the dress have any effect on the decision when choosing the wig colour? Susan I have come across cases where the colour of the costume has influenced the choice of colour of the wig. Again this is very personal and it is important to be sensible that you don’t go OTT. Choose a colour that compliments you personally rather than what so and so has. |
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| Irish
Dancer Apart from the wigs
themselves you are offering a very unusual wig fitting
service. Tell us more…. Susan A new and exclusive service I can offer is a wig fitting service to teachers and dancers at their venue/class. This will allow dancers, parents and teachers to actually see the wig and colour of the wig on the dancer. This is an exclusive service that I am offering and it allows teachers to see the appearance and check suitability which alleviates the problem of dancers/parents choosing the wrong colours etc, etc. It also gives me the opportunity to demonstrate to people how to tidy up the curls by using a pencil, and de-fuzz the wigs, as I mentioned before. Irish Dancer What a good idea, are there any restrictions on this service? Susan This is a pre-book service and there would need to be at least 4/5 dancers at the school actually needing to purchase wigs before I can offer this service. At the moment I am offering this exclusive service to the UK Midlands region only, but will consider further afield if the demand is great enough. Irish Dancer So if we don’t use your exclusive wig fitting service how do we get our hands on a KirKit Champion wig then? Susan I do a Worldwide mail order service. So far the furthest I have sent a wig to is Australia and you can’t get further from the UK if you tried! I accept payment by cheques and credit or debit cards. Despatch is within two days of receiving an order by first class recorded delivery. Irish Dancer Where else can we buy your wigs? Susan In a similar way as the wig fitting service I am happy to offer Schools my wig fitting service at their Class feis by prior arrangement and consultation. (see our test of this here) Unfortunately I don’t have any plans to sell at Open feisanna at this moment in time but keep checking as I may well do in the future!! |
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So there you have it! Check out our KirKit Champion Wig test here If you'd like to get your hands on a KirKit Champion Wig or if you are a Teacher or School and want to arrange for Susan to come to you with her Wig Fitting service just get in touch with her Take a
look at the website www.irishdancing.co.uk KirKit
Wigs |
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