When the Duchess of Cambridge changes her image, so must the women who make a living out of being her lookalike.
As the Duchess’s new fringe was unveiled (estimated cost £250), we joined 32-year-old Heidi Agan, who’s appeared as Kate on American TV and at Olympic events, as she booked into Jo Hansford’s London salon to get Kate’s new look.
India Sturgis reveals how to recreate that new style in five steps.
Fringe benefit? Kate Middleton lookalike Heidi Agan before she went to the salon (left) to replicate the Duchess of Cambridge's new hairstyle (right with the new 'do)
1. REACH FOR THE VEG
Kate’s morphed from soft, light-tinged auburn tones to a sleeker, chocolatey brown.
To get a similar tone, senior colourist Evie Perkins used a semi-permanent vegetable colour in a rich dark brown. Vegetable colours don’t contain peroxide, so dry out the hair less, keeping it in better condition.
The dye is carefully brushed through shampooed and towel-dried hair from roots to tips.
At home, sit in the bath as the colour can stain, and put a black bin liner around your shoulders for extra protection.
2. FEEL THE HEAT
Leave the colour on for 40 minutes. Heidi sat underneath a Climazone machine, which produces a gentle heat to help activate the dye.
At home, sit in a warm room or wrap your head in an old towel which will keep the heat in. Afterwards, the colour is washed out and a conditioner applied. Vegetable colour lasts for eight or ten shampoos, so it’s ideal for experimenting.
3. SNIP AND CHOP
For the fringe, hair stylist Ansha Iqbal pulled a small section of hair from the front and chopped into it at a steep angle. A straight, blunt cut can look too severe, little snips soften the effect. Make sure it’s left long enough to tuck behind the ears.
Extra layers were chopped into the lower lengths to add texture, volume and bounce.
Costly cut: The Duchess's new fringe is estimated to have cost £250 but Ms Agan says she was pleased with Kate's new style because 'she needed to do something because it's looked the same for years'
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were cheered by members of the public during an appearance on the balcony of the Guildhall in Cambridge
4. HIGH ROLLERS
Blow-dry hair roughly until about 90 per cent dry, using your fingertips to encourage volume. Spritz volumising spray at the roots before finishing off with a nozzled hairdryer, which helps concentrates the heat and keeps hair smooth and sleek.
Take sections of hair and pull upwards while using the dryer to give extra root lift. For even more body, wind in Velcro rollers and blast with the dryer.
5. TEASE AND TWEAK
Remove the rollers when cool and roughly style the hair with your fingertips to tease out the curls and tweak everything into place. Don’t pull or flatten too much or you’ll undo all your good volumising work. Finish with hairspray. Congratulations, you’re a newly crowned copy-Kate!
THE COPY-KATE VERDICT
Heidi says: ‘I love it, particularly the colour — it’s a lot more glossy — and the new cut makes it look thicker.
‘I was pleased Kate got her fringe cut — she needed to do something because it’s looked the same for years. I was getting bored with the same style.’
Ansha Iqbal and Evie Perkins at Johansford.com (020 7495 7774) Hair and make-up: Natalya Nair using Mac Cosmetics.