Megan Mouren is The Cloudhunter

By now I'd say I've made my feelings clear regarding fantastically vibrant hair. Hairspiration is hairspiration - I'm all in.

Perhaps I'm compelled because I actually enjoy bright colours and tones - tis the season etc. But aside from that there's something refreshingly rare about seeing someone dye their hair several shades of highlighter (all at once) and still manage to look completely put-together. I mean, does a vintage blue plaid uniform circa Winona Ryder in 'Heathers' really pair with neon green tresses? Well, yes actually. It does. Here's how.

Megan Mouren (designer of Cloudhunter - who's Cali Roots reggae-inspired hair I covered here) is all about colour. Lot's of colour (Lucy, her pomeranian, wears a pink dress - just FYI). Now I know we've breached the whole DIY-dye job topic, but this time around the focus was on what to wear with neon hair. After all, hair is a big deal. It's a game-changer. I mean redheads are all about emerald green for a reason, right? With various Echo Park locations as backdrops, I shot and chatted with Megan about her love of the area. "I just love menu-exploring. You know? Discovering new restaurants is like an adventure. I'm all about the ones that use local produce. The quiet coffee shops - it's easy to feel like you're away from the city."  

In terms of inspiration it's clear there's a lot going on. "My spirit fashion animal is Gwen in the 90ies. Bianca Jagger is my favorite historical icon. Also, I loved Fran Drescher's outfits in 'The Nanny'. Right now Anna Della Russo is amazing. I'm into how she wears anything she wants, especially on her head. The watermelon, china dolls, eggs and disco balls were all pretty insane. Her stuffed lamb thing at Ungaro was super fun - I guess I'm just into her as a fashion individualist and all around super woman! Oh, and Sailor Moon obviously. Huge inspiration there."

With regards to menswear, Mouren is all about keeping things neat and tidy. "Having a polished gentleman around is a nice balance to my colourful, print-friendly style. You can tell a lot by a man's casual and loungewear - so great vintage tees and stylish sweats (think Alexander Wang) are a must."

  

Megan Mouren, wearing pieces from her vintage collection and jewelry by Camille K, photographed by 

Alexander Atkins in Los Angeles.

Hairspiration: DIY Dye Job

In my continued quest to discover other people's hairspiration I've uncovered a big secret. People are DIY-ing it - for real.

I'm not just talking about cutting your own bangs. No, this is much more than that. And yes, heavy duty bleach is definitely involved. Now I'm all for the whole DIY thing (I have an odd affinity with any and everything IKEA), but it takes serious cajones to bleach and dye your own (!) hair. Not to mention in fluorescent colours (we're practically talking glow-in-the-dark). Essentially the days of 'The Rachel' are so behind us.

Megan Mouren (the creative force of Cloud Hunter) and Camille Labat (whose Alison Mosshart-inspired hairspiration I covered here) have been doing the DIY dye thing for a few years now. For Camille it all started with pink tips. "X-tina in a subtle, less dirrty way, although I love that album!" Of course one thing always leads to another. "Dip-dyes, purple-tips, multi-colored streaks, the ombré thing - I've done it all." Labat, who currently sports natural roots, a deep red body and magenta tips, aims to explore blue tones next. For Mouren, a recent trip to California Roots Festival in Monterey over Memorial Day Weekend was the ideal catalyst for venturing into a triple dip-dye situation. A trifecta of neons green, yellow and orange tints. "I wanted something reggae appropriate - you know? And everyone kept trying to grab my hair, thinking it was a wig - which it isn't." 

Two DIY-dyers are certainly better than one. Together the pair are eye-catching and incredibly easy to spot in a crowd (which comes in handy). While maintaining the vibrance and tonality of neons is an arduous task at best, the eventual run and fade thing is quite charming. Colours become soft and powdery; think Kurt Cobain meets Marie Antoinette. It's all mildly punk, yet overtly lovely.

Discover more hairspiration features by clicking here.

Megan Mouren & Camille Labat, in basics by Acne and J Brand, photographed by Alexander Atkins in San Francisco.