When renowned British hairdresser
Trevor Sorbie picked
Ruth Roche as one of three out
of 300 applicants who would
comprise his U.S. artistic team, he saw a
fearless, talented young woman who exhibited
enthusiasm, not ego, and confidence
that came with drive.
"I wasn't afraid of much, and I was used
to traveling since my dad was a Navy man,"
recalls Roche, who eventually became
Sorbie's national artistic director. "To audition,
I did one of Trevor's cuts from a
video cover-I'd never had time to see the
actual video. He liked the front of the cut,
but he liked my moxie even more."
Today, Roche has her NYC-based RARE
Academy and Salon, numerous NAHA wins,
a colossal celebrity clientele, a long stint
as Redken's Global Artistic Director of
Design and tons of editorial credits. Still,
she remains as artistically curious as ever
and almost girlishly giddy about her next
adventure. Soon, she reveals, she'll return
to the stage and do special events for the
Pureology Artistic Team, as its cutting and
styling specialist.
Making it Happen
A former engineering student, Roche
dropped out of college to pursue her first
love, hairdressing. Her keys to getting
busy: hard work and the right connections.
Roche's celebrity hook-up started
with friend and celebrity make-up
artist Billy B.
"He called me one day to do Mariah
Carey's hair," says Roche. "After that,
we did tons of test shoots together,
which helped me build a portfolio."
 Roche's alter ego Judi thanked her fans for making her popular-now she's MIA!  Foolin' around with the latest in haute-coiffure mouse ears. |
Eventually, her portfolio netted
her a celebrity agent just days before
the call came from Vanity Fair for
a Laura Linney/Annie Leibovitz
photo shoot. This put her in the
incredibly cool position of saying
those words stylists dream
about: "Have her people call
my agent."
| Ruth's Surprising Secrets Dream Makeover: Not Donald Trump; Roche likes his trademark look. She'd love to take Nicole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan back to being redheads. Her Alter-Ego: "Judi" appeared the day Roche tried on "a really ugly wig" and fell into a funny, semi-patronizing Valley Girl character. Because the wig was stolen, Judi is on permanent sabbatical. If you find it, there could be a reward. Chillin' Time: For R&R, Roche paints abstract water colors and hangs out with her cats, Lily and Sammy, who have their own elaborate and safely enclosed cat village, which leads out to her 19th-floor balcony. RocheSpeak: "I combine a lot of words. A Scaria is the scary area behind the ear where you can create a gap in the hair cut if you aren't careful. A Doinky Doodle is hair in front that goes up, then down; you create it with finishing." Can't Live Without: Animals, a Mason Pearson Brush and Pureology Smoothing Elixir. |
Everyone has professional challenges and
Roche is no exception. When Sorbie became
less involved in his namesake company,
Roche moved to Redken; post Redken, she
opened RARE Academy. Her first class was
on September 11, 2001.
"It was the third
day of a three-day cutting
class, and we carried on," says Roche.
She opened RARE salon two years later
with zero clients,
and built the business
from zip.
Now she focuses on teaching others-
her very favorite thing-and recharges her
creative self by staying playful. "Recently,
I used my video camera to film myself trying
to get a cab," laughs Roche. "I kept up
a running monologue and included my
eventual driver."
Revitalized and
re-energized to hit the
road again, what advice does Roche have
for others who dream of success?
"Be assertive but not pushy, powerful
but not overly aggressive. Volunteer to assist
anywhere you will learn, and keep your eyes
open for those magical opportunities."
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