MASTERS

It's that time of the year again. The North American Hairdressing Awards Ceremony or NAHA is here. Before we kick off the celebration, get to know our finalists for this year's competition.  MODERN SALON recently spoke to the North American Hairdressing Awards or NAHA finalists. These uber-talented stylists invested considerable time, talent and energy into their entries. CLICK the name of the (Dimitrios Tsioumas, Frank Rizzieri, Ruth Roche, Eric Fisher and Charlie Price) you would like to meet.

Don't forget to tune in on July 14, 2013 at 10pm EST for the EXCLUSIVE live broadcast of the 2013 NAHA Awards Gala at modernsalon.com/naha. And be sure to join the conversations on twitter with the hashtag #NAHALIVE.

 

MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS

                          Dimitrios Tsioumas
                                                         MIZU New York

What did you do when you found out you were a NAHA 2013 finalist? Who did you tell/call first? 

"I had a huge smile on my face. I couldn’t stop smiling for hours. I called my family, who haa been my inspiration and biggest fans."

Describe your inspiration, vision and theme for your NAHA entry.

"I looked at flamboyant concepts that have a timeless quality and an extremely decorative character The collection developed from the idea of "the hunter and collector" chasing the exquisite and the unique, cherishing and mixing discoveries with daring eclecticism. Bold flamboyance is mixed with a passion for decorative arts and crafts, creating a contemporary curiosity cabinet filled with the unique and the one-off. Fabrics and textures of true origin show folkloric aspects, exotic references and tribal influences, all matched freely with the traditional and authentic to create a generous and eclectic mix. The Color Palette was a range that stages the abundant as well as the understated to enable the flamboyant color clashes where extravagance meets elegance and exoticism."

How has entering NAHA made you a better hairdresser? 

"Shooting for NAHA has allowed me to challenge my craft. It's a great way to focus on your strengths and make them stronger. In the end, you're able to share your vision and point of view as an artist."

What is (and when was) the most NAHA-worthy work you have ever created for an actual paying client? (Do you have an image of it?  Please forward if you can.) 

"I have a couple handfuls of clients that I get to experiment on. The majority of them are in fashion or in fashion design school. I tend to create a lot of looks that are NAHA worthy each season, especially when it’s close to Fashion week."

What year did you first enter NAHA?

"2008."

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MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS

                               Frank Rizzieri
                                                   Rizzieri Salon & Spa

What did you do when you found out you were a NAHA 2013 finalist? Who did you tell/call first?

"I was in Minneapolis / Saint Paul going into a meeting with Aveda.  The first person I told was my wife."

Describe your inspiration, vision and theme for your NAHA entry.

"The inspiration for my Master Stylist Collection is Kate Moss’ recent book, called KATE. Her collaboration through the years with the world’s best photographers and image makers inspired me to use one model with five different looks."

How has entering NAHA made you a better hairdresser? 

"Entering NAHA has made me a better hairdresser, because you have to be a good hairdresser to enter – so you have to always be improving your craft."

What is (and when was) the most NAHA-worthy work you have ever created for an actual paying client? (Do you have an image of it? 

MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS"The most NAHA-worthy work that I have created for a paying client was a shoot that I did where I was inspired by the book 'Cowboy Kate'."

What year did you first enter NAHA? Who helped or inspired you?

"I first entered NAHA in 1989 and was inspired by working in New York at the time."

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MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS


                                Ruth Roche

What did you do when you found out you were a NAHA 2013 finalist? Who did you tell/call first?

"I was over the moon .It just so happened that I was teaching a class at Salon Patine in Santa Barbara, formerly APACE salon. It was the VERY first salon I’ve ever worked in! My first boss, Lynn Hudson, was taking the hands-on workshop, and it was an AMAZING experience. The first person I contacted was my dear friend Ronda Wagner, who was visiting me when I shot for NAHA and helped me figure out how to bring the vision to reality."

Describe your inspiration, vision and theme for your NAHA entry.

"There were two themes that crossed over. The first theme had the feeling of a tattoo drawn onto the face and hair in colors that almost looked water color-ish. The water theme comes through in the set that Nico created where there are drops of water seemingly floating behind the models. We also wanted to do very saturated colors, yet keep them on the deep side. The other hair theme came from an idea that I have had in my head forever, but could never quite figure out how to create it. I wanted hair to look illustrated, not quite like a cartoon, but illustrated two-dimensionally on a 3D surface.  And I wanted it to look glossy like plastic or acrylic would be."

How has entering NAHA made you a better hairdresser?

"By deciding to enter, I then have a deadline, which gets me moving in the direction of creation. I then have to do something I like even more than the last shoot I had done ... a new personal best. This collection is a personal best for me."

What is (and when was) the most NAHA-worthy work you have ever created for an actual paying client?

"The most NAHA worthy work I have done was for a performer, the Lady Gaga of China. Her name is Sun. We would always do a brand new eccentric color, usually a combination of several, and Great Lengths extensions. Each time she would have a vision that almost seemed impossible, because I would have to go from super-saturated red to very light blonde, and still have hair left to attach the extensions to."

What year did you first enter NAHA? Who helped or inspired you?

"I first entered NAHA in 93’. My good friend, Mary Brunetti, who I was working for at the time, helped me put a concept together, and I entered  the Stylist of the Year category. It was practically my very first photo shoot, and she was there with me every step of the way, including doing the makeup. She also got a great photographer friend to work with me. I did not place as a finalist, but it was a great first experience of shooting a collection."

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 MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS   

 

                                 Eric Fisher
                                                      Eric Fisher Salon

What did you do when you found out you were a NAHA 2013 finalist? Who did you tell/call first?

 "I was in Palm Springs taking a photography class when I started getting texts about my student, two former students and me becoming NAHA finalist. I probably received close to 100 congratulatory messages."

Describe your inspiration, vision and theme for your NAHA entry.

 "I saw a photo from a European magazine and liked the image a lot. It was clean and simple, but engaging."

How has entering NAHA made you a better hairdresser?

 "I love the preliminary work for NAH. The process is well disciplined thus making me a better craftsman.What you do off the job effects what you do on the job. I take my own photos as well. NAHA has definitely helped me become a better photographer. My teams at EFS and EFA participate as well. You can see that the discipline pays off with enhanced techniques as well as creating a culture of learning and working together."

What is (and when was) the most NAHA-worthy work you have ever created for an actual paying client?

 "When I was younger, I used to work on music videos and I would utilize the techniques I used and still use for NAHA. Working with my students at the Eric Fisher Academy allows me to teach the students everything I have learned in NAHA and more."

What year did you first enter NAHA? Who helped or inspired you?

  "I believe I have entered NAHA every year since its inception. Although many years I have not gotten in, or lost, I still have well over a dozen nominations and a couple of wins. My school, the Eric Fisher Academy has had the honor of not only winning student category, but also having a student or multiple students nominated every year since we opened."

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MEET the NAHA Finalists: MASTERS

                                 Charlie Price
                                                                Halo Salon

What did you do when you found out you were a NAHA 2013 finalist? Who did you tell/call first?

"I always get a bit lightheaded. It's a narcotic feeling, the best buzz, better than three glasses of chardonnay. I screamed in the salon like a drag queen at a sports bar, so the first people I told were a room full of people who could have cared less." 

Describe your inspiration, vision and theme for your NAHA entry.

"My contemporary classic and hairstylist of the year entries are called jazz. I wanted the girls to look like they were in a subterranean night club in New York or Paris. The master and editorial collections are called "the dark arts" and are edgy, sexy and laced with a punk/S&M vibe, which is a recurring theme in my work."

How has entering NAHA made you a better hairdresser?

"First of all, it's fun to do photo shoots. It forced me to improve, to hone my skills and develop my eye. Once the judges have spoken, you know definitively if a shoot works or not."

What is (and when was) the most NAHA-worthy work you have ever created for an actual paying client? 

"No way! My clients are prim and proper fancy ladies. I can't reveal their identities, we have written agreements."

What year did you first enter NAHA? Who helped or inspired you?

"I first entered in the early 1990's. I wanted to be cool like my mentor Van Council. Unfortunately, it took until 2002 to get my first nomination and win, but happily ever since, I've been as addicted to NAHA as Nancy Grace is to cheap barrettes."

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