Eugene Souleiman is one of the most renowned hairdressers working in the field today. He is the “behind the scenes” guy for high profile fashion designers and ad campaigns. As the Global Creative Director of Care & Styling for Wella Professionals, he is at the forefront of all beauty trends as the one creating and driving modern silhouettes. Souleiman is a true visionary.
MODERN's Maggie Mulhern met with Souleiman privately before he and Pamela Rhett, Wella Professionals Senior Manager Influencer Marketing, held an insightful presentation and Q and A for just a handful of press and select members of the Wella Passionistas group. It was an energized session, with the most intriguing questions coming from the Passionistas themselves.
Here are some key take-aways from that private meeting and the group presentation.
TRENDS FOR 2019: Souleiman believes that there are two key trends for 2019. “Women are the new men,” he says. “There is a new feminism. It is a movement - but you can be a strong woman and be feminine.” To achieve this Souleiman says there is minimal styling which he describes as subtle but with strength. “Own that femininity in an effortless and classy way.” The other trend, according to Souleiman, is almost the exact opposite which he describes as “Fantasy World – something not touchable. There’s a lot of room to be creative,” which he describes as a “Hair Holiday.” These are the looks he creates with some of his most fanciful designers like Thom Browne and Jeremy Scott.
HOW TO KEEP INSPIRED: Souleiman says that he is inspired by many things, especially music (Hip Hop, Garage Band) and art (special effects artists, landscape artists and even taxidermists!) “I am inspired by so many people,” Souleiman says, sharing that he follows people like chefs, especially celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal who takes a scientific approach to cooking.
SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS: “Social media is a great platform. You have to put yourself out there.” Souleiman advises that you have a page dedicated to hair. “I don’t want to go to a page and see avocado on toast,” saying that those kinds of photos should be on a separate account. “You should have a personal page for selfies and those kinds of photos.” When it comes to your professional page, Souleiman says it’s important thing is that it have strong hair. “Show what kind of work you do, and the kind of work you want to do.”
HOW TO GET ON HIS FASHION WEEK TEAM: DM him on Instagram (@eugenesouleiman)! “I would say I’ve met 1/3rd of my team through direct messages on my Instagram.” Souleiman advises you send what he describes as a “nice” message, but have a sense of urgency. “People keep telling me that social media is saturated. It is, but in a generic way. I read every DM and will look at your page. Make sure your page has a point of view.”
TIPS IF YOU DO GET ON A TEAM: Talent is key, but Souleiman says there are some important things any behind the scenes hairdresser must know and do. “It’s important to be flexible,” he says. “You have to work from your gut – it’s an honest place.” Souleiman points out that it’s not unusual for a model to walk in with just a few minutes for preparation before hitting the runway. “You must be able to work in a tight space surrounded by makeup and nail artists. There’s a lot of madness around. We have to be able to make decisions quickly.”
BONUS TIP: “Never say never,” Souleiman says. “Whenever I feel too comfortable with something I actually feel uncomfortable. Be open and not afraid to make mistakes.” Souleiman adds that making mistakes is a great way to learn and grow.
Souleiman met with MODERN's Maggie Mulhern before the presentation to offer some additional info:
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