I look for inspiration in my walk in life

by Fernando Salas

Fernando Salas is a legendary hairstylist who has been in the industry for 35 years, an inspired master and developer of new beauty products and cutting tools, as well as the author of the Picasso Code - his own no guess system of hair cutting. At the height of his experience, Mr. Salas has agreed to share his views with us on the hairdressing industry.

How has the industry changed since you were a beginner?
I believe the heartbeat has become faint. We are barely alive. In times past we gathered together to grow and there were not many educators or superstars. I remember two moments that fuel my passion: Julian Catchpoll (educational director of Sassoon of London), Samuel J. Wiggens (a world champion hair. dresser) and I met in an obscure salon in Newport Beach. And we each took a turn to share what we were working on in an effort to grow our creativity. We shared so we could feather each other. Three salons would gather once a month and a stylist from each salon would share on a topic — on perms, promotions and so on. These stylists were hungry to grow creatively and financially. Today, the definition of professionalism has changed. Team spirit has disappeared and I do not see any camaraderie.

Your father was a barber and you were a licensed cosmetologist while still in high school. Did you always want to be a hairstylist?
I wanted to be a dentist. I changed my mind because I fell in love in high school and becoming a stylist was the quickest answer to supporting this new habit (love). I talked about this with many hairdressers, and I found that about 75% had a different desire also. It's not tragic to change your mind and become something else. What is tragic is to have lost or left your passion behind. Without passion life is at best mediocre.

What advice would you give to a high school student today interested in this field?
Treat this profession like a pilot treats a flight destination. You need a flight plan. Do you have enough fuel to get there? Do you know what to do when the plane free falls 200 feet because you hit an air pocket? I find this profes. sion much the same. There is no one to motivate you. We have no vision, and without a vision man will perish. We seem to hide behind our creativity with. out knowing how to keep our money to keep our business. Being a good hairdresser is not good enough. You need to be great. The competition
is fierce.

What advice do you wish someone had given you?
I wish my mentors had told me what I could become. Not to stop at rejection. Failure is part of being successful.

What do you feel are the issues facing the salon industry today?
Service is poor in all aspects of our industry. The manufacturer has gone to the retail marketplace, leaving the hairdresser with the inability to compete with price. The distributor offers great deals with no education, thus the product lines die. Visiting your hairdresser is no longer an event. It has become routine.

What do you feel are the most important things to remember when developing a new product?
It must be different than what is currently in the market today. What is the point if you are not developing products that are not resolving issues for our clients and the stylist? The hope is that we are able to rejuvenate and have young hair, with a nude.like feel — soft, touchable, beautiful with performance on demand.

Your business is family-owned. How does working in a family business differ from working in the corporate world?
In most cases I feel that it would be more challenging because family wants special treatment. I believe that it should be quite the opposite. Your work ethic should be above reproach. At work, blood should not be thicker then water. Our staff looks to be led by example. Job descriptions are broader. We wear more hats; we can turn on a dime because timing, direction and speed are strong elements of success. When things get tough, our family and staff pull together instead of fall apart.

What do you find to be the most exciting about introducing new products? What is the real need for a new product?
Let me share how I developed one product. I was finishing a new look for a young lady going to the prom. It was a piece look that required pomade. When I put the product in my hands, I saw a love/hate look to what I was about to do. I asked if it was OK to put it in her hair, is something wrong I asked? Her response surprised me. She said, “I love that stuff and I hate that stuff. I love the effect but once I put it in my hair, I can't touch my hair.” A woman does not like to be untouchable. I grabbed my phone and called my biochemist and asked him to help me develop a pomade type of product that is not oily and to make it shine lets use a color faced instead of a silicone. I found that you could use it on wet hair to defrizz the style and dry for a piece effect. A new product is born! When the hairdressers and clients feel their hair after applying it, it's like velvet with a beautiful shine!

Education is very important to you and you strive to help individuals “rediscover the creativity within.” How do you accomplish this?
I look for inspiration in my walk in life. I seem to look towards fashion.
I view all the top fashion designers' runway shows, other hair designers' creations. I look at textures, movies and have an acute ear for listening to the women's desires and their lifestyle. Twice a year the Artistic Team has creative sessions. We are only able to bring what we believe is the new pulse for the next trend in color, texture, style fantasy, fashion and makeup. We each share, then we begin to integrate the information, and new themes begin to develop.

How would you describe your career?
Rollercoaster best depicts the ride. It starts out with all the screaming and excitement with education and competitions and high honors.

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