Biggest break of your career
Hide Hayashi: Going to the United States of America and venturing into this field has been my biggest break. The entire idea of pursuing the ‘Communicut’ course offered by Sebastian for beginners gave me my high point.
Brad Lepper: To be associated with Sebastian. Whatever I am today, I owe it to them. It’s great to be associated with a globally renowned brand for 16 years now. This year has also been a highlight because of my work being recognised and winning an award in New Zealand.
Lisa Muscat: The year 2011 gave me my biggest break in the form of two major awards in Australia and New Zealand.
Journey so far
Hide Hayashi: Initially it was tough to begin with. But eventually I overcame the fear and nervousness attached with it.
Brad Lepper: The journey has been so very amazing. I have met so many wonderful people. The vibrance, the diversity-it’s been fantastic.
Lisa Muscat: Incredible! I have got the opportunity to travel the world and meet amazing hairstylists in USA, London, Italy and Spain. I have also been mentored by some of the leading stylists across the globe.
Memorable moments
Hide Hayashi: A smile of satisfaction on my client’s face is a moment I always cherish. It helps me raise the bar higher each time for myself.
Brad Lepper: The most admiring moment of my career has to be my first haircut. It’s a moment I will cherish forever. It was the stepping stone to my career.
Lisa Muscat: This career has opened up a lot of doors for me. From winning awards and being recognised for my work in 2011 and 2013 to meeting new people and interacting with them, every moment so far is cherished.
Challenges
Hide Hayashi: There is a new challenge every day. The changing phase of trend and fashion has to be in sync with the mind and body.
Brad Lepper: In the industry, one is bound to make mistakes initially. There were a lot of difficulties that crossed my path. The constant change in fashion trends, opinionated people became an obstacle. But it eventually became a learning experience.
Lisa Muscat: In the industry, you will find people who are highly opinionated. They always have an opinion for everything and for a newcomer, that’s tough as it gets you down. There times where things do not go as planned, but in the end what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.
USP
Hide Hayashi: I love experimenting with various styles, but I keep in mind the face cut of the person. I believe in delivering a new piece of art each day with each of my works.
Brad Lepper: Being a hairstylist you have to be upbeat with all types of hair. But I like to concentrate more on retro looks from the 60’s. Short and sharp looks are my forte.
Lisa Muscat: My key area lies in styling long hair as it gives you an opportunity to try new styles each day.
Connection with Sebastian
Hide Hayashi: Sebastian as a brand combines image, creativity and technique. My reason to go to the US was to study and work under Sebastian and try and grasp this fearless cutting edge global hair fashion. It is a brand which has given me an experience of a lifetime.
Brad Lepper: Sebastian is the very first brand I have been associated with for 16 years ago and it is close to my heart. The products have all the elements which are required by a quintessential stylist. It is made by hairdressers for hairdressers. My association with Sebastian has also helped me evolve as a stylist and create some really fearless and edgy hairstyles.
Lisa Muscat: Contrary to popular belief, hairstyling is a very tedious job and I believe in utmost seriousness and dedication towards the same. Sebastian gave me a platform to be serious with my work and execute my creativity. Brands such as Sebastian are pioneers in bringing together image, creativity and technique. Through my association with Sebastian, I have been able to portray fearless global fashion, which I believe, will be recognised in the near future.
View of the Indian hairdressing industry
Hide Hayashi: The Indian hairdressing industry has taken a lead. There so many new things to look forward to as everyday there is a new talent coming up in the industry. As per my belief, I see a very bright future for Indian hairdressers and they seem to be adapting the western touch of this industry when it comes to looks and techniques. I think the industry is just going to continue to grow and expand and India will soon be at par with other fashion capitals of the world.
Brad Lepper: The future of the Indian hairdressing industry is very bright. The budding stylists have great outlook with immense passion for the industry. They are breaking the barriers and moving ahead of their time. Everyone, even experts need advancement in everything they do. Fashion never stops and this gives an opportunity to be upscale with changing trends every day. I would love to come back to Asia, especially the Indian sub continent, and pass on the passion I’ve got for hairstyling to the upcoming artists. They have so much talent within them that it will give me ample opportunity to fill them with fresh ideas and help them explore the industry in depth. Five years down the line, I see India at par with some of the biggest fashion capitals across the globe. The country has a lot to offer with the up and coming professionals in the industry and hairstyling is not an unusual field for them anymore.
Lisa Muscat: The Indian hairdressing industry has a very bright future. All the educated stylists have great skill levels and commendable grasping power. I see great potential here; with a little more international training and comprehensive workshops, there will be enormous growth. I believe that there is always room for advancement. Better equipments and new techniques give room to broader horizons. Expansion gives a huge boost to one’s career and has a lot to offer as you explore a completely new city and meet a different set of people. It gives great opportunities to network and communicate with people who come from different backgrounds and have different thought processes.
Trends
Hide Hayashi: This year we would be seeing a lot of darker and glossier colours, especially in Japan. A wide palette of subtle and natural hues will give you a chance to choose the most suitable one for your complexion. The most important thing that you should keep in mind is to find the shade that will be in harmony with your complexion as well as colour of our eyes.
Brad Lepper: The favourite pick this season, according to me, are layers around the face, which act as frames. Neutral colours, which suit all sorts of hair, are the tones of ash and mahogany. However, the texture of Indian hair is varied. Keeping in mind the climatic conditions as well, I choose the technique of ballayage and ombré.
Lisa Muscat: This year, I will try to focus more on giving the hair some movement and leaving it open. It is easy to give textures to long hair which define them. Warm tones are the pick of the season. My personal picks are browns, copper and golden. The Indian audience has varied textures. Warm tones such as browns, copper and golden blend with the hair.
Favourite product and equipment for hair styling
Hide Hayashi: I really love working with Sebastian Professional Reshaper spray.
Brad Lepper: The Sebastian Professional Thickefy foam and the Trilliant razor as they work brilliantly for tongs and create a look which is universal.
Lisa Muscat: The Sebastian Professional Trilliance Shampoo and the flat iron. A combination of both allows me to create great looks on different types of hair with different textures.
Style icon or rising star
Hide Hayashi: Robert Robeta from the team of Sebastian itself is my style icon. He is flawless in everything he does.
Brad Lepper: Angelo Seminara.
Lisa Muscat: Angelo Seminara.
Future plans
Hide Hayashi: The priority is my salon. But I will be visiting Taiwan in October and I am very excited about it.
Brad Lepper: I would love to travel across the globe and reach out to the audiences on the various Sebastian trends.
Lisa Muscat: I would love to spread the Sebastian trends across various cities of Australia, New Zealand and London and inform people about the various benefits and features that the brand has to offer.
