Interview With Fantasy Hair Competition Winner Michelle Garande
Tell
us a bit about yourself?
Michelle Garande, Stylist at Afrotherapy
Salon.
I trained at Hammersmith College and
completed my NVQ Hairdressing Levels 2 and 3. I joined Afrotherapy in
2012 and was soon assigned as part of the Creative Team. I have a passion
for fusing hair with fashion.
How
did it feel to win the Fantasy Hair Competition at Afro Hair and Beauty Live
show?
It felt so surreal, I was competing against
stylists who have been in this industry for longer than I have and some who
have also taken part in this competition before and everyone’s work was
amazing, so getting named the winner of Afro hair and Beauty Live show 2013 was
such a great honor indeed.
Can
you talk us through the winning look and the inspiration behind it?
My inspiration came from
Samurai warriors and Japanese culture. I was also greatly inspired by the
amazing outfits produced by José
Hendo which brought my looks to life. I then
did more research into Japanese culture, architecture and music
What
did you do to prepare for the competition?
First thing I had to do was create a mood
board so I could have an idea of how I wanted the hair, make-up and styling to
look like. From there I had to find models that were suitable for the
looks I was creating and also models who could catwalk. Once that was in place
I had to start work on the hair. I had to make sure that it fitted on the
models heads, so the models had to come in the salon about 3 times for a
fitting. I also had Harriet Cudjoe (creative director) helping me in
deciding the right garments for the models to wear as the designer had quite a
few items in the collection I wanted to use. We met up with the designer, Jose
Hendo to try the garments on the models and decide how to style the garments to
create the samurai look. I had to decide what kind of make-up to do on the
models, also finding the right music was very important because I wanted music
that kept to the theme of the collection. That is why I chose to use a
track by “Yoshinda Brothers- storm” Japanese musicians. The models also
had to come to the salon for rehearsals to practice the walk they would do for
the show. Therefore, a lot of work went into creating
the finished look and making sure we had everything come together on the day.
How
was this years Afro Hair and Beauty show?
As this was my second time going to the Afro
hair and Beauty show and this time around as one of the stylist taking part in
the show, I thought it was amazing, there was a good atmosphere and
everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, a lot of anticipation and
excitement, everything was well organised. The audience were amazing and showed
great support and appreciation for all the work created by all the stylists for
the show. It was a great day.
When
you’re not winning major awards, you’re a Stylist at Afrotherapy. Tell us a
little bit about the salon and your role there?
Afrotherapy is an amazing salon to work for.
I feel such great honor to be part of the team. Our salon is
in Edmonton, North London and we have just recently celebrated our 12-year
anniversary. The salon
specialises in all types of Afro and Multi-textured hair.
Although we are best known for our ability to
Cut well, we also provide Natural hair services, Relaxing, Colour, Weaves &
Extensions. We like to work with our Clients’ personal choices whether it
be Natural or Relaxed. Our ethos is that whatever personal choices you
make, we will work with you to ensure you have beautiful, healthy hair.
I started working for Afrotherapy in 2012 as
a Stylist. I am constantly developing myself and training to ensure I
keep up with the latest trends. As a member of the Creative Team, my role
is to research and create collections that inspire, inform and reflect the
style of work that we do. This is a role I enjoy very much as it allows
me to express my creativity.
How
would you describe the service provided at Afrotherapy?
From the moment, our clients walk through the
door we aim to make sure they are comfortable and feel welcome. We always
conduct ourselves in a professional manner from the way we are dressed to how
we communicate with our clients and between ourselves as staff.
We pride ourselves in the value we place on
our clients, we aim to give the best customer service and making sure our
clients leave the salon looking and feeling fantastic.
What
services does the salon provide for natural women?
As going natural is the in thing now, we have
seen a number of clients requesting for natural hair services increasing and
especially those clients who are transitioning from relaxed hair to natural.
We provide everything from treatments
tailored for natural hair to braiding. Most of our clients with natural hair
have their hair cut short and a colour put on to enhance the look. For those
who have their hair long they usually go for the twist outs, to create fuller
curls.
What
are your top hair care tips for women with natural hair?
Always keep up to date with your treatments,
regular trim is essential to maintain your natural tresses looking fabulous and
making sure you moisturize your hair regularly, as natural hair tends to get
quite dry.
What
are your top 3 Natural hair care products?
KeraCare Natural Textures Twist & Define
cream: this product is perfect for creating twist outs, it does not weigh down
the hair or make it too oily once its dry, can be used to moisturise natural
short hair as well.
CURLS Curl Soufflé: curl soufflé defines your
curls and it eliminates fizziness’ that is why I love using this product,
especially on clients with multi-textured hair, also adds moisture and shine to
the hair.
Mizani True Textures Curl Revitalizing Mask: I
find that natural hair tends to get quite dry and brittle sometimes so this
deep penetrating conditioning treatment is perfect to use. It revitalizes the
hair and adds moisture; it can be used just as an express conditioner or as
your weekly intense conditioning treatment.
How
can our readers see your work and connect with you?
Our work is published in various media such
as Black Hair, Black Beauty & Hair, and Hairstyles Only as well as on our
website and facebook. People can connect with the team and I in the
following ways:
Finally what’s next for you?
This is just the beginning of my journey as a
Stylist at Afrotherapy. We completed a collection which will be published
in the next few weeks and I’m currently working on another collection as well
as looking after my salon clients.
I’m also constantly updating myself to ensure
I remain relevant in my industry.
Michelle and the team at Afrotherapy did not
come empty handed, they are offering out readers a fab £10 off treatments. Click Here...
Shots of Inside Afrotherapy Edmonton, London
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