Nadia Albano: Growing up, my mother was a hairstylist and I worked alongside her every weekend. She taught me so much about up styling, relationship building and work ethic. When I was 16, I participated in several beauty pageants and loved the way I felt when I had my hair and makeup styled for the fashion shows. I wanted to make every woman look and feel as beautiful and confident as I did, and decided I wanted to create a career for myself in the beauty and fashion industries. I started as a makeup demo at Estee Lauder, and then quickly moved my way up by working with some of the leading beauty and fashion houses in the country. When I added hairstylist to my title, it completed the circle and allowed me to become a one-stop destination for women looking to discover their style potential. I then started my blog and became a makeover columnist for The Province newspaper, and since 1997 I knew I wanted to own and operate a business that would give me the flexibility to work on my craft and to encourage and empower women.
NA: I am inspired by everything: nature, food, travel, music, history, fashion, people…you name it! As a makeover specialist, I feed off people’s energy, personality and lifestyle to determine an overall style to fit their needs. I have a vivid imagination and I am a very visual and creative artist. Sometimes a word or a thought can strike me and compel me to move into a certain direction. I do my best work when the music is fabulous and I can just let go.
AG: How would you describe your personal style?
NA: I would say that my personal style is casual and chic. I like things to look rich and luxurious, but in a very unstructured and casual way. It’s funny that you should ask me this question because I created a style philosophy/method called My 7 Style Sacraments™ . And one of my sacraments is the 5C’s: Casual, Classic, Chic, Charming and Couture. I believe that we each have a style category that we can relate to; some of us fall into more than one. This is a tool to help people determine their personal style and embrace their true identity when it comes to hair, makeup and fashion.
NA: I feel that I’ve mastered cutting hair. I love cutting hair, be it long and layered or short and textured. I also love styling hair. It can be like working on a puzzle; it’s invigorating, calming and creative all at the same time.
AG: What up and coming hair trends should we know about?
NA: I think anything goes right now. Trends that I’m loving are blunt hair cuts with texture. The fringe seems to be a big trend right now, especially because we’re seeing a lot of 70s inspired silhouettes on the runways. This 70s vibe is great for long hairstyles as it lends itself to wearing it super pin straight, blowing it out with full bodied, or embracing your natural wavy texture.
NA: I can honestly say that every moment is memorable behind the chair. I love connecting with my clients because I learn so much from them and it puts life into perspective. I love being a mentor for my stylist at the salon, and make each service I administer a learning opportunity for them. My favorite, though, is when my clients leave with a huge smile on their faces because they love their hair and the positive experience they had at the salon.
Images courtesy of Daniela Ciuffa Photography and @nadiaalbanostyleinc.
