Lisa Muscat is a Senior Stylist at e SALON in Sydney. At just 21 Lisa won Best Photographic Collection and New Creative Force at the 2011 Hair Expo awards.
This up and coming hairdresser is one to watch and we took the opportunity to talk hair with Lisa Muscat:
What made you decide to become a hairdresser?
My aunty was a hairdresser and I had such a fascination with hair and everything to do with it. From such a young age, I loved the idea of making people feel and look great and giving them a ‘make over’. When I was at school my father found me a job working on Saturdays at a hairdressing salon.
I still remember to this day, within the first 10 minutes, I was standing behind the basin washing perm rollers and watching all the stylists with their clients and thinking, ‘I could do this for the rest of my life.’
You have recently won the Best Photographic Collection and New Creative Force at the 2011 Hair Expo Awards, can you tell us a little bit about this?
I completed my collection, FORCE, earlier this year to enter the New Creative Force category at the Hair Expo Australia Awards. This category is open to anyone who has just completed their apprenticeship to up to 10 years qualified.
Last year I was a Finalist for Apprentice of the Year at these awards so it was my first year entering New Creative Force. Your submissions are judged based on your Photoshoot (50%) and your submission (50%). The submission is a series of questions about your achievements and accomplishments in the past 12 months of the awards period.
To my absolute surprise from that same collection I was also nominated a Finalist for Best Photographic Collection which every collection that enters the awards automatically is entered into based purely on the Photoshoot alone.
You only finished your apprenticeship recently, how does it feel to be winning awards so soon?
It feels incredibly surreal. I have worked hard for the last 12 months and been involved within the industry on a higher level, however the other finalists for New Creative Force – Marie Cain, Jules Tognini and Ali Holmes – are all incredible hairdressers and ones I have followed for the last few years so I didn’t actually think I had a chance at winning in their company!
Do you have any advice for people who are looking for a career in hair?
It is such an incredible industry and one so commonly misjudged. Do your research and select one of the top salons to learn from and know that like anything you have to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run.
But once you can run, the sky is the limit within this industry! Anything is possible!
Was being an apprentice challenging?
It was challenging because like everyone you just want to do everything from the first day. But I had the passion and the drive to want to learn as much as I can, so completing my apprenticeship happened a bit faster than it normally does.
I also started at a different salon so when I came to é SALON in a way I had to re-educate myself as each salon has their own way of doing things.
What hairstyles do you predict will be in for Spring / Summer 2011?
For Spring/Summer I predict extremely short hairstyles almost cropped right off. Also another trend that will be huge, and we saw coming through at the end of last year, is that ‘undone’ finish.
The hair looks like you’ve just woken up but even bigger and messier, or more scrunched, this summer.
Are there any new hairdressing techniques that we should look out for?
I don’t think there are any new techniques as such, just old techniques coming back really strongly again. An example of this is scissor over comb barbering techniques but used on women now.
Hairdressers are on their feet all day, how do like to relax when you get home?
I love coming home and just vegging on the couch for an hour. Just to unwind. Even if I have to go out I’ll make sure I have that bit of a break after work before I go just to recharge a little.
You work at é SALON in Sydney, what makes this salon so special?
What makes é SALON so special is the family atmosphere. It is a family business so being a part of é SALON is being apart of their family. They encourage you, they push you, they challenge you, but most of all they believe in you and help you see ANYTHING is possible and dreams really do come true.
What’s next for Lisa Muscat?
In September, I will be going back to New York again to work on New York Fashion Week (I was there in Jan/Feb this year) and I will also be working on a few shows at London Fashion Week.
In October I will be working with Emiliano, Valerio and Samuel in London for é SALON’s show at the Alternative Hair Show (an honour to be a part of as é SALON is the first Australian salon to be invited to present at the show).
What is your number one hair tip that every woman should live by?
There is no such thing as a bad hair day. Work with your style, be creative, ask your hairdresser for easy how-to styles and listen to their recommendations for the best suited products to make your hair look fabulous every day.
What does being a woman mean to you?
Always being feminine, feeling sexy and being strong. Never be afraid to go out there and try new things due to fears of making a mistake or failing. Just look at every experience as a learning curve.
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!
Great work Lisa, i wish you all the best for all your future endeavours.