The Final Cut with Joey Scandizzo
Meet the four-time Australian Hairdresser of the Year and stylist to Ruby Rose and Elle MacPherson, JOEY SCANDIZZO.
School’s out
I wasn’t liking school, I had too much energy and found it hard to sit still so my teachers told me to get out into the workforce. My Dad suggested hairdressing because I was always really creative and liked being around people. I loved it from day one. I love making women feel and look beautiful. I love the confidence I can give a woman walking away from my chair with a great haircut or style.
Simple solutions
When I was working on the salon floor and on shoots, I found that the products were getting really confusing, it was difficult to distinguish what product did what. I also loved some things from lots of different ranges but never the whole line. I wanted to simplify things and create a line of high-performance products that were easy for stylists and consumers to understand and didn’t need a degree to use! Being the Co-Creative Director of ELEVEN Australia means I’m responsible for research and development of the products as well as the creative vision and direction for the brand.
All-rounder
I love all parts of my job, from working in the salon to being on shoots, working with celebrity clients to product development. I get bored easily and go cray sitting still. I love working on different projects and jam-packing my schedule.
Change is good
A positive change is social media. Instagram and Facebook have opened so many doors for the industry to grow. It gives everyone more access to industry leaders, celebrity stylists and celebrities themselves making it easier to connect with other people in the industry, grow creatively, build your network and build your brand.
Talent trouble
A negative would be a lack of attention and interest in apprentices. It’s becoming really hard to get fresh talent at the grass roots stage and keep them. There is a perception that hairdressing isn’t a career that you can do ‘big’ things with or make a lot of money from and that’s a shame because it’s what you make of it. It can be a career that allows you to work with incredible people, stimulate yourself creatively, travel the world and work with amazing brands.
Setting standards
Encouraging an evolution of the industry and shifting perceptions of the hairdressing industry back to be a desirable career path is something I would like to see happen. In order for this industry to move forward and elevate the standard across the board, those at the top need to do the right thing by their staff.
My worst mistake?
Three words. Tip cap highlights.
High highs
Winning Australian Hairdresser of the Year for the first time in 2012 was definitely a highlight. It means a lot and remains incredibly humbling to continue getting the recognition from my peer and the hair industry.
Future plans
I’ve just opened another salon with our new business partner Hermiz Daniel, and I became a dad again earlier this year! ELEVEN Australia is also expanding, we are now available in 23 countries including North America, Canada and most recently Germany. Plus, we have some really exciting and innovative product launches in the pipeline, watch this space. @joeyscandizzo