Natasha Balabanova: “The status of a professional requires constant improvement and self-realization”

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

Natasha, you are the president of the Intercoiffure Ukraine organization and Co-Fashion director ICD Europe. Tell us what this organization does and what its role is? Intercoiffure Mondial is a global organization with a 94-year history. It includes about five thousand of the best stylists, salon owners from 55 countries, who are united by one passion for the profession and cooperation with a willingness to give and actively participate in international events. Intercoiffure Ukraine has been a member of the organization since 2000 - very soon we will celebrate its twentieth anniversary. Together with the previous presidents of our section, Vyacheslav Dudenko and Irina Zaitseva, we have done a lot of joint work both within the country and abroad. In 2016, in Kyiv, for the first time, we filmed global Attitude trends for ICD Mondial from Eastern European countries. By 2019, the Ukrainian section successfully performed at the Performance Congress for Intercoiffure Mondial three times, presenting show collections. I am Co-Fashion Director of ICD Europe, every year I am invited to represent the region to create trends Photoshoot, show as part of the Super Saturday program, show as part of the congress in Paris. Every year the Ukrainian section creates photo collections for ICD Mondial, inspired by new trends. Since 2015, in connection with the opening of the renovated headquarters in Paris, an educational program has appeared for section members (employees of salons under the ICD star), as well as annual education for young people with a large program from the Guillaume Foundation. Within the organization there is also a charity project Education for life, which we have been supporting in Ukraine for the third year now. We invite top stylists, owners of salons or academies to join our section, whose main goal is to create a joint history under the Intercoiffure star. The exchange of experience between Europe, Asia, America and other continents is the strength of Intercoiffure, so the development of the organization is in the interests of everyone.

We can’t miss a moment and ask, what trends will dominate hairstyles in the spring of 2019? One of the trends in the Imagine collection from Intercoiffure Mondial is dedicated to Andy Warhol, or more precisely, the whole period from 54 to 70, filled with pop art and bold color combinations. For example, colored monohair, shades of rich burgundy with red, or a combination of red and crimson. In spring, noble brown will be popular - a shade of spicy cinnamon combined with techniques that highlight scarlet strands. Thick and heavy bangs in different hair lengths and round glasses with colored lenses. And in contrast to them - micro bangs above the eyebrows two centimeters. One of my works to illustrate this trend was chosen as the cover for Magazine Intercoiffure - 2019. The second trend - called Eden - is inspired by nature, it focuses on very long luxurious hair with an original texture, waves with the contrast of small or curved lines. The effect of wet hair will still be relevant, as well as the complex presentation of natural styles with XXL volume, chaos, small braids and different hair textures along the length in an organized mess. All hairstyles are like a call to improvisation. The third trend is the What's next? ("What's next?"). Its main features are graphic elements, dynamic lines and a variety of structured shapes - from straight to absolutely crazy. This trend features smooth short haircuts without much volume, a bob with an even, tight cut, golden blonde in contrast with deep platinum at the ends of the hair, emphasizing the main line of the hairstyle. New methods are used for technological experiments with hair. Hairstyles with hair styled upwards, rollers, deliberate backcombing for shape and, at first glance, simplicity will also be relevant. On the catwalks of Paris Fashion Week, these trends have already appeared in the Chanel collection. Another trend that I have a special love for is collarbone-length bobs that are a little shorter. What is important here is a very clear contour line, cut with a clipper, simplicity of execution, hair quality, sporty chic, partings. Bobby pins and scallops are used as the main accents.

Photo: Yanis Stepanenko

Most recently, you presented the photo project “Personalities in Trend”. How did the idea for its creation come about and what was the filming process like? A year ago, I conceived a project that I had only dreamed of... My thoughts were: to invite my beloved friends, with whom we have been creating hairstyles for over twenty years, being friends, collaborating and going through life! And create a collection of images with them according to new trends. A little time passed - and only the bravest agreed, since the trends are quite bright. For each participant, a clothing style, hairstyle and makeup were selected according to one of the trends. It was just the time for vacations, business trips and other things, so we started filming only in May and finished it at the end of October. For the last seven years I have been a member of the Artistic Team Intercoiffure Mondial. During the creation of a global collection for filming, we invite models from agencies. It was a new and interesting experience to think through the “Personalities in Trends” project with beautiful intellectual people of Ukraine, thereby adapting trends to life. The style lives appropriately and practically, and the main thing is that the participants liked each image and corresponded to them in spirit and style. They were Vera Titova, Marina Borshchevskaya, Svetlana Evdokimenko, Inna Bogoslovskaya, Yulia Yudina, Tatyana Balyuk.

Marina Borshchevskaya in the project “Personalities in Trend”, photo : Dima Baranov

Tell us, who else did you collaborate with during the creation of the project? Makeup artist Yulia Bryl actively participated in creating the images, taking into account the individual characteristics of our models, tried not to overload the face, and also used bold textures and lines in makeup when appropriate. Stylist Marianna Rekrutyak worked as a stylistic liaison, contacting Ukrainian clothing and accessory designers. Photographer Dima Baranov professionally created an atmosphere of lightness during the photo shoot. The shooting process is always the magic of the moment, birth and history at the same time. In each photograph, the image began to live real life. The backstage video was created by Elena Vechurko. I took an active part in the layout of the photo collection of trends; Katya Kovaleva helped me technically. Ahead is the creation of a catalog book.

Tatyana Balyuk in the project “Personalities in Trend”, photo : Dima Baranov

How do you choose the path where to grow next? Has the thought ever crossed your mind that you could stop there?

From the moment I started working in this profession until today, such qualities as curiosity and interest have not left me. This applies not only to work, but also to leisure, travel, books and other hobbies. This way I'm constantly developing, so I'm never bored. I think the world is so huge that the main thing is to have time to understand it. There was a period in my life when I thought: perhaps I should come up with something else? For example, for 15 years I created jewelry from semi-precious stones together with technologists - as a result, about a hundred different options were developed. When I see that they live in the collections of my clients and are used timelessly, I understand that the energy of the stones and my vision in the assembled product was and is in demand, which is very nice. There were different stages in my professional activity, including quite difficult ones. You need to go through everything to know your resources and real desires. But this period of rethinking is over, a feeling of certainty has come to me. Now I am in the process of thinking about a new strategy, I want to collaborate with strong partners and individuals. I have a lot of ideas and a desire to communicate, share, open up to new people, try myself in different directions and teach young masters. For example, I actively participate in the Education for life project and teach two beautiful girls - Valeria and Anastasia. I am happy to welcome young and enterprising people into my salon! Let's talk about working with clients. What do you do if a person comes with a photo and asks for a haircut that doesn’t suit him at all? If I work with a new client, I conduct a short interview with him on a variety of topics. At the same time, he may not even notice it, but such a conversation helps me understand the person and his wishes, so that the result after a haircut or coloring would please him and not upset him. If a client comes with a specific photograph of a famous person, this is an indicator of how the person wants to look as a result. He has already carried out this idea in his head of changing his hairstyle or color scheme, and he already sees himself in this. From my own experience I know that it is not worth convincing. If the desired hairstyle does not suit a person, you need to carefully adjust his wishes so that he believes that he will really be better off a little differently. The main thing is to explain why. If a client trusts you, he will always listen. The stylist must be a psychologist, have an artistic eye, know the proportions to balance the ratio of lengths in the hairstyle after a haircut, and be able to choose the right technology for working with dye. And work proactively - think in advance whether a person will be comfortable after the proposed haircut or coloring. The status of a professional requires constant improvement and self-realization: you always need to replenish your knowledge base and defend your “dissertation” anew with each client.

Inna Bogoslovskaya in the project “Personalities in Trend”, photo : Dima Baranov

What other qualities should a stylist have to achieve success and become a top stylist? A top stylist must be an artist, and the first quality of an artist is that he must have talent. But I can’t help but remember Rodin’s famous phrase: “To be a real artist, you must first be a man and only then an artist.” I agree one hundred percent. The set of moral, ethical and cultural values is extremely important. It is also important to be a hard worker and do your job as efficiently as possible, just like the last time. To become a professional, you need to constantly look for your handwriting, learn new things, supplement your knowledge and just live it, be restless in your passion. Skill must be constantly developed, and the moment of success must be felt in every job, haircut, in any work with hair. It is important to love art, to be a bit of a psychologist and diplomat, so that clients feel comfortable communicating with you. Of course, time and experience are still needed. It is important to remember that growth and the possibility of self-realization do not depend on age. Hairdressers are people with a sense of dignity, with a share of risk and responsibility, and to some extent even selfishness, because they can take upon themselves the courage to change the image of another person. In this case, the client must trust him with his head completely. And - attention! - an hour or two to wait for the result, which will play a huge role in his appearance in the next couple of months. What other profession could be so amazing and beautiful? How do you recharge, recharge, and relax when you need to take a break? Always different. Of course, I love to travel. During this period, we find a new ourselves, relax and are no longer the person we are used to being in our hometown, with our status and achievements. Even if I’m in a city for the fiftieth time, for example in my beloved Paris, I always see something new in it - I just walk along the street or park, contemplating the ordinary life of the city. Paradise place - Bali. My daughter and I definitely ride around the island on a bike. Another wonderful place that I would love to return to is Flores Island in Indonesia. A very quiet turquoise sea, with pink sand and tiny coral islands, gives peace and tranquility, and also fills you with energy and opens up an amazing underwater world with the most beautiful coral flowers, which you watch like a child. I bring stones and shells from all over the world - I have a whole garden of them. For me, a stone is of great value, part of the era, life and the world from which I brought it into my life. I have a shell that is over a million years old - from Komodo Island in Indonesia! The whole world is in your hands through the stones of Normandy, the Himalayas, Greece, Crimea or Japan... What else inspires you besides travel? I love studying paintings by artists and works of sculptors from different time periods. They have a lot in common with my profession. I remember my favorite subject at school - drawing and the study of composition, proportions, color and shadow. I'll tell you about my latest discovery. Last year, the Grand Pales hosted an exhibition by František Kupka. This artist came from realism to abstractionism and was the founder of this movement. The evolution of eras, a passion for the knowledge of Theosophy, a sense of rhythm, color and form... What a rethinking of life had to happen in order to come to such works! This cannot but excite and make you think. More about inspiration. When I was on a business trip in Zurich, I bought a book with the works of Armin Morbach, a hairdresser, stylist and photographer who shoots for famous brands. I want to look at this overwhelming catalog of crazy ideas in the frame for hours!

Yulia Yudina in the project “Personalities in Trend”, photo : Dima Baranov

What are some of your favorite books that you can recommend to everyone? I won’t recommend anything, since everyone’s desire to read and study certain literature is different. I can tell you about my coffee table books. The first is “Turn to Tsargorod”. In my opinion, this is an important book for every Ukrainian: it helps to know their history and roots. The second is “From the Ancient World to the Renaissance” by Paola Dmitrievna Volkova. If you want to understand art and its evolution, you should buy it: it will become a wonderful guide in this direction. And the third is “High Fashion” by Janie Same, a publication about fashion, its origins, accents, famous designers and the first Fashion Weeks. I always take it with me when I travel, and every time I learn something new about the history of fashion of the last fifty years. In the 21st century, we still draw inspiration from the 60s–90s, and this topic is still relevant. The bookmarks in the book are dried flowers and leaves from the country where I read it. It’s like an international herbarium between the pages of fashion stories, with its own memory. And finally: what do you mean by the concept of “beauty”? For me, this is primarily energy, a neural sense of beauty. For example, the perfect sculptures of Ancient Greece, the sculptures of Rodin and Michelangelo are some kind of perfection of proportions and forms, but also something spiritual and living. The eye is drawn to such a high manifestation of art. Beauty is more than what we see. It's deeper. If we talk about human beauty, it is a combination of some characteristics that you feel with all your cells. Although the other person may not share your vision: everyone has their own magnet of attraction. The topic is very large, it is difficult to talk about it in words - rather, you can talk about it with feelings, which is why we admire works of art as a manifestation of true mastery.

Interviewed by Anastasia Buzdanova