Sculptors Of Self-Expression: Profiling Young Indian Hairstylists

There has always been a knee-jerk assumption that Indian hairstylists belong to a more forward-thinking fringe of society. The choice of profession in itself is untraditional and then there’s their scissor-happy approach to life—ready to snip off the unwanted bits and ends when they prove to become stifling.

A few weeks ago, we featured a motley crew of individuals, who expressed their innermost workings with drastic hairstyle changes, many of which had the potential of being deeply politicised. Either way, their unique approach to self-expression got us to thinking about the stylists who make such hair catharsis possible at all. So we crowd-sourced and condensed a list of some of Mumbai’s most interesting young hairstylists and decided to profile them.

Without further ado, here they are—purveyors of change and sculptors of self-expression.

I. Audrey D'souza

Who:

“A good hairstyle is something that requires no effort, an out of bed look.”

A line that constantly inspires her: “If you don't look good, we don't look good.” – Vidal Sassoon.

II. Ridhima Arora

Who:

“A good hairstyle is an expression of a person’s personality and an extension of their natural looks.”

As far as her profession goes, “it’s the ability to transform the way people look and see themselves, the confidence it gives them,” she says. But it’s equally challenging to “win a client’s trust,” she admits. “Not every person wants to experiment with a new look and showing them that it can work for them is challenging.”

A line that constantly inspires her: “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you are.”- Maya Angelou

III. Sushanth Shyamsundar

Who:

“A good hairstyle is in sync...with your personality, your features and your aura.”

A line that constantly inspires him: “All you need is love.” – The Beatles.

IV. Ankieta  Oberoi

Who:

“A good hairstyle makes you look good, without trying too hard.”

To her, the most satisfying aspect of her profession is being able to “meet a lot of different people from different spheres of life, sharing stories about journeys people go through.  And being able to make them happy with my work of course!” She does admit that “executing someone else’s vision is never easy though.”

A line that constantly inspires her: “It's better to burn out, than fade away.” - Neil Young.

V. Zahabia Lacewalla

Who:

“A good hairstyle is something that makes you smile every time you look into the mirror, whether you've styled it or not. It’s something that suits your personality, your face structure and you hair texture.”

A line that constantly inspires her: "A woman who cuts her hair, is about to change her life" - Coco Chanel

VI. Alexander Gellay

Who:

“A good hairstyle is one that suits both your face and your personality.”

The move did him good, seeing as to how he’s built up an impressive repertoire here right from being the main stylist on set for Hrithik Roshan’s upcoming film Bang Bang as well as doing shoots for everyone from Vogue to Grazia and Elle. Two years ago, he was also appointed as a style director for Jean Claude Biguine. For him, like many others, hairstylist often takes on the role of counselor as well, and he loves to “meet all the different people from whom you can learn so much about life.” He also believes that a good hairstylist is godsent—someone you stick to once you’ve found him, so building great client relationships is a must. If the testimonials we received are anything to go by, Alexander Gellay is succeeding in his goals.

VII. Justine Mellocastro

Who:

“A good hairstyle is one that helps bring out the best in someone’s personality.”

A line that constantly inspires her: “Let It Be.” – The Beatles

“We all go through different hardships in life and this quote inspires me to forget about the differences, exist in the moment and love unconditionally,”

VIII. Koshy Brahmatmaj

Who: 

“A good hairstyle is the best accessory.”

A line that constantly inspires her: Keep surprising yourself.

IX.  Shamita Gogia

Who: The 28-year-old hairstylist & make-up artist is currently a senior trainer at The Lilac Training Academy and the in-house make-up artist for The Beauty Bar. In the past, she has worked also worked at the Kingfisher Training Academy as a grooming instructor where she helped develop and deliver the grooming curriculum.

“A good hairstyle is an instant confidence boost.”

A line that constantly inspires her: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” - Mahatma Gandhi

[ TIGI Bed Head is giving you a chance to win Bookmyshow vouchers, a trip for 2 to Barcelona where you could attend a music festival, and your stylist could get a chance to train at the prestigious TIGI Academy in London! All you have to do is take part in the #BedHeadThisisMe campaign, get your hair styled in a salon, click a selfie with your stylist and then upload it here.]

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