Contessa 2019: Q&A with International Hairstylist of the Year, Joey Scandizzo

We spoke with Joey Scandizzo, who took home the International Hairstylist of the Year award at the 30th annual Contessa Awards.

Tell me about your collection. What inspired it?

My collection was inspired by this incredible house which is just around the corner from where where I live called LaBassa. It has been around forever and was known for being this creative hub for artists in all different areas like, film, painting and music. LaBassa was the place they would all get together and collaborate and share ideas and work together on different creative projects. I loved the heritage of it all – I felt like, ‘If these walls could talk’ imagine all the stories they could tell. My style is, I think, always very beautiful and feminine, even if I am doing a dramatic shape or something severe, there is always a softness to it and a beauty. I found it so inspiring and wanted to bring all of my creators together and do a shoot there. It was an incredible experience.

What does winning this award mean to you?

It means everything. It is such a humbling and inspiring award to receive as it comes from your peers so the recognition means so much more. The team of judges are people I look up to and respect so much so to think that they have looked at my collection and read about what I have achieved and for them to see it as being worthy of this great prize, means the world to me. Plus nothing great comes without great sacrifice. It takes so much time and effort to pull a collection together so that means time away from my family and friends who support and encourage me so much, to come home with the win means that much more because I couldn’t do it without them.

Do you have a mentor or someone you look up to?

I have loads of people I admire and look up to in the industry. People like Angelo Seminara and Eugine Soloman constantly inspire me with the work that they do and the creativity they have. Watching them so what they do is a constant push to work harder and step outside my comfort zone and try new things. I also look up to my team, I am so inspired by the people around me who have such and energy about what they do and I am lucky I work with a real mixed bag of personalities and tastes.

How would you describe your style when it comes to photo shoots?

I don’t have any special ritual or process that I go through but I do have to start my day with a run, every day! It is my time to clear my head and go through everything I need to achieve that day. It puts me in the right headspace to take on whatever is thrown at me and gets my creativity flowing. The other thing is snacks – I need snacks all day to keep my energy up, can’t live without them.

If you weren’t a hairstylist, what do you think you would be doing?

I would love to think I would be a professional soccer player or surfer. Travelling the world surfing or playing sports would be my ultimate dream, but I’m lucky I can cut hair.

What’s next for you after your win? Anything you’re working on or any goals you have that you are hoping to achieve?

My wife and I are expecting our third child in January, so that is pretty much our focus right now as life is about to get even more hectic! I am excited to have some time now to dedicate to my family and become a family of five. I am always busy with the salons and we are excited to have just opened our third salon, which means we now have six barbershops and three salons which means business is going great! Also, I am very hands on with ELEVEN Australia, constantly working on new products and shoots with Andrew O’Toole, so you could say, there’s never a dull moment. Life is good!