Eddy Santiago won Quebec hairstylist of the year in 2014, and it was the first time he was entering this prestigious professional beauty competition!
SM: So, what motivated you to enter the Contessas?
ESB: I did a photoshoot last year that came out quite nicely. At the time, I was working with Aldo at Saco, in Montreal, and he suggested I enter because the work was good enough to compete.
SM: What did you expect?
ESB: I never expected anything like this to happen! By winning a Contessa my work has been featured in a bunch of international magazines! My career has literally exploded, and I am even teaching now in the US. I owe everything to Contessas!
SM: Are you entering the Contessas this year again?
ESB: Of course I am! I enjoy the creative process above all.
SM: What’s important when putting together a collection?
ESB: Getting a concept together is my number one priority. Without a proper foundation you can’t create anything beautiful. When you prepare you have a lot more opportunity to create something beautiful. I come from an academy [Saco], so education is the foundation for everything. The concept is very important and the rest is just putting things together.
SM: Where do you find your inspiration?
ESB: Creating beautiful hair is not something that happens in isolation. All art is interlinked. When you look at cinema, architecture, fine arts, everything is connected. And art is extremely important as a catharsis. To make something beautiful in the present, you have to look at the past. If you don’t remember your past you can’t propel yourself into the future.
SM: Where do you see yourself going now?
ESB: Well, I am now Artistic Director at La Coupe Salon and Spa in Montreal, so I guess my ambition on a personal level has been invigorated after winning a Contessa. But one of my other ambitions is to put together a show. I really believe fundraisers are important; to unite hairdressers and help others at the same time. We all want to help but we don’t always want to know how. I believe about getting together and creating an evolution in hair. About making our craft evolve.
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