Alessia is a nurse, one of those people who have witnessed closely the disastrous effects of the Covid Emergency. She became a symbol of the dramatic days we lived with the famous photo of her face showing the painful marks left by the high protection mask worn throughout the working shift. Alessia posted it on social media and openly confesses her fear of contamination, the physical discomfort of working in those conditions, and the psychological fatigue caused by the tension accumulated. The post became viral, and so did Alessia - amazed at the solidarity received. Alessia looks at the future as a chance to approach a new beginning: changing peacefully our minds, bodies, and relationships. Watch the interview and listen to the Voice of Alessia Bonari!
Hillary Jocson lives in Milan, the city of fashion, where one of the most popular jobs here is modeling. Hillary tells us her story of a model “sui generis”. She uses her social media to show the behind-the-scenes of photoshoots she takes part. She has a message of empowerment for girls who would like to approach fashion but don't even try because they find themselves unsuitable and uninteresting. As if to say: 'Hey girls, look here, do not be the first judge of yourselves, do not stop for limits that you set yourselves. Just as I became a model, you too should chase your dream. It won't be easy, of course, but with no challenge, what's the taste? Watch the interview and discover Hillary Jocson!
Roberta is a pianist, composer, songwriter, and artistic director. Her life is full of passion for everything related to theaters, musicals, and soundtracks. She can manage different musical genres as jazz, swing, pop, contemporary, and ambient. In her latest concept album, released in 2019 for Warner Classics and titled “Disarm” Roberta experiments with unfamiliar sounds in contrast with the trendy piano minimalism. The message of her music is very clear: disarming is giving oneself to the other and allowing to let go, to accept us, to be free from fears, and to bring down the walls that we have built around us. The disarmament that Roberta talks about touches everyone, but we can achieve it only together. We can reach a state of disarmament if we trust each other and support each other, especially between women. Watch the interview!
Angela Lei is a young businesswoman, born in Italy with Chinese roots. Thanks to her entrepreneurial spirit she decides soon to open a Chinese restaurant in Milan. Not a place like any other, but a place spreading out the gastronomic culture of her country. Her restaurant specializes in traditional cuisine from Wuhan, the region located in the southeast of China, at the confluence of the Han River with the Blue River. Angela is happy to be in Milan, where her effort is amply rewarded by the curiosity of her clients, passionate about the stories that she tells in the presentation of each recipe. Angela is an intercultural and brilliant woman who loves to share knowledge and experiences. Don't miss this interview
Sara Strambini is an actress and model. She promoted a new style of presenting TV shows, very ironic and engaging. Sara believes in the importance of the word “change”. She is one of those people who does not undergo change, but who seeks it. Today Sara continues to be an innovator, even cultivating a sense of authenticity without forgetting her origins. It's not a secret that she was born in a small provincial village, from a large family, and grew up with a patriarchal model. Despite the traditions her ideas are very progressive: organic food at km 0, enjoying the pleasures of food while respecting health, limiting travel, and preferring green vehicles. Watch the interview and listen to the voice brought by Sara Strambini!
Miza Mayi is a talented artist. Her beautiful voice can create a perfect mix between soul, electro-pop, electric jazz, lounge, and funky. She was born in Kinshasa, her father is Italian and her mother is Congolese, so she grew up between the cultures and traditions of both nations. The name she chose is the perfect summary of her “Voice”. Indeed, Miza means queen and Mayi means water (in Lingali, her mother tongue): “Water can be delicate and sweet but also destructive. My voice is like that too”, says Miza. She considers change as a constant in life. Therefore, being versatile becomes necessary when you want to live knowing how to approach every event. Her passion for music comes from the idea that music is a universal language capable of connecting people through sound vibrations. Versatility is the voice of Miza Mayi; listen to her interview to find out much more about her.
Health: this is the word that represents Michela Coppa's voice. After 10 years of working in television, she decided to let her passion become a real profession. Michela chooses Social Media channels to show a snapshot of her life; she started posting recipes related to her eating habits and diet. Her followers love her healthy and creative approach to cooking. After a trip to India, she enriched her research for a new lifestyle focused on soul and body with a new great passion: yoga. Yoga became an essential part of her life and Michela decided to share her experience with as many people as possible. Not only as a passion but also as a job. Today Michela is an entrepreneur in wellness training, holding healthy cooking and yoga courses. Her goal is to spread the message that yoga, combined with the right diet, helps you to live your life to the fullest. Taking care of our body and spirit teaches us to love ourselves more and to strengthen our resilience, which is fundamental in times of a pandemic. Michela’s biggest wish is to teach her daughter a healthy and conscious lifestyle, inspired by freedom and love. In the interview she gave us, Michela talks about acceptance, yoga, meditation, and the ideal world that she would like to give to her daughter. Watch the interview!
Angela Hutchison is the founder and owner of Alchemy The Studio, a private one-on-one studio space located in Oakville, Ontario. The word “alchemy” is defined as a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination, and is also a pretty accurate description of the styling that Angela does in the Studio. Certified with Great Lengths for 17(!) years, Angela works magic with Great Lengths extensions, giving her clients consistently beautiful results. (Seriously, check out the before and afters on her Insta!) We were so excited to get to know a little more about Angela for our Stylist Spotlight this month. Tell us a bit about you and your career! How did you get your start, and what has led you to where you are today? I knew I wanted to do hair at a very young age. I got my education immediately after high school and couldn’t wait to start my career! I quickly realized how important it is to surround yourself with strong leadership and passionate stylists and found myself working for and with inspiring people that helped shape my career. Their mentorship helped me find my own style and create a strong foundation to open my own hair studio in 2018. Great Lengths has always been part of my career and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’ve been Great Lengths certified for 17(!) years- what was your inspiration to join the GL network? I was approached by a salon owner while I was still in school. He told me all about Great lengths and provided the opportunity to get certified through their salon after my apprenticeship. I feel so lucky that I was I introduced to such an ethical and superior brand right from the start. It’s still the only extension brand I work with. This year has been unlike any other and many salons have been or continue to be temporarily closed across the country. Have you faced any challenges as a stylist or salon owner due to the current situation? In Oakville where Alchemy the Studio is located, salons were closed for 13 weeks and the area is currently in a red zone. Being a GL artist has had some extra difficulties beyond being a stylist and owner during the closure. Some of my clients needed their extensions removed during that closure, but there was no way to safely do so at the time. Instead, there were plenty of FaceTimes and lots of communication to problem solve and check in. Luckily, my clients are the absolute best and couldn’t have taken better care of their hair. Since Great Lengths never damage hair when properly installed and taken care of, these client’s extensions were totally fine when they came back to see me (just extremely grown out!). What advice would you give other Great Lengths stylists going through similar things? My advice would be to take care of yourself and focus on your physical and mental health. Our industry requires us to give a lot of ourselves, and times have never been so tense and emotional. Our clients need us more than ever because of the relationships we’ve cultivated with them and how we can make them feel. Also, I highly recommend absorbing all of the free incredible educational content on social media right now! Do you think the current situation will impact the industry as a whole in the future? I really do. I lease a studio in a Sola Salons and the space and business model is ideal for our current situation. A one-on-one private studio space allows for a more calm, controlled and safe environment for everyone. I worry that new talent won’t be starting their education and apprenticeships for a few years but I’m hopeful for our industries future! What impact has being a Great Lengths Artist had on you and your business? Great Lengths has allowed me to have an impact on my clients, one that would not be possible through only colouring and cutting. Seeing the confidence created with every new installation will never get old for me. It makes me as happy as the client every single time. What do you love about Great Lengths? I love everything about Great Lengths! It’s such a professional brand. Because it is ethically sourced and traceable, it is the only option I could ever work with. The fact that I know there will be no issue with the hair quality or patented bond allows me to feel confident providing the service. I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night otherwise! Seriously. My clients trust is everything to me. My end goal is to always improve the integrity of their hair. Great Lengths allows me to do that. Over the 17 years you’ve been doing Great Lengths you must have noticed a lot of changes in trends and market. Tell us about some of those changes over the years Social media has changed how people can see our work, as well as the products we use. It definitely allows us to share with the public the possibilities that extensions can provide. They are not as exclusive as they once were and I love that. There are options for everyone! There are so many new extension methods and brands since I started my career, but I still personally love the classic hot fusion keratin bonds. They are the best in my opinion. What is your personal favourite hair trend right now? Why do you love it? I’m obsessed with creating a damage free/no maintenance colour change with the use of extensions. Especially right now with the pandemic, my clients want low maintenance hair colour, and still want their extensions. It’s the perfect way to achieve colour longevity and it keeps it fun! Do you have any colour or style trend predictions for Winter 2020-2021? Colour blocking! And I’m so happy about it. I’ve always been a huge fan of it. It’s also so perfect to create with extensions. Do you have a style icon? Or a hair hero? I worked at Toni & Guy for a few years in Toronto and got to know the creatives and leaders. I love their vibe and the hair culture they have created. If you could pick a celebrity, a public figure, anyone at all - whose hair would you love to work on? I’d love to do Betty White’s hair. Just to meet her! I clearly binge watched Golden Girls recently. What or who do you look to for inspiration? Honestly, my clients. They inspire me with their personal style and push me to create the perfect customized look that’s right for them. And I’m always so inspired by my peers. I’m so lucky to have always been surrounded by so much talent. What personality traits do you feel are most beneficial to your ongoing success? My professionalism and consistency have definitely been key, as well as my willingness to learn and my drive to give the best experience for my clients. What advice would you offer newly certified stylists to best take advantage of their GL skillset? My advice would be to really perfect the art of consultation. It’s the foundation to providing a superior service. You can be technically perfect but still not deliver what they want if you’re not asking the right questions or are not really listening. Also, I suggest finding yourself great mentors, even if it’s through social media. Surround yourself with people that are professional, passionate and motivated. Do you have any Great Lengths do's and don’ts? My dos are to install the last bond with as much care as the first. Always do thorough consultations with every new set of extensions even if they have been with you for years. My don’ts are: Do not work on people that are not a good fit. If they are being demanding, wanting something unreasonable that goes against what you think is proper, don’t do their hair. What is your favourite part of being a stylist? I’m a creative so I feel so lucky to work with my hands for a career. I love to impact people and make them feel good. This really is a dream job for me. Do you have a favourite mantra, quote or saying you like to keep in mind? Ha. We need all the mantras for 2020. A simple one I like is “Keep going, you’ve got this.” After such a wild year in 2020- what are your hopes and aspirations for the new year? My hopes for the hair industry in 2021 are that we are able to continue to provide safe service, and for businesses and stylists to thrive. My hope for everyone is health and happiness. FIND ALCHEMY THE STUDIO ON FACEBOOK AND FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM.
Soupir. Nous savons que le COVID a reporté de nombreux mariages de vos clientes cette année et elles peuvent bien se sentir déprimées. Ce temps supplémentaire peut être utilisé pour avoir d'autres consultations virtuelles, ou si cela est sécuritaire, essayez de nouveaux mélanges de couleurs, longueurs et styles pour leur grand jour! Jenna notre gagnante de #BigDayGiveaway, est bien une des premières à connaître cette peine. Elle avait prévu son mariage pour le 12 décembre 2020, mais à cause du COVID. 🤷🏻♀️ Leur grand jour est désormais prévu pour le 11 décembre de l'année prochaine. Nous avons contacté Jenna pour voir comment elle et son fiancé faisaient face aux changements. «Mon fiancé et moi sommes reconnaissants de notre santé et de celle de notre famille et de nos amis. Nous n'avons rencontré aucun problème avec le changement de date, tous nos fournisseurs étaient merveilleux », a-t-elle déclaré. Nous adorons entendre que tant de petites entreprises et de fournisseurs sont flexibles avec des dates changeantes en raison des restrictions du COVID. Nous sommes si heureux pour Jenna que tout le monde, y compris sa ravissante coiffeuse, ait accepté le changement de plan. Pour faire face à ces temps incertains, Jenna et son partenaire ont adopté un petit bouledogue français à leur famille! Jenna nous dit: «Nous allons prendre nos photos de fiançailles avec le chiot, car c’est quelque chose de spécial à retenir sur notre période de fiançailles. C'est une femelle et nous l’avons nommée Luna. Elle est si mignonne! Quelle incroyable tournure! Dans l'ensemble, Jenna dit qu'elle a hâte de continuer à planifier pour leur nouvelle date. Nous sommes tellement excités de pouvoir faire partie de son grand jour. Nos stylistes experts (et deux de nos fantastiques éducateurs), Judith Parrish et Marianne Savage, vont donner à Jenna les cheveux de ses rêves - c'est-à-dire le volume que JLO envierait et un balayage sans produits chimiques. Nous avons hâte de montrer à notre famille GL son look final! POURRIEZ- VOUS VOUS METTRE DANS LES CHAUSSURES DE JENNA? QUELS CONSEILS AVEZ-VOUS POUR GÉRER LES ÉVÉNEMENTS QUI SONT REPORTÉS?