Issue link: https://www.ahpindiestylist.com/i/1280345
36 indie stylist Volume 1 Issue 2 "For anyone who thinks they could never accomplish this kind of recognition among the people you admire and are inspired by, I encourage you to not give up, and to keep learning and trying new things." WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE COVER IMAGE? This collection was something I did to challenge myself to create something a little softer but with the same impact I feel from the very dark, moody vibes I usually love to shoot. I wanted to create a vintage feeling with the brown sepia tones that mimic an old photograph or a portrait painting while creating modern fashion and hairstyles. YOU'VE WON SEVERAL MAJOR HAIRSTYLING AWARDS. WHAT'S THAT LIKE? The first photo shoot I ever did was in 2005, and I remember being simultaneously scared and excited. That year, I entered my collection into the Canadian Mirror Awards in the Newcomer of the Year category and the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA) in the Student Apprentice category. I won the Mirror Award that year, and I couldn't believe it! The accomplishment of becoming a finalist, and then a winner, was an indescribable feeling. From that point on, I knew this was a passion for me and a road I had to travel. I have been shooting and competing most years since that first win, and although I have made it into semifinalist and finalist categories, I have lost many more awards than I ever won. For me, planning photo shoots and competing has never been about winning but about pushing myself and creating something I'm proud of. Over the years, there have been a few very memorable wins; two of the biggest ones were in the last two years at the NAHA Awards. Becoming a NAHA finalist felt like a dream that couldn't possibly come true, and to actually win . . . that seemed impossible. For anyone who thinks they could never accomplish this kind of recognition among the people you admire and are inspired by, I encourage you to not give up, and to keep learning and trying new things. After 15 years, winning my first NAHA in 2019 for North American Hairstylist of the Year was like no other professional experience I have ever had. In 2020, I was named a NAHA finalist in the Master Hairstylist category, and I was incredibly humbled and thankful to take that trophy home this past January. YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE STUNNING. TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS OF SHOOTING A COLLECTION. Over the years, I have been so fortunate to have a wonderful team of women working with me, and around me, to make these accomplishments happen. Each photoshoot is truly a collaborative effort between myself, my photographer Paula Tizzard, my makeup artist Florencia Taylor, and my assistant and muse Carrie-Lynn VandenBerg. My boss, Lisa Sallabank, and the incredible team of stylists at Salon Entrenous have offered endless support. The actual photo shoot rarely starts with a concrete plan; it is more conceptual but with some solid ideas of mood, a style of lighting, or even just a feeling I want to convey. Then comes the endless messages, emails, and phone calls between Paula, Florencia, and Carrie-Lynn, where we brainstorm and throw around ideas for which models to hire, which face suits which hairstyle, makeup, etc. I have spent years collecting wardrobe and crafting costumes or jewelry that I use in my shoots—that's one of my favorite parts. I search through fashion magazines and spend endless hours researching on my phone. By the time the shoot day arrives, everything always seems to just seamlessly fall into place. We have worked together for so long, and we all have a common goal—to make cool images. So we are not afraid to make suggestions, tell each other if we don't like the direction we are going, or have open and honest discussions with no ego getting in the way. We are not afraid to try something and then say, nope . . . we have to start over with this one.