Internationally renowned hair artist Mounir has been named as Hair Expo 2020’s dynamic headliners, bringing his vast experience in education, innovation and creativity to the expo floor and education rooms. At expo, his session, ‘The Magic of Mounir – An Unforgettable Afternoon with the Number One Influencer in the Hairdressing World’ will be conducted to inspire the industry at large.
We chatted to the revolutionary hairdresser about his technique, his talent and his upcoming trip to Australia.
How does it feel to be bringing your signature techniques and artistic perspective to the Australian industry?
Australia is a very special place with so many talented hairdressers who service fashion forward clients. It is incredible to be in Australia, it has won a special place in my heart with its passionate industry and trend-setting culture. I can’t wait to share my signature techniques and hope this will be the one of many more trips to come.
Your signature ombré look has earned you an incredible international reputation. What’s your secret to creating perfect, natural-looking ombré, and do you think it’s a hair trend that is here to stay?
My ombré technique goes beyond the stereotypical ‘rules’ of hair design. It can be used to create a beautiful sun-kissed highlight or lowlight and with just a slight variation of technique, can create contour for your client.
My secret is testing the hair and diagnosing the result. Everything is in the bleaching process. Bleaching the hair to the desired colour whilst keeping the hair strong and healthy will give the best results. However, for me the real secret is in the eye of the hair designer. The eye is the engine to create beauty using any technique.
The ombré look has proven to be one of the pillars in the hair colouring world and I do not see it going away in a hurry. I am also looking to create more rule-defying looks so I am sure a different variation of ombré will be coming up in the future.
You’re the king of hair transformations, what is the most satisfying part of completely transforming a client’s look?
Competition is my drive. What I look for in every transformation is hair that I can challenge. A beauty that I can enhance and intensify. I get satisfaction from pushing myself beyond the colouring boundaries to create something that other hair designers couldn’t or wouldn’t.
Also, the final expression on the client’s face; I love seeing the client feel beautiful and confident.
We’ve seen you create amazing ombré transformations just using hair extensions. What do you love about using hair extensions, and why are Seamless1 extensions your go-to?
Preparing a client’s hair colour and matching it with extensions is not always an easy task. Extensions allow you to deliver that extra punch where the client’s hair can’t help you to achieve the result otherwise. I have been using Seamless1 extensions for years; I couldn’t find the creativeness of the colours and the hair quality in any other brand.
Your Mounir brand colours are a key component of your stunning transformations. What are the main points of difference with Mounir colour?
The way I designed the shades and created colours that are not found in any one brand in the industry right now makes Mounir colour stand out from the rest. Some of my shades are not found in any other brands on the market. The delivery of the colour into the hair and not the colour itself is most important. I worked very hard to create a smooth delivery process of the colour into the hair. The smooth delivery process (SDP) allows the hairdresser to have the confidence to make no mistakes with my products.
I must give a big credit to the bleaching powder I designed, as it is not too strong on the hair. I use over 20,000 tubs of bleach in my salon every year so I know it does not expand or overheat. Another one of my secret weapons is Arkitek single step process, this plex allows me to rebuild the hair and get the result I want.
Can you tell us about the most memorable show or project that you’ve worked on?
Creating my colour brand has been one of my greatest dreams. Also, I am Mounir online academy is one of the most satisfying projects I have worked on, as I was able to share and teach aspiring hair designers my techniques so they too can become revolutionary transformers. Also, the hair show in Paris was one of the biggest events we have embarked on – it was truly electric.
As an immensely successful salon owner, what is the one thing you see salons getting wrong, and what is your advice for salon owners to improve on this?
You must follow your passion, invest in education and have a strong development program for your key team members. Break the chain and the rules and stretch the boundaries. I see far too many talented hairdressers and potentially successful salons waste away because they didn’t invest in training and education. Strive to always be creative and always keep learning.
Who or what is your biggest creative inspiration?
To create something that suits my clients’ eyes, face, skin tone and personality is where I draw my biggest inspiration.
What are you most looking forward to during your time in Australia, and at Hair Expo?
To launch my colour brand in Australia and to share and connect with the Australian hair designers is what I am looking forward to the most.
Hair Expo Australia will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre over 6-8 June 2020.
For more information visit www.hairexpoaustralia.com
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