Fabien Maillot’s extensive hairdressing career has taken him everywhere, from Paris to Australia, to an essential partnership with Natulique that showcases his love of the environment and important values to put the planet first. With 22 years of experience and some incredibly unique experiences throughout his career, Fabien offered his approach to colour, editorial and his plans for 2020.

INSTYLE: Tell us about how you got started in hairdressing.

Fabien Maillot: As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in arts. At the age of fourteen, I said to my mum that I wanted to quit school to start an art-related career. However, I was a bit lost as I didn’t know what I really wanted to do. One afternoon, my mum and I had a long talk about my different skills and we wrote down everything that I liked. It became eventually clear that hairdressing was the best choice I could make. I started to see people as canvas where I could create different styles, volume and hair colour. The funniest part is that after two weeks of a trial, I wanted to quit because I was only making coffee and cleaning the hair salon, no one told me about that part! I said to my mum that I wanted to quit and she said that Rome wasn’t built in a day and I had to start at the bottom like everyone else and work my way up. She did not allow me to quit, I had to persevere and find my own way until I fully fell in love with the craft. 22 years later I am still in love and excited to create.

IN: How would you describe your career trajectory until now?

FM: As I said, I have been a hairdresser for 22 years and my career has been very colourful. I have road experience in artistic hairdressing in Paris but also here in Australia. Indeed, I have been artistic director for a few events, more recently for the Perth Hair Make Up Artists Awards held in 2018 with the “Four elements” artistic show. I am currently running my own business but I always make time for artistic, Avant Garde or fashion projects.

IN: What have been your career highlights?

FM: A lot of amazing things happened during my career but I guess that the most incredible memory remained my first big event in Paris. It was a show in Disneyland for one of the biggest groups in the Parisian artistic industry. It was unbelievable, I was surrounded by many celebrities and it felt like a dream for a young hairdresser from Reunion Island. My upbringing was not easy and it was unimaginable for most people to think about going to Paris and to be part of this kind of hype event. A more recent highlight was the “Four elements” show I mentioned, and which I created from A to Z with the precious help of make up artists, fashion designers, models, dancers and DJ. It was an amazing and fulfilling experience for me, especially to bring my European touch on the Australian scene in Perth.

IN: What are your plans for 2020 in hairdressing?

FM: My crazy mind is always working and I always have a lot of ideas. However, my first priority for 2020 is to get ready for Hair Expo in June. In addition to this, I am also planning to create a couple of hair collection during the year.

IN: Why do you partner with Natulique?

FM: When starting my business, I chose to partner with Natulique because we share the same values and ethics, especially regarding the environment, sustainability, animal welfare and organic standards. I was looking for a brand with professionalism, innovation and integrity and Natulique ticked all the boxes. In addition to this, they are very open minded and ready to listen and to help in the business side but also on a personal level. I have a special relationship with Claire and Steve Foote, the distributors for WA, as they are very helpful and supportive of my projects. Working with Natulique makes me feel like being part of a family.

IN: What are your favourite Natulique products?

FM: It is difficult for me to choose amongst the products but I guess my favourites are the hair colour range because there is no harsh smell and it’s completely safe for our customers, without compromising on the final result. I also have a soft spot for the Root Lifter and the Moroccan Argan Oil, which always brings great feedback from my customers.

IN: Tell us about your collection ‘Contemporary Queen’.

FM: The collection is an homage to women, inspired by strong, elegant and confident women. There are a variety of models because our society is not made with only one type of hair or ethnicity and I wanted women from different backgrounds to recognise themselves in this collection. The idea was to create something classic with a twist of modernity. Different hair colours and multiple hair textures and styling are the tools to reveal personality.

For more information visit www.natulique.com.au

 

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