One on One with Natalie Kasses

Life of a Stylist...

ONE-ON-ONE with Natalie Kasses, Creative director, Pastels Salon 

Please tell us about your hairdressing journey, where did it all start?

I guess it all really started before I was even born because I come from a family of hair stylists. My mother, grandfather and both maternal and paternal uncles were all in the industry. Officially, though I started working part-time in a little salon on a Saturday at the age of 12 and I left school when I was 14 as I knew I wanted to work in the hair industry.

As creative director what has been your vision whilst at Pastels?

My vision has had two focal points: education and passion. I only want passionate stylists to work at the salon, those who love hair and are keen to discover, create and master the latest trends. Also, I want people who have a desire to be educated and who want to embrace learning and improve their knowledge and skill set. In Dubai, the hair industry can lack innovation and so I have created an artistic team who set out to push the boundaries of what’s possible and interpret fashion’s mood and the current trends to create fresh new looks. Together we do lots of photoshoots and editorial work. It is very important to me that every one of my stylists knows that while we live in a country that is conservative, we don’t have to be conservative in our work.

What piece of advice would you give to a stylist who is looking to move to the UAE?

First of all, make sure you look for a salon that offers continuous education – we are so far away from the rest of the world, it is easy to become stale and fall out of the habit of keeping up with the latest trends and understand how to not only create them but adapt them so they suit the client you have sitting in your chair. If you enjoy the creative style of hairdressing, choose a salon that has a strong artistic team.  Finally when in Dubai you are away from your family and friends, so choose a workplace environment that has a positive and loving family vibe. It is very important to feel you have a family and people to rely on when you are far from home.

What do you think are the biggest hair trends at the moment?

This season for me is all about organic, natural hair. Lived in textured messy hair is huge at the moment. The best hairstyles at the moment are those that appear to be lived-in and which have a lot of texture. This trend has evolved from the beach-inspired styles that have proved popular over the past few years. This means that, for now, structured styles are far down on fashion’s radar- rather it’s all about embracing your natural hair. Colour-wise, stylists and clients are embracing softer tones. It is all about muted colours - think peachy and beigey blondes. Nothing raw or bright in terms of colour is prevalent this season; instead it is all about the presence of shimmer in the colour.

What hair styling product could you not live without?

I have naturally curly hair so I am a huge fan of L’Oreal Siren Waves. At the moment, I am also using Kerastase Elixir Oil and also the Elixir BB Cream to keep any frizz at bay, which is a huge problem in this region. Finally, I absolutely cannot live without my Dyson hair dryer and its diffuser. PB