Taiwan’s very own Celine Lin, collaborator with Una Hair Salon in Kaohsiung, aspires to her idol, Vidal Sassoon. Here she shares some of her thoughts and feelings about her entry and her win at the prestigious Wella’s ITVA 2014.
When starting out, did you ever dream you would find yourself in Monaco on the winners’ stage?
“When I knew that Wella had such a prestigious global platform, I thought to myself that this was the perfect challenge for me. I’m so honored and head over heels with joy that I’ve made it! I want to say thank you to the honorable and professional judges for giving me this prestigious award. This has been an incredible journey for me, and I am very proud of myself for making it this far. The whole event has truly been a mind-blowing experience for me, and has broadened my horizon in so many ways.”
How would you describe the sensation of winning the grand prize in the Wella Trend Vision Awards?
“When I stood up there to receive the amazing Platinum Award, the first thing that came into my mind was that I’m so grateful for having such supportive family, friends, and my colleagues at Una Hair Salon, Taiwan. It is their support that encouraged me never to give up, to persist till the end, and empower me with the strength to win. In addition, I am also extremely grateful for my mentors for giving me all the time and guidance that I needed to stand out in the competition. Last, but not least, I would like to give a big thank you to Wella Professionals for providing such outstanding products and such a prestigious platform where I can truly shine!“
What made you choose a life in hairdressing?
“Life is a wonderful journey, full of surprises. When I first got a chance to work in the hair industry, it was because of the economy. I thought to myself that one must be equipped with a technical specialty in order to survive. So, during the years of my education, I’ve always opened myself up to anything and everything with aesthetic aspect. Therefore, I chose to enroll in a professional beauty collage, and when the time came to select my major, I chose to specialize in hair, because to me, hair was the most challenging of all. Afterwards, I wasted no time in finding out everything there was to know about hair. I also set high standards to remind myself to always do the best I can in every little detail.”
What creative urges do Wella Professionals colors inspire in you?
“What I really like about Wella Professionals colors is that I feel like a painter when using them. They give me the freedom to create all the tones I need to embody my inspirations. The diversity allows me to run free and experiment with the colors to create any color I want. I especially like to play with different colors and try out different formulas to create different shades, which is similar to the paint of which painters use to create phenomenal paintings. This is very fulfilling for me and I enjoy using the Wella Professionals colors so much. We all live in a world where we like to pursue the beauty in life, so through creating beautiful colors, I’ve found a way to capture the beauty in life, and in surrounding environments. The correlation of beauty, life, and nature is also where I’ve got most of my inspirations for my hair color designs.”
When speaking about your concept of the planets, you speak of “unique depth and contrast”. How does Wella color help you make your concepts come to life?
“As I’ve mentioned before, I take an interest in experimenting colors, and Wella definitely gave me what I’ve needed to do so. The wide range of colors, and the freedom of use in the main reason that they can help bring my creations to life. It’s like when we go to the planetarium to observe the planets we know that the colors and contrast of planets is ever-changing. So I know that I must take some time to play with the colors and to try out different formulas. Much to my delight, Wella colors really delivered the image that I had in mind!”
What influence are Asian trends and consumers having on global trends?
“From my point of view, in the process of globalization, may different cultural backgrounds and values have become closer and closer. I think that globalization has resulted in the economy dominating global trends. Whether we speak about the fashion, beauty, or hair industry, I’ve found that in recent years, a majority of events for major brands have integrated Asian elements into western trends. Therefore, I think on some level, it is thanks to the significant economical influence of Asian countries that has contributed to the globalization of Asian trends today.”
What is the next great frontier in hair color?
“When I’m in the salon, I often find that most customers are reluctant to change the length of their hair, but are always looking for a way to improve their overall look. That’s why they would choose to color their hair. However, these are just optional and not everyone finds that hair coloring is a necessity. Therefore, I think that the next frontier in hair color would be to find out how to transform hair coloring into becoming a necessity, and also how to bring customized hair color services to the next level.”
What is it about Asian hairdressers that makes them leading trendsetters and visionaries? Culture, education, specific skills?
“I personally think it’s the fierce competition we’ve faced with in the market that makes us better at what we do. Especially in a market that has such a high population density, Taiwan salons must thrive to keep on improving and to be better at what they do in order to excel in this kind of environment. Therefore, I think I am also grateful for such a competitive surrounding, because it urges me to pursue further education to improve and excel in what I love.”