Stylists Sharpen Their Skills With Sassoon Experts

By Nancy K. Crevier

Ricci’s Academy of Cosmetology at 99 South Main Street, located below Ricci’s Salon & Spa, is always the site of learning. But on Monday, May 3, stylists and students of the salon and the hair dressing school, as well as stylists from 15 other area salons, were invited to take part in the first of what will be monthly Monday advanced classes “to get regenerated,” said Ricci’s owner, Dan Ricci.

The special guests at the May 3 morning and afternoon sessions were Ricci’s Academy graduate Stephen Moody, now a highly regarded stylist/educator from Malibu, Calif., with London-based Sassoon, and Kenny Reid of Santa Monica, Calif.

“My forte is education to professional hair dressers,” said Mr Moody on Monday, as he dashed from one model to the next in preparation for the afternoon session he was offering. He tweaked a bit of hair here and ran the comb through another there, adding, “I travel the world to educate, inspire, and motivate professional hair stylists. Today, I’m sharing with Dan and his team new techniques, colors, and shapes that are current. In any profession, everyone needs to get the batteries recharged, and that’s what I hope to do.”

 “Stephen worked here for many years, and we’re very proud of him, and all of our graduates,” said Mr Ricci. “I’ve been in this business of 30 years and I’ve never seen his level of artistic ability. Stephen is one of five at the heights around the world,” he said. At the morning session, participants were treated to “cutting edge” techniques and trends, Mr Ricci said, such as the way colors are done in tasty tones like raspberry reds and chocolaty browns, as well as pastel blondes with violet overtones. “There is a resurgence of the curl,” Mr Ricci said. “Perms and texture are back after years of very straight hair. Ricci’s is one of the only schools in Connecticut that facilitates the Sassoon education. The thing about Sassoon is that it is one to one-and-a-half years ahead of the streets of Connecticut,” he said.

Three models, out of six used on Monday, were in various stages of haircuts and coloring treatments as the afternoon class began. “I’m presenting finished cuts and then everyone gets to see the process happen,” said Mr Moody. While five of the hair models were students or clients of Ricci’s previously selected, one was there by happenstance.

“Kenny and Stephen are staying at our place,” said Jane Vouros, owner of the Dana-Holcomb House on Main Street. “I’ve been coming to Danny forever to have my hair cut, so when one model backed out at the last minute on Sunday, they called and said ‘Can you get down here? We’re going to use your head,’” laughed Ms Vouros, as she patiently waited for her turn to go in front of the class. “What I love, is that Stephen was ‘studying’ my head Saturday morning, and then there was a space to use me in the class, lucky for me,” she said.

Her sleek haircut had been purposely left unfinished for Monday’s show but she was already loving the new look. “I’m thrilled with the cut. Stephen is a genius at doing what will work for my life style and what looks good,” said Ms Vouros.

The class moved along at a good “clip,” with the more than three dozen stylists watching attentively as Mr Moody and Mr Reid worked and talked about the craft of hair cutting and coloring. “Our main goal is to share information with you,” said Mr Moody, “and to help you retain that information, so please take notes,” he urged the class. The two California stylist/educators also shared with the class the art of the customer/stylist relationship.

“We want to service people and give them something they want to come back to us for,” Mr Moody said.

“It’s about making your work attractive to a client, and giving them something that they can’t get anywhere else. You need to provide a consistent service and we’re showing you techniques to help you do that,” Mr Reid added.

The learning experience is essential to improving skills, Mr Ricci said, “So it is wonderful to have Stephen and Kenny here to share this with us today. We’re using new techniques to move to another level.”

As the men spoke, it was clear that hair styling is much more than taking scissors to hair. It is a combination of a rigorous understanding of chemistry, artistry, and geometry to provide a positive result. The salon business also needs to be aware of practices that increase business while providing compatible services to the client. By prescribing hair products to help the client recreate the look and adding a unique coloring technique to the cut, said Mr Moody, it is possible to turn a 62 percent chance of a client’s return into a 97 percent chance.

“The word that is our best friend when working with a client is ‘Yes.’ The word that is our worst enemy is ‘Yes.’ Be careful,” warned Mr Moody, “how you use that word.”

Above all, though, emphasized Mr Reid, “have integrity in all you do.”