We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luigi Di Tacchio a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Luigi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
On one of my first creative shoots, my team and I were to create images for a new product launch. After selecting our models and putting visuals together for the final look, my model backed out. We were able to find a new model and my National Educator asked me to create an up-style. This was going to be the only look like this in the collection, and I was super excited as this is my forte. I was taking my time to make sure the look was perfect and polished, only to have my National Educator tell me moments before we were ready to shoot to have me take down my look. The team was shocked as they all liked what I did, and I was crushed as I didn’t understand why this was being asked of me. I took a few moments to regain my thoughts and created a new, simpler look.
This was my first lesson on how to leave my ego at the door and how it’s not about me. A challenging but valuable learning experience about how the world of consumer and creative sometimes doesn’t mix. Adapting to unexpected changes and learning to prioritize the needs of the project over personal choice can be tough, but is an important skill in the industry. Embracing simplicity when necessary and staying flexible are key lessons as well.
It was a great lesson that has stayed with me.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I got my start working in the industry at the age of 12 as a receptionist at my father’s salon. To be honest, I didn’t like working at this age as all my friends were out playing and enjoying themselves. Even still, this is where my love and passion began to grow for the industry. As I was S till fighting the urge to have hairdressing as my career, after high school I decided to go to university for architecture. I quickly realized that wasn’t the path for me and decided to enter the world of hairdressing. Now in hairdressing school, I learned that hard work, training and education are vital to succeed in this industry. I used every available minute to learn what I could from my teachers, and continued at night learning from my father. My father’s accolades as a stylist and competitor were unmatched, and he wished for me to achieve the same success. He became my trainer and taught me the importance of competition and how the skills of competition make you a better stylist.
With this knowledge I was able to win the Ontario Championships, compete in the Canadian Championships, and go on to win top International Competitor at the Beauty Fusion Show in New York. I’ve also had the pleasure of competing for Team Canada at the World Championships 2 times in Moscow and Chicago. I was fortunate enough to learn how to work with a team while also sharing techniques to create styles that had to be performed live on stage. This knowledge came with developing skills to perform styles in front of a live audience with a time restriction. As well, the rigorous training and dedication to the craft only furthered my wealth of knowledge and passion to push my creative, technical and innovative ideas to life. These skills prepared me to become an educator for L’Oreal Professionnel. Balancing salon life and being an educator seemed intimidating, but again my training prepared me for the double task. I was then selected to compete for a third time on Team Canada, but had to quit half way through training due to my partners and I closing our business. This was one of the hardest decisions I had to make as I’m not a quitter, but with the financial strain on my family I knew this was the right decision.
After working at a friend’s salon for a couple of years it was time to open another business. This time on my own. This was quite a big decision and a lot of work. In trying to promote the studio and with my background in competition, I began to train some staff and students for their own competitions. Teaching them the skills and techniques that made me successful . Passing on my knowledge gave me another outlet and made me realize how rewarding it was to see the next generation of stylists become successful in our industry. This is when I became a Canadian Ambassador for L’Oreal Professionnel. Once again working with a very talented team of artists, collaborating to transform visions to reality, and creating trends to pass on to salons to then pass onto their clients. Feeling the competition bug again, I decided to turn to photography competitions. In this, I made it to the finals for my collection and also won Artist to Reign Supreme with Bangstyle in 2014.
Feeling the pressures of owning a business and losing my creative touch, I decided to sell my business. After a few months into the transition there was a devastating fire. After losing my job, tools and livelihood I had to pivot again. I decide to work in two different salons, one in the city and the other in the suburbs. Working in two different salons, each catering to different clientele’s, can provide a unique opportunity to expand my reach and provide a more convenient experience for my clients. I keep pushing forward and hoping this will pay off in the long run.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or doing creative work is building meaningful relationships with clients. Having the ability to create an environment that allows them to trust in my abilities to transform their appearance brings a sense of fulfilment. It’s also just as rewarding to have the opportunities to create new styles for my clients and to see the joy and confidence it brings them. While this is all very fulfilling, having the chances to further grow my education and hone my skills for personal growth is just as rewarding. This personal growth also allows me to grow as an artist within the creative world.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
A resource I wish I knew about earlier in my career is the social platform of Instagram. It’s the digital tool that I use and understand the most. This social platform is a great tool for client engagement. They can engage with me on a personal level, see my transformations, receive styling tips or product knowledge. This allows potential clients to see my skills and style, helping them decide if they want to book an appointment. Thus beginning to build trust and loyalty with your clientele base. You get to create an online portfolio of your work through building a profile, allowing m any hairstylist or clients see our skills and creativity. This helps to gain recognition within the industry for the opportunity to work with other professionals or build a clientele base quicker. Whatever work you showcase allows followers to be inspired by what we have created.
Overall a tool like Instagram can be a valuable tool for building your brand. Connecting with an audience, allowing us to showcase our talents, inspiring other hairstylists and growing our business as a hairstylist or our creative work in the beauty industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: Luigiditacchio.com
- Instagram: @luigiditacchio
- Facebook: Luigi Di Tacchio
Image Credits
Last picture- photographer Doug McMillian Makeup artist Annabella Di Tacchio