Christel lundqvist - a career in colour
Published
14th Apr 2013
by bathamm
Christel Lundqvist is global technical creative director for TIGI and has had an eventful and inspirational career.
Why is hairdressing a great career?
Hairdressing is a great career choice, so many avenues are open - from running your own salon, to being a session stylist, an educator or a manager. But you need to work hard. The hours are long and you're constantly learning new things. Stay focused and you'll succeed.
How did you enter hairdressing?
I wanted to be a hairdresser as long as I can remember. We had a family friend who was a hairdresser and I admired her and wanted to do what she did. When I was little I used to love going to the salon with my mum. I always thought hairdressing was about making someone look beautiful.
When I left school I went to hairdressing college in Sweden. There you do a four-year course but work in a salon at the same time. I worked in a big salon in Stockholm and when I qualified I continued to work there for about six months. Then, at the age of 19, I decided to go to London.
I did a course at the Toni & Guy Academy and when I finished, they offered me a job. This is when I started to set my goals. I wanted to be like the art directors -working at the Academy and on shows and shoots. They suggested I specialise in colour and that's how it happened.
What were your first impressions of the industry and the possibilities open to you?
My time at Toni & Guy really gave me an insight into the opportunities beyond working in a salon. I'd always wanted to be a hairdresser. Then I was really excited to push myself.
How did you start to work towards achieving your goals?
In my career I've always been at different stages with different goals. When I achieve one goal I move on to the next one. After working in the salon as a young colourist, I went on to work at Wella. There I wanted to be as good as I possibly could - learning about the products as much as I could and becoming a good educator. When I had learnt everything inside out and I was happy, I moved on to work in a salon, where I built a clientele, including celebrities and magazine editors and did education and shoots. At the time the salon structure excited me and I wanted to fulfil my aspirations.
Throughout my career my goals have developed with my career. I've worked hard to achieve them though!
What advice would you offer someone looking to carve a long-term, exciting career in hairdressing?
You need to be committed, work hard and never give up. That's how you'll achieve your goals.
Remember you have to go on the journey before you become a great hairdresser, but achieving goals is very exciting.
How would you describe your current role and how does it excite and inspire you?
I'm really enjoying my current role. I'm involved in everything! I'm learning lots constantly. I am involved in product development and testing as well as the creativity. I'm learning about the TIGI philosophy, building colour around the roots of TIGI.
