I want that job! richard phillipart

Richard Phillipart, American Dream ambassador and owner of The Boutique Salon & Spa, Cheshire, reveals how he built his career to date. When did you decide you wanted to be a hairdresser? Becoming a hairdresser was something I had wanted to do from a really young age; I’ve always had a love of hair. I started hairdressing at 13 and went full time as soon as I left school. Where did you train? I trained in a local salon in Cheshire. It was a really good apprenticeship and gave me a great foundation in classic skills. What was your first job like? My first job was great fun; I remember really enjoying it. When I was qualified, I started messing around with extensions and experimenting with hair. I’m now pleased to say those skills have led me to being named ambassador for American Dream. When did you open your first salon and what gave you the confidence to go it alone? I opened the salon when i was just 22. I was frustrated where I was and didn’t feel supported to do everything I wanted to achieve, so I decided to do it on my own. At that age, I had so much confidence, I just couldn’t see that anything would go wrong - so I went for it. How did you attract such a star-studded clientele to a new salon? The salon was quite established when our star-studded clientele started coming in. My red carpet work was really the stepping-stone as I built relationships with the girls I styled. I would use American Dream Extensions on the girls for their awards and red carpet appearances to give them an individual look and it grew from there. How did you get involved in session work? My session work started at Graduate Fashion Week; I couldn’t recommend it enough. I realised this was where I wanted to be going so I headed to London Fashion Week with my kit. You just have to be available and make it happen. How do you balance running a busy and successful salon with your session work? It's been hard to balance, but it’s definitely evolved over the eight years we've been open. I’m lucky that I have incredible staff in place and a great manager with a strong ethos, so I know it’s in safe hands when I’m not there. Initially, you can’t just open a business and continue session work without investing time in your salon. What’s been the highlight of your career so far? Winning industry awards and travelling across the world doing session work, getting to assist people like Guido and Sam McKnight. What’s your next career goal? The next thing I would like to achieve would be heading my own teams at Fashion Week. What piece of advice would you give your student self? Be ambitious, work hard and believe in yourself. Looking for your next career move? Take a look at HJi Jobs for all of the latest hair and beauty job opportunities!