PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Two-times British Hairdresser of the Year and Global Creative Director for TONI&GUY, Cos Sakkas, sat down with three times British Hairdresser of the Year Anthony Mascolo for a chat

Photo by: Alex Barron-Hough

Anthony Mascolo: It’s great to sit down with you, we’ve been through a lot together and I couldn’t be more proud.

Cos Sakkas: That means a lot! I have so many things I want to ask you, but I want to take you right back to the 80s when you were creating looks such as the Veil and the Basket Weave, where did those ideas come from?

AM: Other people were producing their own versions at the time. I was being influenced by people such as Robert Lobetta, taking inspiration and making it my own. With the Basket Weave I saw something different and then that turned into the Veil.

We were working with long hair and came up with the Samurai. I drew the shape then Pat [Mascolo] cut it out of cardboard, and we created the look.

CS: You started to build a brand, it must have been an exciting time.

AM: Toni took the business to another level, he saw that people wanted to be a part of what we were doing and turned that into growth. Because of this we had more freedom to be creative and that attracted more people. Bruno took the business to the US while Toni focused on Europe and Asia; Guy was great with people, while I built the creativity. The business today is thanks to everyone’s input.

CS: You’ve always said Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck, who is now the Global Brand Director of TONI&GUY, and your niece, was a natural talent and the next visionary of the brand.

AM: She started hairdressing at the age of 12 and we worked together a lot. I immediately saw her natural talent and fresh vision. She’s also like her father, Toni, and has the business mentality as well as the creativity. I’m very proud of her.

CS: In 1992 I signed onto the TONI&GUY Beginners Course, I pitched up at the academy in St Christophers Place and I walked in and instantly knew it was for me.

AM: Pat signed you in, she remembers it like it was yesterday! This was a new course and an exciting introduction to the industry. Until then we had only offered this to our own team. Then you became part of the Artistic Team – and look at you now! 

CS: You started taking images in the 80s which was the start of your photography journey…

AM: Pat got me a camera and I didn’t touch it for a year. Then I began shooting and it became a creative process. This was the late 80s and it gave us the freedom to create what we wanted. We were in a recession and while everyone was cutting back, we started advertising in magazines. This put TONI&GUY in a powerful position, and it grew from there. HJ's British Hairdressing Awards launched and really triggered creativity and photography within the industry.

CS: You went on to win HJ's British Hairdresser of the Year three times and Artistic Team of the Year 11 times (that was before the rules were changed!)

AM: Back then hair was unisex, so you had to learn everything rather than specialising. As trends changed people weren’t learning all the techniques, but you have to learn everything from setting to perming to finishing, even if you’re not using them every day. You must know the rules to break them.

CS As much as you had creative freedom, there was always a goal behind every campaign or collection.

“WE HAD TWO MOTIVATIONS; ONE WAS TO GAIN CLIENTS; THE OTHER WAS TO ATTRACT HAIRDRESSERS. THEN THERE WAS HJ'S BRITISH HAIRDRESSING AWARDS WHICH GAVE US ANOTHER REASON – TO WIN.”

AM: We had two motivations; one was to gain clients; the other was to attract hairdressers. Then there was HJ's British Hairdressing Awards which gave us another reason – to win. It was an important part of our growth. It brought us students to the Academy, we were invited to do shows internationally and people wanted to work with us.

CS: I started as an apprentice and loved our industry. More recently there seems to be a decline in apprenticeships, what do you think the reason for this is?

AM: The problem has always been there, it isn’t new. We must make learning part of their world; they are on their phone so we need to make education more of a blended experience, embracing technology that they will engage with. They see influencers who work when they want, do what they want and that’s added a different dynamic to the industry. It costs money to take on an assistant and the government needs to help. Something like a paid-for scheme where they come and spend time in a salon – fully paid – to get a real feel for it. If they like it, they will stay, you’ve hooked them in without it being a cost to the salon. There isn’t an easy solution.

CS: You’ve been a hairdresser, innovator, and visionary – what’s next?

AM: I’ve done hair for 53 years; it’s been my life since the age of 14. To be part of creating a brand with my brothers was incredible. Hair is in my blood, but I don’t have any inclination to do anything big – I think I’ve done enough! I do like to see what other people are doing and offer opportunities for other people. I’m enjoying life with friends and family, looking forward to what’s coming for the future generation.

CS: What do you think is needed to create another hairdressing revolution or have those days gone?

AM: Social media is a revolution; it has opened opportunities for people and created a different type of hairdresser that is more celebrity-based and commercial. It’s a different kind of revolution, people are learning in a different way, people have access to more education and creativity. Hairdressing will always have its challenges, but when you’re in love with hair it’s a journey. It’s not a job when you’re having fun.