beauty call

We met Karmela Lozina at the HBA trends conference where she was speaking on a panel. She’s cut and styled basically every kind of person you can imagine: celebrities, models, musicians, circus entertainers, designers, you name it.  So, we sent her a list of some questions and asked if she could give us some feedback.

She invited us to the John Sahag salon for a first-hand view of the Sahag dry cut and of course we said yes.  So, for the sake of beauty call, we headed to midtown on a rainy Tuesday to experience one of NYC’s most celebrated salons.

Karmela greeted us at the door in a bright pink and yellow ensemble, pink heart sunglasses and patent leather rain boots that immediately set the tone for the rest of the day.  “I like to dress according to the weather and the weather sucks today, so I went bright.”

How did you get started in hair? Can you talk about your experience as a stylist, past work experience, you know, maybe some crazy fashion shoots?

I was always styling my Barbie’s hair, not cutting cause god-forbid I’d ruin it and you know that hair’s not going to grow back.  But styling it and I guess it just kind of stuck with me.  My sister said I should go to school for it so I did.  I even went to barber school so I can cut men’s hair with the best of them.  Learning the Sahag method under John was intense – it’s a two-year program, but I mean I’m still learning every day.

I love working at shoots – fashion shoots are the best and you meet a ton of amazing people and everyone is always so nice.

Can you talk about The Sahag Dry Cut Technique? What are its benefits, why is it unique?

The Sahag technique is so great because I can work on small sections at a time.  When hair is dry, I can see how it falls and trim and trim and trim until I’m happy.  It’s like the ultimate customized style for you because I can see what it looks like after every hair I cut.  When hair is wet, you just can’t tell what you’re doing.

How do you decide what cut to give a client?, what is your styling process?

You need to listen to the client, understand them and then give them a cut that they want.  It’s a process you have to go through together.  Like, if you feel like you can’t walk with short hair, I’m not going to style it that way.

What are some hair trends for fall?

Straight is going to be on its way out.  No one wants poker straight hair anymore.  They want it loose and tousled, almost curly but we’re not talking perm curly.

Do you ever think the perm will come back?

(Laughs)  Um.

How do you recommend taking care of hair for the winter?

Our Moroccan hair treatment is great because it gives winter hair a healthy shine, but for the ultimate winter care I just love our Keratin treatment.  Flyaways, frizz, breakage is gone instantly.

And of course, when it’s raining like this, I just hairspray the hell out of everything.

You have a very distinct personal style. How would you describe your personal style?

I dress according to my mood.  Some days I go for bright colors, some days not but always full of energy, I have to be on my game for my clients.

What has Sahag been offering their clients in response to the economy?

I’ve been doing a ton of weddings on weekends – we’ll go wherever and do an entire bridal party, the bride, it’s so much fun.  Everyone wants to get married in a recession – who knew.  It’s almost like people are returning to old-fashion values, want to settle down and have that part secure.  But anyways – it’s a win for everyone.  I actually have a wedding I’m psyched about this weekend.

Where can we find you on a Friday night?

Well Fridays normally aren’t big for me since Saturday is always such a crazy day at the salon, but I find time to get out on other nights.  I usually spend about three hours getting ready so…when I’m out, I’m out.  I love 1OAK, just love it, they make a mean cocktail – cause a girl needs a good cocktail and it’s always such a blast.  Last week, I went out in a wedding dress.  My friend’s a designer and he gave it to me so I rocked it with some Louboutins and everyone loved it, it was great.  I mean, who wouldn’t?

Be prepared to spend a good 2 hours in the seat as Karmela expertly styles the perfect ‘do.  It’s worth it.  I got exactly what I wanted and walked out feeling like a rock star.

Check out their website here: http://www.johnsahag.com/sahag_video