ANGELO SEMINARA: I wanted to get rid of plastics in products
Angelo Seminara has worked as a hair artist for top brands, like Lancôme, Roberto Cavalli and Givenchy. He also creates hair for advertising, editorials and has worked with several magazines, such as the Italian Vogue.
“But also, I am really close to the hairdressing world and the education. Ever since I started doing hairdressing, I love to share my passion with my colleagues and to help them,” he gushes. “By helping them, they help me.”
To add to his profound list, Seminara is the creative director for the renowned, sustainable beauty brand Davines. They have a huge range of organic products suiting anyone’s needs, with one of their most recent releases – the OI All in One Milk (€26.40 for 135ml) – having many different functions to tend to any type of hair. The OI range has 6 products in total, also including a beautifying hand cream and a moisturizing shower gel. They can be bought in a number of hair salons throughout the Netherlands. We spoke to Angelo Seminara to find out more about his work for Davines and his personal work.
Can you tell me why you decided to work from 2011 with Davines?
“It has been a very, very nice and spontaneous collaboration actually. It happened in a very natural way. Davines called me because they were launching a new ammonia and odor free color, revolutionary in the market. And they asked if I would be interested in creating a new collection. I went to meet them in Parma, talked about the concept and the brand, and I felt immediately at home. They asked me if I wanted to be the artistic director, and I said yes.”
“My main inspiration has always been mother-nature”
What did Davines like about your work?
“I think my creativity, my imagination, my experience, my background and my love of innovation. I always try to innovate, just like Davines.”
Please tell about your inspiration…
“Yes. My main inspiration has always been mother-nature. It may have something to do with the fact that I was born in a small village, and needed to use my imagination all the time. Plus, my uncle is a doctor for plants, and taught me a lot about plants. Because I was so close to nature, I’ve always observed in a superficial way, so I kind of absorbed all the textures, colors of nature. This always comes to my mind when I create hairstyles.”
So you treat hair also as a fabric? You print on it.
“Yes, I screen printed on hair. My dream was to create a new revolutionary technique in coloring hair that looks absolutely natural, so that you don’t even see that it has been colored.”
I saw that you also worked with hemp; can you tell something about that?
“Yes, together with Judith Clark! She is an amazing professor/curator in fashion and art. The reason we worked with hemp is because we started collaborating on this exhibition called “Washed up,” which was showed in Selfridges in London.
For Washed up, the mannequins wore designer fashion by Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and other top brands. Judith asked me to design something to cover the mannequin heads as part of the exhibition. I used hemp because it was also the same color of the mannequins.
After that I worked with Judith in Mexico designing the hair for Frida Kahlo’s costumes. You know Frida Kahlo’s costumes were kind of locked in a room for 50 years, Diego Riviera which was the artist, husband. Basically he locked all the clothes and told everyone not to touch them. After he died Vogue Mexico and Judith Clark called me and asked me if I could re-design all the hair for her personal clothes. I was like this is the most amazing thing that I have ever done in my life. We don’t know when, but we want to bring it into the world.”
I like blow drying my hair, which Davines product would you advise?
“The blow dry primer, it’s an anti-humidity, purifying tonic. It’s a really great product. It gives the hair body, softness and volume and it keeps the shine. It also maintains the blow dry thanks to the anti-humidity.”
“With Davines I wanted to get rid of all the plastics in products”
Can you describe your favorite hair?
“That’s natural and beautiful hair. I don’t like too much products hair like we saw the 80’s. With Davines I wanted to get rid of all the plastics in products. Most of the products are full of silicones. I don’t like that. The hair needs to reflect the person and needs to reflect the beauty from within.”
If you would be a woman, how would you wear your hair?
“Good question, I would be Michelle Pfeifer in Scarface with a classic bob. She didn’t need anything in her hair. It looked amazing and sensual. And I want it to be blond.”
