Emiliano Vitale在2000年創立é SALON，憑藉著獨到的藝術美感與潮流洞察力，é SALON傑出的作品三次獲得澳洲Hair Expo年度最佳沙龍團隊的肯定，Emiliano自己也在2014年獲頒AHFA (Australian Hair Fashion Awards)年度最佳髮型師的殊榮；更曾在2011和2010年分別贏得美髮界奧斯卡AIPP最佳商業髮型和男士髮型，如此豐碩的戰績和城就，也讓Emiliano成為南半球美髮界舉足輕重的要角。

 

Winning Hair Expo Salon Team of the Year for a 3rd time in June 2016, and Australian Hairdresser of the Year in 2014 in Australian Hair Fashion Awards, Emiliano Vitale also won AIPP award with his Men’s Collection in 2010.

With such a record, Emiliano has become a regular aboard and behind the scenes at the internationally acclaimed AIPP awards, riding a reputation for thought provoking digital projects and visuals that question the established standards of beauty.

 

 

Emiliano誕生於美髮世家，不僅有位髮型師父親，就連阿姨和表兄弟姊妹都是髮型師，「走上美髮這條路，對我來說再自然不過，就像流在血液裡的基因一樣！」他從11歲開始運用假日在父親的沙龍打工，並在1987年正式開始實習。Emiliano始終把父親當成人生典範，他回憶道：「我仍然記得他在沙龍裡孜孜不倦的忙碌著，他的神情是多麼執著、多麼的有熱忱，他一絲不苟的工作態度贏得所有人的尊敬與愛戴，我唯一的夢想就是成為與我父親一樣的髮型師！」

多年後，Emiliano與父親手牽手，一同站上Alternative Hair Show的舞台，讓在場5000位觀眾見到美髮產業美好的傳承。

 

Emiliano was born in a hairdresser family. He started his career at 11 working after school on Thursday nights, Saturday mornings and in the school holidays in his father, Samuel Vitale’s salon. “I had always been drawn to hairdressing as all my cousins, my father and aunties are all hairdressers. It’s in the family!” he says.

 

He started his apprenticeship with his father in 1987, "I remember watching the way my father worked; so hard, so passionate and I especially remember the way everyone respected and loved him; all I ever remember wanting to do was what he was doing."

 

 

2000年，Emiliano離開父親的沙龍，一心只想創立一片屬於自己的天地：「我用名字的開頭，將這間髮廊命名為 é SALON。這裡是我的空間，我能夠決定規則，也能打破它們！」他坦言，這樣的心態的確是以自我為中心，當他真正擔任經營者後，也面對了許多沒有想過的責任和壓力，「現在的我能夠很有自信的說， é SALON是一間為了顧客著想、為了美髮產業著想、不斷展現出創造力的一間髮廊！」

 

In 2000, Emiliano opened é SALON in Wahroonga, Sydney’s eastern suburbs. He has been the Creative Director since then. "The name is the first letter in my name. I just wanted to have my own space. Live by my rules, make the rules and break them. I believe that é SALON is now a vehicle that serves. It serves our team, our clients, our community, our industry and more importantly our world; creatively, spiritually and quality.”

 

 

é SALON能獲得三次沙龍團隊，身為創意總監的Emiliano功不可沒，他熟知團隊的需要，也深刻了解美髮產業的動態，他認為，團隊的成功來自於向心力，每一位成員都應該放下自我，一起為了團隊共同的目標努力，過程中，有些人會因為過於重視自己所得到的，而忽略了付出的重要，這時候領導者就應該幫助他們了解，一分耕耘一分收穫的重要。每一個成功的團隊、甚至公司，都有一群願意為了彼此付出的成員。

 

The energy behind Hair Expo Salon Team of the Year 2013+2015+2016, Emiliano understands the dynamics of a team, the sensitive salon environment and the requirements of building a successful brand in a crowded, de-sensitized market. "It is important that everyone is harmonious and selfless in the pursuit of the company VISION. Sometimes people lose the vision or your team starts focusing on what THEY can get rather than what they can GIVE. Everyone, including the leader, must always be focused on what they can GIVE that serves the team. This is the way great teams and companies are built."

 

 

身為一位獲獎無數又成功的沙龍經營者，Emiliano的知名度和影響力也隨著時間日益增加，藉由這樣的影響力，他集結全球美髮精英，在兩年前舉辦了轟動全國的地下髮型秀Ssh!。

 

As the successful salon owner slash creative director of é salon, Emiliano is growing as a sought after career/business coach for salons around the country. Beyond the touted list of creative achievements, Emiliano is also responsible for the amazing hairdressing event, Ssh!, which is been seen as Noise in Australia three years ago.

 

與Richard Ashforth在倫敦舉辦的NOISE地下髮型秀有著異曲同工之妙，Emiliano將這兩場髮型秀視為姊妹：「我們很喜歡NOISE的概念，它提供髮型師一個純粹創作的舞台。對我來說Ssh!是更成熟的NOISE，它同樣是以創作為主，也沒有經過任何商業包裝，它們都是從非主流的活動崛起，但是在Ssh!能看到更多教育性的技巧與演出。」

 

"NOISE is Richard Ashforth’s baby and as much as we love the concept, and Richard, we wanted to do something that’s different.” says Emiliano, "I see NOISE and Ssh! as sisters. We are from the same family yet with slightly different personalities. It is also RAW and cool; I just see it more as grown up, a slightly more mature event than what NOISE is. It is still born from the underground movement, though it has a slightly more educational element to it.”

 

 

透過Ssh!這樣國際化的教育大秀，集結美髮界的眾多菁英，將國際視野和頂尖技術帶回澳洲，幫助新一代地髮型師跳脫窠臼，用全新的眼光來看自己的創作，也幫助兩個世代的髮型師在一個沒有競爭、沒有驕傲的環境下，一起攜手合作，「這是讓我最驕傲的一點！」Emiliano說道。

 

For Emiliano, ‘design is a solution, it acts like our freedom’ and through collaborating with an elite, global gathering of stylists across pioneering stage shows, is working to empower the industry’s upcoming generation with fundamentals, tools and, importantly, unlimited perception. With events like Ssh! it is enabling world class education to be available to the younger generation and the current generation of hairdresser, with no competition and no ego – "something we are extremely proud of.” Emiliano says.

 

 

提起自己創辦Ssh!的過程，Emiliano直言這也許是他一路走來能如此成功的原因：「當我有了一個想法時，我就會努力實現它。我一直認為，當你相信自己、相信這個目標能夠達成，就有能力去程就任何事！」

 

“When I believe in something or I get a new idea, like Ssh! I make sure it comes to life.” Emiliano believes that the ability to make things happen is what sets him apart. “I only believe in having one PLAN and you make that PLAN successful. I find it easy if you believe in yourself, if you believe in a new concept, if you believe in what you’re doing everything comes easy.”

 

然而，從一位不受拘束又充滿天馬行空想法的髮型師，轉變成一位活動策畫者，Emiliano也遇到了很多挑戰，例如尋找場地、訂機票訂住宿、尋找贊助商和宣傳，這一切都得自己來，Emiliano更打趣說道：「相較之下，邀請人才反而成了最輕鬆的一部份！」

幸好，Emiliano在籌劃的過程裡遇到不少貴人，給予他很大的支持和協助。其中一位，就是美髮界的傳奇大師，也是在第一屆Ssh!壓軸登場的Robert Lobetta：「Robert和他的妻子Kay幫助我們的表演能夠更上一層樓，他們教導我們透過不同的角度思考，讓我們能傳遞很多細節，也幫助整場秀更加流暢精采。他們更啟發了我們的創作力，讓我們得以見到以前從未看見過的全新視野。」

 

"From being creative and turning into event planners, there’s been a huge learning curve, but the support of the industry has been amazing.”

 

"Robert and Kay Lobetta helped us to take our stage shows and presentations to another level. They helped us deliver details, think about things from a different angle, a different vantage point. They opened our creative minds and allowed us to see a world that we never knew existed.”

 

 

在這感人的師徒情誼背後，卻有個十分搞笑卻溫馨的故事，Emiliano還原與Robert Lobetta相識的經過：「當時我們一同受邀至西班牙參加SECRET MASTERCLASS，X-Presion的Jorge教課進行到一半，突然邀請我等等與他一同上台，在通風不佳的空間裡，我早已滿頭大汗，身上穿的棉質Tshirt也早已出現汗漬。」

 

於是，Emiliano決定起身前往廁所，沒想到Robert Lobetta竟然跟在他身後，這讓他更加緊張，當他們抵達廁所時，Robert語出驚人地叫Emiliano脫去上衣，放在烘手機下看看能不能烘乾他溼透的衣服，「你能想像，我打著赤膊和Robert Lobetta，這位傳奇大師，一起在廁所用烘手機烘乾衣服，旁邊還有人進進出出嗎？」現在講起來仍帶點羞赧，這是Emiliano與Robert的初次見面，卻也造就了日後兩人互相鼓勵的好情誼。

 

There’s a story behind how Emiliano and Robert started their friendship. “I first met Robert in Spain. We were both invited to the SECRET MASTERCLASS. We were sitting in the audience watching X-Presion doing their seminar. The auditorium was super-hot and I had to go up on stage with Jorge. I was sweating profusely and I had a blue cotton shirt which you could see the sweat marks. When I say I was sweating, I was drenched.”

 

He then went to the bathroom to see if there’s anything he could do with Robert Lobetta following him. Robert said to him, “MAN, you’re drenched” However, it made Emiliano very nervous and sweated even more.

 

“By the time we reached the toilets, I was so embarrassed yet Robert so cool. I had no idea what to do, but Robert said. Take your shirt off, dry it under the dryer and dry yourself off. So there we were, Robert Lobetta and I in Madrid, Spain, I had my top off drying it under the hand dryer with people walking in and out, and it was my very first full conversation with Robert Lobetta.” Said Emiliano.

 

過去兩年，Robert Lobetta、X-Presion和Brooks and Brooks等大師級的髮型師都受邀至Ssh!演出，或多或少，Emiliano從他們的身上獲得不少啟發：「他們的作品展現出絕佳的原創性、精緻度和創造力，即使前衛獨特卻仍然美麗無比，甚至結合時尚，引導美髮潮流。」

 

With many talented hairdressers joined Ssh! in the past two years including Robert Lobetta, X-Presion and Brooks and Brooks, or even Peter Gray from NOISE have inspired Emiliano in many different ways. “They have the ability to be original, truthful, and intricate yet make beautiful creations that go beyond the hair and fashion but are still beautiful & thought provoking.”

 

除了這些大師們，還有一位深深影響Emiliano美髮生涯的人物：「遇到我的妻子是我人生最大的轉捩點，當我們一起工作時，就像我所有的不足都被填滿了，我們一起揮灑創意，如同魔法運行一樣，不再是兩個不同的個體，她想的正是我所想，她做的也正是我想做的，即使我們有四隻手，確是如此和諧，而我們的創意點子更是以倍數增加！」

 

Emiliano also gets a lot of inspiration from his lovely wife, “Meeting my wife was the biggest turning point in my life.” He says, “Once we started working together it was like the missing link to my career. Together we are able to work magic, and as a team, our shows took on a new dimension. It is like she thinks and I act, or I think and she acts. Our hands are like one, yet four. When we think and work on concepts it is like 3 minds working together not 2. I really believe this!”

 

談起當前美髮產業面臨的困境，Emiliano認為社群媒體和網路的發展導致每個人都想要追求快速成功：「現代人不願意付出時間與勞力，不再努力到很晚或是一大早起來工作，沒有犧牲就妄想著收穫，這樣的情形不只發生在澳洲，更是出現在全球。」然而事情總是一體兩面，Emiliano也相信這些網路資源能替髮型師填補他們在沙龍裡缺少的教育，「Youtube和Facebook上有大量的資源，不僅是自學的管道，也帶給髮型師許多機會。」

 

He thinks that instant fame has become the biggest issue that hairdressing industry is faced with today. “I just feel everyone wants to be INSTA-FAMOUS and wants everything now. They don’t want to do the hard yards, the sacrifice, the long nights and early starts. This not only happens in Australia but also around the world.” Due to the Internet and fast growing social media, everyone wants to be famous in a short time. However, with every disadvantage there is opportunity. Emiliano believes that there is also more opportunity to learn through the online mediums, including YOUTUBE, Facebook etc.

 

今年七月，Emiliano受邀來台參加NOISE，談起與台灣髮型師的合作，他直說自己對於他們扎實的技術與創意感到非常驚豔，也深深感受到台灣人熱情好客的一面。正如同先前提過，網路世界的好處，也縮短了國與國之間的距離：「讓分散在世界各地的我們能夠透過網路，見識到彼此美好的創作！」

 

Emiliano has visited Taiwan in July for NOISE Taipei. Talking about Taiwanese hairdressers, he thinks they are “AMAZING, the hospitality shown to us was amazing. I am forever grateful. I noticed that the hairdressing is so precise and the work so creative.” He also said that this is one of the beauties of the small world due to online mediums; “we now get to see the brilliance of artists all over the world.”

 

 

FLUIDITY credtis:

hair: Emiliano Vitale

Makeup: Chereine Waddell

photographer: Robert Lobetta

styling: Fleur Egan

salon: é SALON

Sinuous Credits:

Hair: Emiliano & Lisa Vitale for é SALON

Photography: Paul Scala

Makeup: Chereine Waddell

Styling: Jonathan Ailwood

 

Cautivar credits:

hair: Emiliano Vitale

makeup: Max May

photographer: Paul Scala

salon: é SALON