「很多年以前，我剛開始工作時，曾經失手弄斷了顧客的長髮，直到現在我仍然對她感到很抱歉。但我現在回過頭看，這是我人生的轉捩點，因為它讓我體認到我還不成氣候，為了更精進自己的能力，我再度回去進修。」

“I once snapped a lady’s hair, it was so many years ago, I felt so sorry for her, however, it was the moment that changed me, made me wanna learn more. Now, I take it as the best thing that ever happened” said Ian Michael Black, Aveda’s Global Artistic Director of Hair Color.

Ian在十六歲的時候進入美髮業，討厭幫客人吹髮、剪髮的他一開始並不知道未來該做什麼，當時選擇工作的美髮沙龍也只是因為他最喜歡的時尚人物Vivienne Westwood所經營的店就在兩扇門的隔壁。

“Hairdressing drew me in. I was fascinated in how changing aspects of your appearance can shape perceptions of you.” He entered hair industry since he was 16, he hated blow drying hair and wasn’t good at cutting, he didn’t know what he want to do then. He even chose a job which only because of the location (two doors away from the store run by his favorite fashion icon, Vivienne Westwood).

直到驚覺自己的不足，再度進修後，Ian進入夢寐以求的Toni&Guy，「以前我總隔著窗戶，看著設計師們走進Toni&Guy工作，然後我只能發出『哇』的驚嘆聲。」，由此可見Toni&Guy對當時的他來說是多麼神聖的美髮殿堂。幾年後，他加入AVEDA的團隊，Toni&Guy英國式的狂放不羈和AVEDA的優雅成熟對Ian有著同樣深厚的影響。

However, after he snapped his client’s hair, he decided to improve his skill by getting more training. After training, he joined Toni&Guy, which he was always longing for. “I used to watch those hairdressers walking into Toni&Guy through the window with a ‘wow’.” says Ian. It was the time working in Toni&Guy that he realized he wouldn’t have to dry hair or cut hair as a colorist. Few years later, he joined Aveda. The style of Toni&Guy is various from Aveda, one is crazier, another is more like an adult, they both affect him.

憑著精湛的染髮技術，Ian的名字享譽全球，為什麼對染髮情有獨鍾，Ian笑說是因為自己實在太討厭吹髮和剪髮了！他將這樣的喜愛和成就歸功於自己的左腦，他非常喜歡思考，這幫助他能在腦海中建構染髮的過程，幻想染髮時顏色和形狀的組成，腦海中的演練結束後便付諸行動，最後只需要等待成品揭曉。

Ian is well-known and is recognized around the world for his spectacular coloring technique. He gives credit to the fact that he loves thinking and methodical. He could picture what the color and texture will be like by using his left-brain and put it into practice, and then, just wait, wait to see the result.

Ian因為工作的緣故，有很多旅遊的機會，他從不同文化中獲得很多靈感，每當他見到有趣的顏色或是事物時，他會拿出相機，將一切記錄下來，「現在每台手機有內建照相功能，當我幫這些新奇事物拍照時，它們就成了一種視覺紀錄，在我創作需要靈感時，這些照片就派上用場。」Ian指著桌上焦糖色的鬆餅和粉色草莓冰淇淋說：「就像我現在看著這兩個顏色，我會開始思考咖啡色和粉紅色的搭配，也許有一天我會將它運用在創作中。」而這次來台灣的旅程，他也被台灣女生穿著的風格吸引，他形容這是一種日本和中國風的融合。

“Nowadays, we all have camera in our cellphones, I love to take photos when I see something interesting. When it’s time to plan for a new show or a collection, I’ve got these visual record of things that interested me.” says Ian, who pointing at the waffle and the strawberry ice cream on the plate, “Like these two colors, brown of the waffle and pink of the ice cream, I will be thinking of how to use them as an coloring idea.” Traveling is the main source of his inspiration, luckily his job gives him lots of opportunities to travel around the world. As for this trip to Taiwan, the dressing style of Taiwanese girls, in his words, which is between Japanese and Chinese, attracted him.

如同所有髮型師，Ian免不了會有靈感枯竭的時候，「雖然人們都以為靈感會天外飛來一筆的出現在眼前，然而事實上，只有在你準備好的時候才會受到啟發。」遇到瓶頸時，他會回頭看看自己的作品，並多出去走走看看，用心感受每件事物。「當然也有一些時候，只是日子對不對的問題而已。有一次我和朋友去看攝影展，當下我覺得非常的無趣，甚至哈欠連連的想趕快回家。但隔天起床後我細看昨天拍下的照片，被其中一張相片深深吸引，我立刻回到那場展覽，花了一整天的時間研究它的構圖。」

As every hairdresser, he sometimes runs out of inspiration. “People always thought that we found the inspiration out of nowhere, however, the truth is you will only be inspired when you really want it.” Therefore, when he lost his inspiration, he will look back to see his works seeking for some ideas and go out, see things and feel them. “But sometimes, it’s all about if it is the right day. I once went to an exhibition with my friend and felt very bored, but I woke up the other day and was drawn by one of the photos when browsing through the photos I took that day and I went back to the gallery immediately, spending the whole day looking at the photo thinking what’s so special of it.”

除了染髮界的成就外，Ian也被譽為「最具啟發性的講師」，然而他的教學生涯，卻是被逼出來的，「當我在Toni&Guy的時候，一位剪髮設計師不停鼓勵我擔任講師，說真的，我其實是被逼上講台的！」但也因此，他在教學中發現極大的熱忱，後來更成為Toni&Guy和Aveda的專業講師。教學相長，在分享染髮技巧的時候也常常讓他獲得很多靈感，他期許站在台上的自己，在給出去的同時，也能像海綿一樣盡可能的吸收越多越好。

Ian is also known for an inspirational educator. He started teaching by accident, one of the hairdressers in Toni&Guy encouraged him to teach, using his words, he was forced to do so. However, he found a great pleasure in teaching, when he is on the stage demonstrating coloring technique, he can get more creativity. He is always well-prepared as long as he is on the stage, at the same time, he wishes himself to be like a fool and to absorb as much as he can.

對於想要更加精進自己的髮型師，Ian認為教育和比賽固然重要，但「愛你所選」才是重點，多去認識美髮產業並且持續、廣泛的學習。他說：「永遠不要認為自己知道所有事，也不要以為沒有可以學習的對象。」，每當他看到自己不喜歡的東西時，他會先問自己「為什麼我不喜歡它？」，並從中思考是否有值得學習的部分。

For those who want to improve themselves, education and competition are both good ways, you can learn from them, see more and see further. However, the most important of all is to learn what you like, this career is all about learning and growing up. Ian spilled the secret of his success, “Never think you know everything and there’re people you can’t learn a thing.” Every time he saw a thing he was no fond of, he will ask himself “Why don’t I like it?”, there’s always something he can learn.

談到國際舞台上少有亞洲面孔，Ian認為文化差異是最主要的原因，亞洲人比較害羞，不像歐美人般喜愛談論自己，其實亞洲人才濟濟，很多設計師都具備與國際競爭的實力，只要踏出信心的一步，都能有機會躍上國際舞台。

Speaking of how to become a well-known hairdresser, he talks about the cultural difference, he says the hairdressers in Asia are shy, they don’t like Europeans or American, they like to talk about themselves and sharing thoughts. Hairdressers in Asia are talented, they are good enough to stand on the stage, they need to speak out loud.

Ian也特別分享他的待客之道 –誠實，「好的髮型一半歸功於設計師，另一半則是歸功於顧客。」若是有一位顧客拿著不適合的髮型範本來到沙龍，他也會坦白建議顧客，最好的解決方法，就是由顧客選出幾個喜歡和不喜歡的髮型，再與設計師一同討論出最棒的造型。

Another thing he wants to share with the hairdressers is “always being honest”, “When a client asks for a hair style which won’t look nice on her, I will tell her the truth. A good hairstyle is 50% the client and 50% me.” He also says that the clients can choose a few styles they like and don’t’ like, in that case, hairdressers and clients can work out which will fit.

今年，Ian還有三場大型的髮型秀，他目前將心力著重在此，他笑說等髮型秀結束，後勢必要好好地放自己一個長假，這無非是穿梭全球展演髮型師最踏實的奢求。

This year, he still has three big demonstration shows and after that, he said he really needs to use some vacation!