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Capelli d'Oro is privileged to interview artists who are well-established and at the top of their art. As exciting for us is the opportunity to speak with those artists that are poised to take their place at the apex of our industry. One such person is Lance Blanchette, a well-known Joico International educator who hails from Vancouver BC. Lance travels extensively with Joico, most recently in Sydney, where he was named Director Of Hair at the Nicola Finetti runway show, and Bangkok and co-owns the Lounge Hair Studio salon in Vancouver. He has pulled down a covers of Passion Magazine and has his work in the British Hairdressers Journal, Launch Pad, Hair Color and Design and American Salon. Lance holds a refreshing attitude about education and desires to "remove the smoke and mirrors from hair and demystify the process" of learning new techniques. Lance is charming and handsome and he commands the stage with the confidence of a young Michael Cain. He is bemused by references to his looks, is modest about his talents, and wishes to be regarded for his workmanship on stage. He toils hard to satisfy his audience's needs for top-drawer cutting and styling and uses the opportunities at every show to improve his art. Lance Blanchette is a potent combination of talent, looks and hard work which guarantees we will soon see him at the pinnacle of hairdressing. The interview took place beside the stage at Fashion Focus 2009 in Seattle. Capelli d'Oro: You just finished Sydney Fashion Week. What was that experience like for you?
Lance Blanchette: Great fun and Sydney was a lot like Vancouver, to be honest. The culture was definitely Australian with a laid-back feeling. It felt a lot like the fashion scene in Vancouver: a city growing up. Vancouver has lots of fashion events and is like a stubborn teenager: a bit hippie but moving into a high-fashion scene.
Capelli d'Oro: You have done shows like today for thirteen years and been all over the world with Joico. What do shows in the mid-size markets, like Seattle, mean to you and what do you hope to accomplish?
Lance Blanchette: To be honest, I don't do many shows like this. I used to average about a show every two weeks, always on the road and working very hard. It was a great time and shows like Seattle are a great place to make your mark. Now I am, luckily, more of the international artist and I don't have to be in the frenzy of show after show. Coming back to a city I love is a real pleasure. I am eye-to-eye with the audience here and can see them as individuals to meet their needs.
Capelli d'Oro: In Seattle Fashion Focus is our life blood and we rely upon our different shows for momentum. We know you always are close to your audience and came here to show us great color and hair. How do you quantify yourself as an artist?
Lance Blanchette: Simply, I am a stylist. Joico is a good fit for this, because I like doing it all and I just do it. When on stage, I like to forget everything I came to do, push it, and put it all together in a way that the audience can accept. Its like: what would happen if I did this or that? (Points to several models he brought over, particularly a blonde) Even though the color is lavender and blondes, green and blue, it is still commercial. By choosing our base color carefully, we can push off to something eye-catching. The blue-green is the main tone and then - a bit of lavender to inspire the audience.
Capelli d'Oro: You call this commercial work, but I want to separate that word from the word boring in our vocabulary. This look on her blonde hair is exciting to see. Do you collaborate with other Joico artists to come up with these looks?
Lance Blanchette: Twice a year, we get together with our Artistic Director in different cities to socialize and bring our ideas together. The Artistic Director presents the trend, which becomes our brand for the seasons to follow, and we - artists from around the globe - add our own interpretations of it. By the end of the training we all have something greater than we went in with. Our unique characters go from there with new interpretations.
Capelli d'Oro: Joico is showing a collection you call Minimum/Maximum. What is that a response to?
Lance Blanchette: Minimum/Maximum resonates well right now. Stylists need colors that last longer and clients want easier in-between maintenance of major colors and styles. The client needs minimum efforts for maximum visual punch.
Capelli d'Oro: OK, we have to say it: you are good looking and a charming person. Is this a great thing for a platform artist to be or does it squeeze you into a stereotype when before an audience?
Lance Blanchette: You are funny as heck. It is a bit of both and you, of course, have to look pleasant -dress well- to be successful. I have been blessed with great opportunities and work harder than I did earlier, when looks mattered more. The higher one rises in this business, the more pressures increase to reach the widest audience, and you work like crazy to prove that you are the right choice.
Capelli d'Oro: It's been a pleasure to speaking with you. Have a great show and we will be watching from the audience.
Read Cosmoprof Fashion Focus Hair Show Article Interview By Edward Paul of Capelli d'Oro ©2009 Photography by Daniel Lassman of Capelli d'Oro ©2009 |
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