Meet Executive Stylist Vas Mikellides
We’ve introduced some of the Sinéad Kelly London ladies through our Q&As with Azzurra and Gitanna and now it’s time to get to know our man of the salon, Vas.
You may have noticed him during your visit because not only does he make his clients look gorgeous and effortlessly glam, he’s very good at listening. After a few hours with Vas, everyone looks and feels better!
Drawing is another of his talents and he’s a trained illustrator. This helps him greatly with his balayage, he paints on colour with the skill of an artist. He’s also able to visualise the overall look so he can intuitively see how to make a client look their best. It worked especially well when his design led Sinéad Kelly London to the UK L’Oreal Colour Trophy win. Out of all the thousands of salons in the country, nobody has the vision like our Vas.
In this Q&A, he shares some of his hair knowledge to explain how we can all be happier with our locks this year and reveals some of his career highlights. Let’s get started!
Q: What hair trends are you excited to see in 2019?
Super shiny, luxe glass hair is going to be the biggest trend in 2019 and as a colourist, the healthier and shinier the hair, the more beautiful the colour reflects. Platinum blonde and bleached hair is losing its lustre and women are yearning for glossy, luxe locks.
Instagram: @vasmikellides
Q: If someone wanted to start a new year with a hair makeover, what would you advise them before they did it?
When researching possible looks, ensure you find imagery with hair that appears similar in thickness and texture to your own. There is no use looking at images of heavy, thick styles when your own hair is finer or vice versa. Also, think of maintenance, expense and keeping up the overall look.
Q: Are they any ways that people can change their look without having a drastic cut or colour?
Experiment with styling, so if you normally wear your hair straight try curling it or a soft wave. Don’t be afraid to play and mix up your look, we often full into ‘safety looks’ and not changing up our style.
Q: Do you have any tips for how to make a blow dry last longer?
The classic is a silk pillow, it wont pull on the hair like cotton can, making your blow dry last. If you really want to protect your style and give it longevity a hair net always helps. You might look like Nora Batty as you sleep but the old school techniques work the best.
Q: What’s the best way to fight frizz in the winter months?
Spending just a little more time when styling hair in the morning and sealing the ends of the cuticle when blow drying will help prevent frizz. However, there are also some fantastic serums available too that aren’t too heavy, I would recommend either L’Oreal Mythic Oil for finer hair and Kerastase Elixir Ultime for thicker hair.
Q: You’ve had a long and successful career. What have been some of your highlights?
Winning the L’Oreal Colour Trophy alongside Sara and Sinéad was a huge highlight, of course. I am also working on some creative shoots on the side which is exciting! I’m exploring different areas of hair fashion, stretching myself and coming out of my comfort zone. So, I would say right now is a hugely exciting time in my career and an ongoing highlight.
Q: What looks have you done recently that you’re proud of?
Using the new Redken shades EQ I really like the Opal blonde I created:
I am a huge fan of copper so this was also a favourite:
Q: You have great talent as an illustrator. Tell us about that and do you think it helps with styling hair?
Coming from a creative background and one like illustration, I am always thinking of design and visualising the overall look which helps in either consumer hair or when designing a look for a shoot.
Q: Where do you find your inspiration?
Social media is a big virtual source but I would say just day to day life, being inspired by art and my surroundings. I like to visit galleries and also studied film so these are all great sources of inspiration for me.
Q: What are your goals for 2019?
My goals for 2019 are to push myself creatively, really come out of my comfort zone and produce a portfolio of work in and out of salon for the sake of keeping it fresh and interesting. I really want to work on my craft.
Hopefully this post has been useful? If you fancy booking in to use Vas’s skills, please call the salon on 020 8392 2444. You could also follow @vasmikellides on Instagram as well as @sineadkellyldn
