WATCH: John Carreiro will compete against 49 competitors at an international competition in October. Ceilidh Millar reports.
When it comes to the latest hair style trends and designs, master stylist John Carreiro is a notch above the rest.
“I enjoy colouring, cutting and the creative aspect of it” explained Carreiro.
Carreiro has been working in the hair industry for more than three decades.
“I was hooked,” Carreiro said. “I decided to open our studio.”
In 2005, he opened Carreiro the Studio in Victoria on Broad Street.
It didn’t take long for his talents to be noticed by locals and other professionals in the industry.
“We did hair for Canada’s Top Model which was filmed in Victoria. The hair segment was all done at the salon.”
Carreiro’s most recent venture has put him at the forefront of hair couture.
This summer, the stylist travelled to Los Angeles to compete in the prestigious North American chapter of the Wella Trend Vision Awards.
“The competition is designed to bring out the creative side of hair dressers,” Carreiro explained. “You pick a category and you start to develop a look around that category.”
After months of preparation, which included picking a model and creating his hair design, Carreiro’s look was revealed on stage at the competition.
More than 2,000 people attended the event.
“For us, it was kind of like going to the Olympics!”
Carreiro won the gold award in his category, putting Victoria on the world stage of hair design.
The win also includes a spread in the November issue of Vogue Magazine.
Carreiro will now represent Canada and compete against 49 other competitors at the Wella Trend Vision International Competition in London, England.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said hairstylist Kristi Nienaber, who has worked at the salon for the past four years. “I was like I can’t believe I’m working with a star now! We’re all behind him and there to support him.”
As he prepares for the international competition in October, Carreiro says his motivation lies here at home.
“We want to grow further in Victoria,” Carreiro explained. “We want to look at opening a school.”
Ceilidh Millar
