Todd Arndt: 1997 Australian Schwarzkopf Hairdresser of the Year

"Simplistic and minimalistic - I live every day as it is"

Driving Force: I started this year thinking that I’m going to put every bit of effort I can into this year and see what comes out of it. If I do that I can take a really good holiday ( On his way to Northern Italy for four weeks).

The Schwarzkopf awards are every two years, and I’d made a six-year plan. I was hoping to get into the Queensland awards finals this year. Two years down the track I was hoping to win the Queensland finals, and from there go to the nationals….. There goes the six-year plan!

Success: I don’t have too many personal philosophies – I suppose everything in my life is very simple. I like simple: my work has a very natural simplistic feel, and it’s how I like to run my business – I don’t like complicated things. Simplistic and minimalistic – I live every day as it is.

On completing the Schwarzkopf "Chili Hot" tour, Todd reflects on his luck: I’ve always been a very hard worker - and when you love something, you do work hard and things do fall into place for you.

Inspiration: I get a lot of inspiration from music – I suppose I’m a bit selfish – I pick all the music for the salon. I get inspired in my cutting when I’m listening to really good music.

I suppose a lot of inspiration for me comes from a team of hairdressers in Melbourne – a salon called Shibui. I think a lot of credit for winning hairdresser of the year goes to them as well.

Team Work: We have a great salon here, the atmosphere is fantastic – there is such a creative force in the salon. I get inspired by the people I work w/. I think the salon has such a beautiful energy coming from it. I have three or four staff members in here that could easily take my place, they are very talented and very creative!

New directions: When you are highly motivated, you get inspiration from the hair that’s in front of you, rather than seeing a picture in a magazine and saying "that’s what I’m going to do". I pick up on what is happening on the catwalks, in movies and magazines, and look at the client and adapt it to what their hair is telling me.

I think w/ hairdressing you don’t just look at the hairstyle and cut the hair, you really do have to think – look at the direction the hair growths, look at the person and look at the hair as you are actually cutting.

Beautiful Hair: In the 90’s the styles are beautiful, bringing out your features– modern is uncomplicated. I’m really against people having to blow-dry their hair if they can help it. It’s a habit that people have to learn to get out of. Add up one hour every morning for the rest of your life – that’s a lot of living you miss out on!

Reflecting to my clientele, my work is very simplistic. I still get off in a big way cutting hair and changing people. People try too hard to do their hair, and as a hairdresser, I don’t try too hard to dress the hair – I make it "wash and wear". I really look at their body, their facial features - I want them to look good in two weeks time. That’s what I strive for.

Salon details:
Vogue Nationale Hair Design
160 Ann Street
Brisbane 4000
Australia
+61 7 3229 2886
+61 7 3229 0879