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THE BUSINESS OF BEING CREATIVE RICHY KANDASAMY & RENÉE CASCARINA
‘Dynamic Duo’. It’s up there with some of the most over-used expressions going around these days. But the thing is, there is simply no better way to describe Richy Kandasamy and Renee Cascarina, because this couple is one hell of a team. While Richy holds the title of US Technical Creative Director for TIGI, Renee works a covet-worthy career as a creative director, designer and entrepreneur.
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Banging their drums to the non-stop beat that is New York City, the pair exude such sheer coolness, and have achieved such professional success that if I had to compile a list of New York’s biggest power couples, Richy and Renee would definitely make the cut. Speaking of cuts, that is exactly how Richy Kandasamy planned on spending his career when he began training as a hairdresser in Florence, Italy back when he was 18 years old. His intention was to become a stylist, but his path quickly changed when he fell in love with colour. “That’s really when things came into focus and my career got started,” he says. Having packed his things and left his home in the Seychelles, the young Richy had moved to the epicenter of art, fashion and history to fully immerse himself in opportunity. It was in Florence, working at Toni&Guy under the mentorship of Fabio Collucci, that he began to realise the potential of hair, and to this day Richy still considers Fabio the best mentor he has ever had. Over the next five years, Richy made his way up to Technical Director for the Tony&Guy salon in Florence, and a few years later followed Anthony Mascolo and Fabio Collucci to TIGI, eventually becoming Technical Director at the TIGI Academy. Fast-forward past a threeyear stint in London, and Richy and his wife, Renee finally settled into a place they now call home, the Big Apple. Today, his multinational working background inspires a distinctive and imaginative use of colour in a role that Richy has taken by the horns. When it comes to a day in the life of the US Technical Creative Director of TIGI, Richy explains that a large portion of his time is spent at the academy, while the rest of his time he is travelling the globe, teaching at seminars and shows and creating hair collections. “I find this is a great balance,” he says. “Hair shows are high energy and intense, whereas the academy is a calmer and more intimate experience.” Amongst all of this, however, he still manages to maintain a private clientele. “I love being able to change someone’s feelings and emotions just by making a change with colour. It’s amazing to do what I love and make someone happy at the same time.” Making people happy seems to come easily for Richy Kandasamy, who approaches hair colour like artistry. “Anybody can apply colour, but not everyone can create the perfect level and tone plus technique that will complement your client’s skin stone, complexion, eye level and lifestyle.” Inspiration absolutely oozes out of Richy, and according to Renee this is one of the reasons why she married him: “I would have to say that Richy is the most inspiring person I have ever met. He inspires me to push myself and push the boundaries of convention, in both our lives and work,” she says. Working as a top consultant, Renee Cascarina brings her passion for branding and design to the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries throughout New York, London and Florence and through her connection with Richy is, quite literally, married to the hair industry. She has created projects for some of the biggest names in the
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world including Gwen Stefani, Valentino, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, and brands such as Samsung, Valentino and Nokia. This self-made woman even has her own luxury leather brand, Renee Cascarina Atelier, and she is the embodiment of the fast-growing idea that hair, fashion and beauty professionals must learn how to be business people in order to compete in these highly competitive arenas. The landscape of hairdressing is quickly changing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of’, New York. With the rapid growth of social media redefining the rules and parameters of marketing, everyone now has the opportunity to promote their brand. Richy is a big advocate of this movement, and encourages hairdressers to find their own personal style and learn to brand themselves by sharing inspiration, promoting their services and networking. He stresses, “It’s essential to know the rules before you break them and to always continue to better yourself.” So how do these changes affect the way hair is relating to fashion in New York and around the world? “Hair is becoming a big influence on fashion,” Richy says. “At fashion week it’s
all about the head to toe factor and how the two elements create a total look”. As the nonstop momentum of New York City life pushes more and more session stylists and colourists into the fashion industry for photo-shoots, advertising campaigns and red carpet events, it is clearly no longer just about working in a salon. We are seeing more and more crossover between the two industries every day and as Renee puts it, “There are more opportunities for beauty experts to work independently as consultants, educators and collaborators. I think of the beauty and fashion industry as two complementary halves to a whole,” she says. “They inspire and bounce off of each other to create a complete picture.” With such insight, it’s no wonder this dream team are heavy weights in their respective yet inter-twined industries. If Richy Kandasamy and Renee Cascarina aren’t the perfect examples of how to take your creativity and make it a business, I don’t know what is. To use another overused idiom, ‘at the end of the day’ it’s about finding your unique point of difference in this thriving industry, then going out there and owning it. W O R D S B Y M A D E L I N T O M E LT Y
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‘Dynamic Duo’. It’s up there with some of the most over-used expressions going around these days. But the thing is, there is simply no better way to describe Richy Kandasamy and Renee Cascarina, because this couple is one hell of a team. While Richy holds the title of US Technical Creative Director for TIGI, Renee works a covet-worthy career as a creative director, designer and entrepreneur.
56
Banging their drums to the non-stop beat that is New York City, the pair exude such sheer coolness, and have achieved such professional success that if I had to compile a list of New York’s biggest power couples, Richy and Renee would definitely make the cut. Speaking of cuts, that is exactly how Richy Kandasamy planned on spending his career when he began training as a hairdresser in Florence, Italy back when he was 18 years old. His intention was to become a stylist, but his path quickly changed when he fell in love with colour. “That’s really when things came into focus and my career got started,” he says. Having packed his things and left his home in the Seychelles, the young Richy had moved to the epicenter of art, fashion and history to fully immerse himself in opportunity. It was in Florence, working at Toni&Guy under the mentorship of Fabio Collucci, that he began to realise the potential of hair, and to this day Richy still considers Fabio the best mentor he has ever had. Over the next five years, Richy made his way up to Technical Director for the Tony&Guy salon in Florence, and a few years later followed Anthony Mascolo and Fabio Collucci to TIGI, eventually becoming Technical Director at the TIGI Academy. Fast-forward past a threeyear stint in London, and Richy and his wife, Renee finally settled into a place they now call home, the Big Apple. Today, his multinational working background inspires a distinctive and imaginative use of colour in a role that Richy has taken by the horns. When it comes to a day in the life of the US Technical Creative Director of TIGI, Richy explains that a large portion of his time is spent at the academy, while the rest of his time he is travelling the globe, teaching at seminars and shows and creating hair collections. “I find this is a great balance,” he says. “Hair shows are high energy and intense, whereas the academy is a calmer and more intimate experience.” Amongst all of this, however, he still manages to maintain a private clientele. “I love being able to change someone’s feelings and emotions just by making a change with colour. It’s amazing to do what I love and make someone happy at the same time.” Making people happy seems to come easily for Richy Kandasamy, who approaches hair colour like artistry. “Anybody can apply colour, but not everyone can create the perfect level and tone plus technique that will complement your client’s skin stone, complexion, eye level and lifestyle.” Inspiration absolutely oozes out of Richy, and according to Renee this is one of the reasons why she married him: “I would have to say that Richy is the most inspiring person I have ever met. He inspires me to push myself and push the boundaries of convention, in both our lives and work,” she says. Working as a top consultant, Renee Cascarina brings her passion for branding and design to the fashion, beauty and lifestyle industries throughout New York, London and Florence and through her connection with Richy is, quite literally, married to the hair industry. She has created projects for some of the biggest names in the
57
world including Gwen Stefani, Valentino, Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, and brands such as Samsung, Valentino and Nokia. This self-made woman even has her own luxury leather brand, Renee Cascarina Atelier, and she is the embodiment of the fast-growing idea that hair, fashion and beauty professionals must learn how to be business people in order to compete in these highly competitive arenas. The landscape of hairdressing is quickly changing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the ‘concrete jungle where dreams are made of’, New York. With the rapid growth of social media redefining the rules and parameters of marketing, everyone now has the opportunity to promote their brand. Richy is a big advocate of this movement, and encourages hairdressers to find their own personal style and learn to brand themselves by sharing inspiration, promoting their services and networking. He stresses, “It’s essential to know the rules before you break them and to always continue to better yourself.” So how do these changes affect the way hair is relating to fashion in New York and around the world? “Hair is becoming a big influence on fashion,” Richy says. “At fashion week it’s
all about the head to toe factor and how the two elements create a total look”. As the nonstop momentum of New York City life pushes more and more session stylists and colourists into the fashion industry for photo-shoots, advertising campaigns and red carpet events, it is clearly no longer just about working in a salon. We are seeing more and more crossover between the two industries every day and as Renee puts it, “There are more opportunities for beauty experts to work independently as consultants, educators and collaborators. I think of the beauty and fashion industry as two complementary halves to a whole,” she says. “They inspire and bounce off of each other to create a complete picture.” With such insight, it’s no wonder this dream team are heavy weights in their respective yet inter-twined industries. If Richy Kandasamy and Renee Cascarina aren’t the perfect examples of how to take your creativity and make it a business, I don’t know what is. To use another overused idiom, ‘at the end of the day’ it’s about finding your unique point of difference in this thriving industry, then going out there and owning it. W O R D S B Y M A D E L I N T O M E LT Y
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