Beauty Launchpad Magazine

JUN 2017

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JUNE 2017 | beautylaunchpad.com | 39 L uis Alvarez is very superstitious. Whatever door he uses to enter a building is likewise employed when exiting, and every toast must be followed by a moment of eye contact before drinking. The master stylist also believes in destiny which is no surprise perhaps, given that both of his life-consuming passions, hair and photography, came by way of chance. "I had no interest in beauty as a child; rather, that world found me," Alvarez reveals. Born in Granada, Spain, his family moved to the States when he was 11 years old, and while he honors his Latin roots, the pro identifi es as an American. "This is the country that gave me everything," he points out. His world changed after a fateful introduction to industry icon Leo Passage, which was facilitated by a friend who was attending Passage's famed Pivot Point Academy in Chicago. "I was 18 the fi rst time I touched a mannequin head and instantly knew I'd found my calling," Alvarez says. He enrolled at the same school and for the next few years excelled on the student competition circuit, propelled by his naturally competitive streak. That led him to the International Beauty Show in New York, where after graduation Alvarez took home top honors in a contest for the originality of a complex tress design he created. As he walked out proudly clutching his trophy, the budding expert was approached by a fan—who turned out to be Rod Harmon, VP of marketing at Zotos. "Harmon offered me $200 to do a photo shoot, which was like Ferrari money for this broke kid," laughs Alvarez. The gig kicked off a 20-year freelance career, wherein the voracious stylist worked on campaigns that ranged from Vogue shoots in the jungles of South America to Sears catalogues at home in Chicago. He viewed every shutterbug experience as a mentoring opportunity. "While styling hair, I simultaneously got a fi ne arts education from classically trained art directors and photographers willing to share their vision," says Alvarez. In 1999, when he and Matrix vet Dennis Lubin cofounded Aquage, the brand focused on product quality and performance for professional hairdressers, and Alvarez began crafting all of the company's high-end visuals. "Photography is magic to me," he muses. These days, his role as VP of marketing, creative and education for BaByliss PRO—the Conair (@conair) umbrella that includes Aquage (acquired in 2016) and other top brands (Biomega, Satin Smooth and Rusk)—now seamlessly blends the virtuoso's dual skills. "To BaByliss, I bring an in-depth knowledge of image-making and expertise working with labs on product development," Alvarez explains. "We're manufacturing everything from hair offerings and skincare to appliances and tools, and I love that Conair, our parent company, has been family-owned since 1959." At Conair, Luis Alvarez combines his two great passions: photography and hairstyling. ÑFRANCESCA MOISIN Live & Learn/ Profi les The Shutterbug Stylist COURTESY OF LUIS ALVAREZ According to Alvarez Where's home? Stamford, Connecticut; headquarters for Conair. My wife Wanda and I moved here in 2016. Do you have kids? Two incredible daughters! Monroe, 29, works as a creative director for a jeans brand in Los Angeles. And Maria, 19, got her student fi lm Celine accepted at this year's Cannes Film Festival. Describe a day in your life. I have over a thousand photo books, so every morning I feed my eyes with inspiring images while drinking a cappuccino and a glass of orange juice. Work generally includes 10 tasks I know about in advance, plus 10 more surprises that pop up. How do you relax? I don't play golf or watch sports. Photography, family and hair are the sum total of my world. My mentor Sydell Miller taught me: Love what you do, love who you do it with, and love who you do it for. What's something people don't know about you? In my twenties, I shipped my Harley to Milan and lived there for four years, riding all around Italy. Everyone wanted to be my friend because I was such a curious sight! utterbug A c Wh At work with Aquage master stylist Ann Bray for the Ikebana collection! Alvarez shoots an image for the Muse collection. "I try to evoke emotion with every image I shoot," Alvarez refl ects.

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