A trip to a hair show is a rare treat for a stylist. And that’s just to places like New York, Las Vegas or even Miami.
A small group of stylists from J. Joseph Salon in Land O’ Lakes got to go far beyond that, however, as they hopped a plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean, landing in Paris.
It was more than just a hair show for these stylists. Salon owner Roy Naccour wanted these artists to be inspired by what many consider to be the center of fashion.
“Every couple of years, we like to travel to fashion capitals of the world, which Paris is one of,” Naccour said. “We want to get inspiration for what’s in or what’s hot for the following year. Fashion kind of gets born over there — in places like France, Italy, New York and Tokyo — and then it spreads out throughout the world.”
Instead of waiting for that fashion wave to hit the United States, Naccour wanted an early preview — all to keep his clients ahead of the trends.
“Women are women, wherever they are, and beauty is beauty wherever it is,” Naccour said. For him, clients don’t have to travel outside of the Land O’ Lakes area to get the latest fashion trends typically found in places like New York and Los Angeles.
And keeping such a fashion-forward business in the area is a good way to attract new residents.
“Good doctors and good hairdressers are the No. 1 things that people look for when they move into an area,” Naccour said. “Those two things are very personal and important.”
If someone gets the wrong medicine from the doctor, they’re in trouble, Naccour said. And the same can be said about a bad haircut or color.
“People look at you, and you want to look your best,” he said.
Naccour, 32, got his own education in fashion and art through his time in three countries, his latest stop, the United States. He first worked in his original home in Lebanon where hair was “thick and black.” He moved on to Sweden, where hair was much different.
“It helped me get my brain opened up to so much fashion around the world, and how fashion spreads and evolves,” Naccour said. “I have gained so much knowledge that has helped me educate my staff and team.”
Naccour started J. Joseph Salon in 2007, and was simply a one-man operation. Today, however, he has 28 employees, and an expansive location at 5132 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. And not only does he deal with a crowded list of clients, but he looks forward to trips like the one in Paris, where he also did a photo shoot for hair care product companies like Redken and Pureology.
“There are a million hair salons on every single corner, and if you don’t stay up to date — especially in the beauty industry — you will fall behind,” Naccour said. “I always say I live in the future. I don’t want to wait for fashion to come to me. I want to go grab it before anyone else gets it.”
