COSMETOLOGY FEATURE |

Former Students Following HeartsWe played catch-up with three graduates from ARROJO cosmetology school, finding different careers, built from the same foundation.

Where are you now?Peter: My dream was editorial. After school, I began assisting stylists on shows and shoots. Now I have credits for Harper's Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Vogue Espana, Elle, and Marie Claire. As part of hairstyling teams for Marc Jacobs, Marc by

Marc Jacobs, Vogue's Fashion Night Out, and Reem Acra I worked New York Fashion Week. And with campaigns for DKNY, Express, Tory Burch, Kate Spade, and Tommy Bahama I’ve also broken into advertising. The Tommy Bahama shoot was a treat; it was on location in Nice, France.

Looking back, what benefits did you get from the school that helped you achieve these goals? The facilities, proximity to a high-end salon, friendliness of the staff, and positive atmosphere were all things I noticed when I toured the school as an applicant. Looking back, the same things helped me get where I am now. Each week different stylists from the studio came to teach us skills and techniques they excelled in –– from cutting to coloring to makeup to editorial styling. It gave us insights students at other schools don’t get. And with small class sizes, we had lots of one-to-one attention from the teachers. The

education was tailored to our fit, and I remember my skills progressing at a surprisingly quick rate.

Since leaving school, what new strings have you added to your bow? School gave me the foundations, and now I’m learning expertise in a specific part of the craft. I’ve put a lot of new things into my repertoire, like extensions and wigs and avant-garde. They may not be used on salon clients much, but for editorial these are critical skills. I’m having a lot of fun discovering great ideas from great people.

What does the future hold for you?For now, I plan to continue to assist editorial stylists. It’s a brilliant way to add to my portfolio, learn and practice innovative techniques that will serve me well in my career. Eventually, I plan to travel the world as a top editorial stylist, shaping trends with my own fashion shows and photo-shoots –– ARROJO always told us to think big!

Photos: Anthony Batista

Peter Matteliano Class 3 Graduate

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Where are you now? Hair designer at the Lincoln Center, NYC. Currently, I’m working on Broadway on ‘A Free Man of Color,’ which has a large cast and lots and lots of wigs. I worked in the wig world before, and now I’m fully licensed I’m thriving on Theatre Row. I love the creative craft of building a character, and it is a wonderful experience to be around other like-minded souls, like costume-designers and actors. It’s a team environment and very exciting.

Looking back, what benefits did you get from the school that helped you achieve these goals? The greatest benefit is the dedication to the students. There is such intense support; it makes it impossible not to find the strength to succeed. The education goes beyond the technical skills beneficial in a salon. We took field trips to MAC, Makeup Forever, Dermatology Institute, Wella Institute, and many more great places. It broadened our horizons to all choices in fashion and beauty. I knew what I wanted to do after school, but I was given the confidence to hone and expand my skill-set, develop into an all-round stylist.

Since leaving school, what new strings have you added to your bow? As much as my job relies on technical skills, it also relies on personalities and relationships. Often, I’m the last person an actor sees before going on stage. I’m learning to adapt to different people, while always making sure they feel calm and comfortable in those crucial moments before show time.

What does the future hold for you?Broadway is keeping me busy but I still find time to shoot

editorially, and it’s something I want to do more. My long-term goal is to wig design for television and film. The ultimate dream is to work with Tim Burton. The mentoring at ARROJO tells us that anything is possible, and I feel I have the right outlook and focus to realize my dreams. For me, this is just the beginning.

COSMETOLOGY FEATURE |

April Schuller Class 4 Graduate

Veanne Cox in A Free Man of Color at the Lincoln Center, NYC. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

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Yours is a special case, because you first came to ARROJO as the Cosmetology Admissions Agent. Why did you transfer from being one of our office employees to one of our students? I came to NYC to go to graduate school and needed a job. I had heard of Nick and thought of a nice place to work. I applied and got the role of Admissions Agent for a school yet to be opened. When I joined, we were still six-months from getting off the ground and it was up to me to find the first students. I sold the school to myself! The vision of ARROJO cosmetology is unique. It’s about raising standards of education and putting the best graduates into the industry. When I saw the passion and the creativity of the teaching staff, I felt inspired –– like this was the career I could do forever and never would it go stale. A couple of weeks before the start of class I said to Nick, ‘Hey, I’ve got you another student; it’s me!’

Where are you now? ARROJO apprentice-stylist, specializing in cutting. I am three months away from completing the salon training-program and graduating to full-time stylist. When I finished school, I knew I had a great foundation and I wanted to go to a salon where I could work with clients straightaway. I was too confident. Loretta (School Director) changed my mind. She told me there was so much more to learn, and it would be beneficial in the long run. Now my eyes are open. If you want to be a real master, there are advanced skills a cutter must learn. It takes time and discipline and training. I feel like my hands are the wild beasts being tamed.

Since leaving school, what new strings have you added to your bow? I’m learning to take an unhurried approach to every cut, so I can improve craftsmanship. The cuts taught in the school and the salon are

Rachel Downing Class 1 Graduate

the same, but in the salon we also learn advanced techniques. And every cut is held to a higher technical and aesthetic standard; you are forced to refine, refine, refine. The ultimate standard-bearer is the graduated bob. It’s the toughest cut. Nick says if you can do it right, you can cut anything. But unless every hair sits perfectly, he says it isn’t right. I’m proud to say I’ve become very good. Cutting to Nick’s standards shows how far I’ve come.

What does the future hold for you?My ambition is to be a master hair cutter, and a successful salon stylist. It’s funny because architecture is why I came to New York and now my passion is totally different, but still working with geometric shapes. I love using my talent to help people look and feel good, and I can’t imagine a better place to do it. A long and happy career at ARROJO is the future for me.

Photo: Lissette Kelly

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