Charlie Price is definitely not short on talent and personality. With a multitude of awards and recognitions under his belt, he has reached extreme success in the hair industry and continues to work hard to achieve more. Channeling Madonna as his inspiration, Charlie is definitely tough AND ambitious. You may even recognize him from Season 2 of Shear Genius on Bravo!
Learn more about his career in our interview!
BANGSTYLE: How did you start out in the hair industry?
Charlie Price: I thought I would put myself through art school as a hairdresser, but I never went because I loved doing hair too much.
BANGSTYLE: What are your career highlights? (Awards and recognitions)
CP: I have been nominated for 18 NAHA awards and won three (Hairstylist of the Year 2002 and 2008 and People’s Choice 2011). I have been nominated six times for International Hairstylist of the Year by Canadian Mirror Awards and won the title in 2007. I have been a judge for the Spanish Hairstyling Awards and the Revlon Professional Style Master Awards. I’ve been nominated twice at the AIPP Awards in London. I’ve worked for, represented, and collaborated with Aveda, TIGI, American Crew, Roux, Revlon Professional, and GK Hair. I’ve been a lead hairstylist at NYC Fashion Week for designers such as Matthew Williamson, Peter Som, Imitation of Christ, Catherine Maladrino, and Jeremy Scott. I’ve been widely published around the globe, and I was the villain on Bravo TV’s Shear Genius 2 which aired in 22 countries.
BANGSTYLE: What about your career are you most proud of?
CP: Being the only American to win NAHA Hairstylist of the Year twice!
BANGSTYLE: Who and what inspires you?
CP: Of course Madonna! Generally – high fashion, high art, movies, smut, pop stars, big cities, fashion photographers like Steven Meisel, Nick Knight, Mert and Marcus, and Steven Klein. Also art directors like Fabien Baron and Peter Saville.
BANGSTYLE: What is your favorite part about being a hair artist and why?
CP: A variety! I do clients, I educate, I do fashion shows, create photo shoots, appear at hair shows, endorse manufacturers, etc.
BANGSTYLE: What do you specialize in?
CP: I suppose I specialize in cutting and styling for photo shoots. It’s most definitely my favorite thing to do in the hair industry.
BANGSTYLE: Tell us about your nomination experience at NAHA.
CP: I love finding out I am a NAHA finalist – it is always a cherished honor. This year I found out I was up for Editorial Stylist of the Year for the fifth time and that it was my 18th NAHA nomination. I was at the party for the yearly Revlon Professional International release, which took place in Budapest, when the nominees were posted online – a great night indeed!
BANGSTYLE: What would you like to see happen in the hair industry?
CP: I would like to see the rise of a bunch of new companies that actually want to develop meaningful partnerships with salons and who care strongly about education.
BANGSTYLE: What are some haircut, color, and style trends many of your clients come to you for?
CP: I am known in the salon world of Denver (where I have worked in a three block raidus for 25 years) for soft blended colors and classic, pretty haircuts for inteligent, confident women who are not pretentious or fussy.
BANGSTYLE: What is an at-home hair tip—something you recommend to your clients?
CP: CONDITION YOUR HAIR!!!!
BANGSTYLE: How long have you been in the hair industry?
CP: 25 years
BANGSTYLE: What are some hair trends you see on the horizon?
CP: I don’t see any real new trends unfortunately; I would die to see something new.
BANGSTYLE: What are your favorite hair color trends?
CP: None of them; I loathe ombre! Lol! I do like the trend of hair color in patterns on long sheets of hair like Angelo Seminara has been lauded for recently.
BANGSTYLE: How would you describe your ideal client?
CP: Smart, sexy, confident, busy, with money but not too much, not too trendy. My type of client doesn’t constantly dramatically change her hair. I can’t deal with those ladies; they seem WAY too unstable, lol!
BANGSTYLE: Do you have any advice for new hair artists starting out in the industry?
CP: My advice is to educate yourself – read trade magazines, make short, medium and long-term goals. Stay away from mediocrity. Relentlessly follow your dreams. Stalk your idols. Stop at nothing. Leave no stone unturned. If you don’t love it, quit and become a porn star.
BANGSTYLE: What are you doing to push the boundaries in the hair industry?
CP: What boundaries?!
BANGSTYLE: Words to live by – hair mottos?
CP: My motto is best describes in a quote by Madonna – “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a b*tch, okay.”
BANGSTYLE: What are your goals?
CP: I want to own or be intimately involved in a major product line and assemble its artistic team. I also would love to have an advanced academy and beauty school associated with that same brand.
20 Things – Charlie Price
1. Movie: Dangerous Liaisons
2. Song: ”Like A Prayer”
3. Fragrance: All of them
4. Food: Spaghetti
5. Hairstyle: Shag
6. Brand: Tom Ford for Gucci
7.Hair Product: Hyper Shine from Scruples
8. Book: The Andy Warhol Diaries
9. Celebrity: Madonna
10. Drink: Chardonnay
11. Restaurant: Cipriani in Florence, Italy
12. City: NYC
13.Bar: Never met one I didn’t like
14. Website:?
15. Author: Norman Mailer
16. Shop: Barney’s
17. Past-time: British Crime Shows
18. Memory: ?
19. Season: Autumn
20. Want: To be with my BF, Salvador, forever!
