What's Inspiring Beauty Quest Group Artistic Director Nicole Fowler

Nicole Fowler Hair

1. Nature: Nature is the greatest creative force; take, for instance, the beauty of a flower.

2. Calculated Intention: Here, the lighting was strategically placed to cast these shadows down this set of stairs. I took this photo in Switzerland at a place​ called Bad Ragaz. Only when you descend down the stairs do you get to fully enjoy this sneaky detail, and realize Swiss precision is a v​ery real thing! It reinforces the importance of placing strategic details—whether with cut or color—to make clients feel as though they’re your most important and beautiful canvas.

Sinuous Shapes

3. Sinuous Shapes: Whether they’re fluid or static, sinuous shapes amaze me. They encourage leading lines rather than force them, and make onlookers stare just a bit longer. This is why no matter what the skill set, as a hair artist, mastering shapes outweighs everything else.

4. Attention to the Phases: It can be a hindrance while creating to constantly focus on the end result, when sometimes that mid-phase offers something extraordinarily beautiful. This is a lesson I’m always learning, and often refer to water’s ability to morph into varying forms as a source of inspiration. I took this photo on my drive to work one morning when the ice had yet to melt off of my windshield.

Texture Contrast5. Texture and Contrast: It amazes me how you can always find varying textures and contrasts everywhere— not just in hair! For instance, this light—which I stumbled upon in Prague—showed not just years, but centuries of dilapidation. When I took this picture, a cast of clouds had blocked the sun, which dialed up the dramatic nature of the lamp’s contrast against the wall.

- As told to Alyson Osterman-Kerr

 

[Images: Courtesy of Nicole Fowler]

This story first appeared in the November issue of Beauty Launchpad. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.

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