October 11, 2024, 8:28 am | Read time: 6 minutes
She is the hairstylist of German stars and influencers, has her own salon in Berlin, and sometimes shoots in Los Angeles for her own wig label. In an interview with STYLEBOOK, hairdresser Reza talks about her career and everyday working life and gives useful styling tips.
When it comes to hair, no one can easily fool Reza: The Berliner-by-choice, who is responsible for the perfect hairstyling of stars such as Bonnie Strange, Lisa and Lena, and Sarah Connor, has found her passion in her profession. With her talent, creativity, and open manner, the Mannheim native is well-received. She now has almost 14,000 followers on Instagram. In an interview with STYLEBOOK, Reza talks about perfect styling on bad hair days, her own salon, the craziest jobs, and her favorite subject: well-made wigs!
STYLEBOOK: Reza, how would you explain your job to someone who doesn’t know you?
Reza: “To be honest, I find it difficult. It’s best when someone else does it for me! I work a lot with Bonnie Strange; she’s also become my best friend over the last few years. When we’re at work together, she always does it for me. Basically, it’s very difficult when you’re in a bar privately and say you’re a hairdresser. You really often get clichés thrown at you”.
Like what, for example?
“Things like: ‘Haha, then you can do my hair. People often pigeonhole you when you say you’re a hairdresser; it’s quickly devalued. But I’m really proud of the term!”
Have you always been fascinated by hair, or was there a key experience that made you want to become a hairdresser?
“That’s a funny story: when I was 13 or 14, I met a girl from my village who said with total confidence: ‘I want to be a celebrity make-up artist.’ It knocked my socks off because, at the time, I only had boys and going out on the town on my mind. I was so impressed that I simply replied: ‘Cool, me too!’ From today’s perspective, I probably just wanted to be friends with her.
That’s how I came up with the idea of training as a hairdresser, and I stuck with it. I even switched from grammar school to secondary school – my dad wasn’t at all convinced. I then had to do an internship during the vacations to show him that I had enough discipline for the job. Then, I started helping out in a salon on Saturdays, and the more I did, the more I wanted to do it.
A lot has happened since then; you now style many stars and have your own salon in Berlin. What does your everyday life look like?
“It’s a combination of everyday salon life and traveling for jobs, so hair and make-up for photo shoots and music videos. I’m often asked if I don’t want to concentrate on one thing at a time. But I love the variety! And whenever I come back from a job at my salon “Reza Hair” in Berlin-Mitte, I can tell my customers about it. They find it exciting. I can then share with them what new things I’ve learned, both professionally and personally. And that’s how I continue to grow myself.”
Which jobs do you enjoy the most?
“The best thing is working with people you know. Bonnie is the best example – we’ve grown together so much over the years! It’s just like working with regular customers: One day, you’re a well-coordinated team, and you don’t have to explain yourself anymore. You just know which hairstyles the person likes or what makes them feel beautiful. That makes working together better, nicer, and quicker.”
How does it work when you work with Bonnie, for example? Do you think about ideas for hairstyles together?
“It always depends on whether a client is involved or not. If we’re shooting a new commercial, then, of course, I ask the client and Bonnie what they want and how many different looks I should prepare. With Bonnie, we have the challenge that I need preparation time because she mainly wears wigs or ponytails. So I can’t just turn up on location with a curling iron or straightener and spontaneously do a hairstyle, I have to prepare the wig.
For the last Jean Paul Gaultier campaign, for example, we opted for a green wig. In such cases, we either brainstorm together or Bonnie describes her ideas to me, and I then think about how we can implement them, and then we get the client on board. That usually always works really well.”
Reza Hair, what has been your craziest job so far?
“Music video shoots are always crazy and unexpected, especially because they’re often huge sets! It’s also exciting to go on tour with artists. It’s like a school trip because you’re always on the tour bus and always spend several days or weeks together.
The GNTM season in 2021, where my team and I were allowed to do the makeover, was also particularly exciting for me. The conditions were extreme because we had to wear full body suits, protective goggles, and face masks due to the coronavirus, and everyone was constantly being tested. Because the models are always surprised by this, all the mirrors were taken away, and even the reflective surfaces of our hairdryers were taped off. And then you know, for example, that in a few hours, one of the models will have platinum blonde hair instead of black. But she doesn’t even know what’s in store for her, and of course, you’re not allowed to tell her – even if she keeps asking!”
Speaking of extreme hair changes: What are the most exciting hair trends for you?
“At the moment, I’m seeing an incredible amount of red and orange – really carrot! There’s a huge demand for perms among boys, but also among girls with short hair. Especially with finer hair textures, you can easily conjure up volume and a cool head of curls. We are also currently working a lot with wash-out pastel colors in the salon. It’s like playing with watercolor – if you don’t like it, it washes out quickly.”
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What care tips do you think are important?
“I think it’s important to get prejudices out of the way. For example, expensive products are not always good products. It’s also important to be familiar with ingredients. Knowing which products can be combined with each other is really worth its weight in gold. And I swear by a good hair serum. I always compare it to a good day cream for the face: a high-quality serum absorbs completely into the hair, nourishes it, and doesn’t leave any greasy or greasy residue.”
What does a Reza Hair do on a bad hair day?
“The wet, sleek look! I have short hair myself; I just slick it back. A wet look really always works, even if nothing else works on a bad hair day.”
If I have a limited budget but want a change, what would you recommend?
“A good gloss. This is a tint that is reduced with conditioner and, therefore, hardly gets any chemicals. It works like a nice lip gloss for the hair!”