Christian Ríos, driving the success of the Spanish men's hairdressing industry
The director of Christian Ríos Hair Couture in Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona) achieved a double nomination in the Men's Commercial category at the 2022 Fígaro Awards, becoming a national reference in this specialty. Christian Ríos shares his firsthand experience with us!
What is your creative process when creating a collection for the Fígaro Awards?
I first seek inspiration and current trends that will be in vogue. For me, the latter is very important because I love fashion. The second step is to create a moodboard with images collected from costumes, cuts, makeup, etc. Once I have everything, I proceed with the model casting and assign each look to the appropriate model. All this is done under the supervision and opinion of my photographer, because it is essential that he knows and understands the style and what I want to convey. After all, he's the one who gets the final image I'm looking for. And when the shooting day arrives... let's enjoy and create!
How do you remember the atmosphere backstage before the show starts?
The atmosphere is amazing! It's a unique experience. I only wish to become a finalist to be able to repeat it year after year. It's something that cannot be explained. It's very magical, stressful but fun. You leave with a huge learning experience and unforgettable sensations. It's not just the hours leading up to the event; it's the months since you are announced as a finalist, the days, the hours. It's a whole year of emotions. But once we are backstage, everything changes! My team and I are clear about it - we will enjoy every second because we don't know if it will happen again. We'll immerse ourselves, live it! We feel like children! It's an incredible rush of adrenaline. I believe every hairdresser should have the opportunity to experience it at least once in their life.
What do you feel when you finally see your work on the runway?
Well, you're not aware until you're sitting next to the audience, waiting for the big moment. After many hours of work and days before the show, you're in a cloud. Rehearsals are brief and you have to leave everything in the hands of the team and the models, trust them completely. Last year was incredible for me. It was the first time I saw two of my collections on the runway, and one of them turned out to be the winner. When it's time to sit down and wait, that moment is inexplicable. You just want everything to go well and for everyone to like your work, to live up to expectations. I also admit that when I saw both collections on the runway, especially URBANITE, I was very excited. I was amazed by the work and the staging. I thought, "Wow, did we create this?" It was so beautiful to see all the work, the hours, and the months reflected. It was a mix of nervousness, joy, the urge to cry, and excitement all at once.
What does winning a Fígaro Award mean to you as a professional?
It is the dream I always desired, the greatest recognition for my work. It also gives me a lot of strength to keep fighting and working, to continue along this path.. Winning a Fígaro Award for me means the beginning of many beautiful things.
What would you highlight about your winning collection?
It's not a "barbershop" collection, but more of a fashion and trend collection. It has a lot of texture and colour contrasts. It includes various styles, ranging from long hair to shaved cuts, medium styles, and textured curls, along with a mix of matte and glossy effects. We also have meticulously executed decolorizations. There's a lot of variety in just four images.
In your opinion, how do the Fígaro Awards help to elevate the profession's prestige?
I think it's like the "Goya" or "Oscar" awards in the film industry, or the Michelin stars for gastronomy. It is essential that these competitions, as they dignify the profession and motivate, helping to create enthusiasm and goals for Spanish hairdressers. Every professional in this field who wants to grow dreams of being there. Club Fígaro must continue to support Spanish hairdressing, and we must support Club Fígaro to further dignify and position our profession.
What advice would you give to other colleagues who also want to succeed in the Fígaro Awards?
Something that has helped me is having enthusiasm, perseverance, and putting in the effort. You should never give up; you have to keep trying. If I've been able to do it, anyone can! Taking risks is crucial because without risk, there's no reward. And most importantly, believe in yourself regardless of what others say. Keep dreaming!
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The Club
The objective pursued by Club FÍGARO is recognition, both professionally and socially; thus raising our profession to the category of excellence, just as sectors such as fashion or gastronomy did at the time. Our mission is aimed at making our work known, admired and respected, both in the national and international territory, thus consolidating an increasingly cosmopolitan and powerful industry.
The Contest
The Spanish Hairdressing Awards, also called Fígaro Awards, value the photographic works of the hairdressing creations of the participating firms, to reward the most outstanding creative hairdressers in the country. They consist of five categories and were established in 2009 to give notoriety and visibility to the artistic work of Spanish hairdressers. The basic objective pursued by Club Fígaro with the creation of these awards is the social and professional recognition of hairdressing in Spain to consolidate an industry that is increasingly cosmopolitan and powerful.
Participating hairdressers register online to participate and upload their photographic collections to the Club Fígaro website. Afterward, the professional jury, made up of prominent personalities from national and international hairdressing and which changes every year, individually and independently votes the collections submitted anonymously, so impartiality is guaranteed.
Club Fígaro has the support of its main sponsor Revlon Professional, Salón Look IFEMA MADRID, a leading trade fair event, as an official partner and The Hair MBA, as a collaborator. Finally, Club Fígaro has the support of the main professional beauty magazines and portals in Spain.
