HAIRDRESSER BERLIN MITTE, BUT NOT ONLY…
There are so many unique things about my job that it’s hard to pinpoint the highlight. It’s diverse, takes me around the globe and allows me to work with people who challenge and encourage me in a positive way. What more could you ask for?
Berlin Bolivien
It all started in 2019 when Sam from ACBY https://www.acby.de/about-acby asked me if I would like to accompany him to a fashion event in Bolivia. That in itself was a huge appreciation. The extremely compressed travel time, the work and the seamless transition to the next job were not only physically challenging, but also interpersonally. In moments like these, you get to know each other in a completely new way – an exciting experience. Unfortunately, 2019 was ruined for me by a torn cruciate ligament.
But as they say, what’s right will come back.
Sam? Sam who?
You’re probably wondering who Sam is and how we know each other.
Sam is Samuel Acebey with his label ACBY. We have been working together for over 7 years on various projects, collections and for clients. Where exactly and how we got to know each other is another story. His credo is: “My work reflects my aesthetics and my view of life. It’s always a little easier when you look good and feel good in every situation.”
AIR TRAVEL AT THE SPEED OF A 100 YEAR OLD
On 10.11.2023, our day of departure from Berlin, the excitement was palpable. We had been on the phone almost every day for the past week to organize and plan everything. The journey was a stone’s throw away, but the route took us from our beloved BER International via Frankfurt am Main and Madrid to Santa Cruz/Bolivia. There we continued to La Paz, which lies at an altitude of around 3600 meters. The airport was even at an altitude of 4200 meters. Sam was familiar with this type of travel, but I had to deal with some physical reactions – fascinating and extremely interesting. My motto for the next few days was to travel at the speed of a 100-year-old.
UNIQUE EVENT LOCATION AT 3900 METERS ALTITUDE
Arriving at 10:00 a.m., it was time to have breakfast, check in and head back down to 3600 meters. We had coca tea and white and red tablets to combat the side effects of the altitude. Then, at 2 p.m., the first rehearsals began at the location, back uphill to 3900 meters. A real rollercoaster ride for body and mind.
The location was a small museum for ethnography and folklore in a building from the 18th century – an impressive backdrop for our show and the entire event.
3 DAYS AND 30 KG OF WORK LUGGAGE
This was followed by three days of preparations, look tests, hair & make-up tests and running tests – all accompanied by the differences in altitude and my almost 30 kg of work luggage. It contained all the make-up, hair tools such as straighteners, curling irons, products and much more. Even beauty lights and hairpieces were included. I felt prepared to create every look imaginable.
How we create the Look
After Sam had spent two days on the look samples and I was a little involved in social media content production, my hair and make-up testing began.
We discussed at length what Sam had in mind for his collection, I shared my opinion and showed some ideas. Sam always created beautiful mood boards that I admired. Based on the models’ natural features, Sam’s vision and my ideas, we developed the look. It had to be not only visually appealing but also workable in terms of time.
To be honest, the evenings were plagued by jet lag, everything was more exciting and intense than ever before. It was my first time in South America and Bolivia. So many impressions that needed to be processed. Sam was a great travel companion and gave me first-hand local knowledge.
Dinner with representatives of Mexican Vogue
Exciting experiences – and I’m not even talking about the show – such as dinners with representatives of Mexican Vogue, event organizers, etc., or a night tour with the cable car, which serves as a means of public transport with eight different lines. We rode over hills and through illuminated districts of La Paz. What a great evening.
Juan Pi & Juan Carlos, the two organizers of the DABBOLIVIA event, are hard to put into words. The level of openness, trust & appreciation that I was shown during these 7 days cannot be put into words. Some experiences and adventures simply stay in your heart forever.
It´s showtime
The big day of the show began with an impressive journey to work, not by cab like the last three days, but quietly in the cable car gondola.
As Head of Hair and Make-up for the whole event, I received great help from a local H&M team. This was one of the biggest challenges of the trip, as my colleagues only spoke Spanish and my Spanish was limited to “yes” and “no”. Sam helped me during rehearsals, but on the day of the show he was also busy, so I had to communicate with my hands, feet, Google translator and my charm.
My four colleagues created the looks for the other two designers. And I quickly started with our 13 models. Time was tight, as always with shows like this, but we pulled it off as a team, helped by Sam’s guidance for the wet look base.
After the show is before the show
The show was well attended with celebrities in this fantastic setting. We finished in time and unfortunately couldn’t see anything during the show, only later on the videos. After the show was before the show: we greeted the guests and received lots of compliments. My adrenaline level was at 100% and the joy of working with Sam, the looks, the models, the music, the location and the 3850 meters of altitude was indescribable. The location had to be cleared by 10pm, which only allowed for a small mini after-show party. We were both exhausted and blissfully happy.
After the job is before the job: it was time to work on the social media channels. I still remember how we both sat at the kitchen table at 1:00 a.m., completely exhausted, and shared everything that was posted.
The day after
It was the fifth day, the morning after the show, and we were packing up our 50 kg pieces of luggage. We had the opportunity to display our work in @liliana’s beautiful showroom. We talked to the clients and explained our aesthetic and presented our pieces. @jose forteza led a conversation about fashion and its importance in South America. Sam even set up a showroom at Liliana to showcase and represent his designs. There was a panel discussion with Josef from Mexican Vogue, the designers, Liliana, artists, influencers and customers. Everything was extremely interesting, even though I unfortunately didn’t understand a word as it was all in Spanish. Thanks to my personal travel guide, however, I was able to summarize the discussion in three sentences.
Back to Santa Cruz
Then the wild journey continued, back to Santa Cruz by plane. My body literally breathed a sigh of relief when we finally flew down from these high altitudes. The barren, oxygen-poor landscape became increasingly green, unfortunately a thick cloud of smog obscured the view, which felt like I had smoked two packs of cigarettes at once. On top of that, it was a relaxed 39 degrees and a storm that felt like a thousand Dyson hairdryers on full blast.
In the evening, we met up with everyone involved in the DABBOLIVIA event at https://www.liviluxe.com/ to celebrate their new collection – a fantastic, unforgettable evening.
Return to Germany, GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION
The return trip was of course an adventure, halfway around the world, only to hold a seminar on Monday with extreme jet lag.
The decision to accompany Sam on this trip was undoubtedly the right one. This journey can be summarized with a clear motto: Appreciation! The fact that Sam wanted me to join him is an expression of appreciation. The subtle nuances in our dealings with each other are also an expression of appreciation. The trust in my work also reflects appreciation. The feeling of security and safety during the trip is not least a form of appreciation.
Spending time and working together with people who offer positive challenges, encourage and make it fun are particularly valuable for me. Many thanks to Sam, Thomas, Juan Pi & Juan Carlos, as well as Mariana for this enriching experience!