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Blue-eyed Boy
Date Added: 2009-06-01
Meet the molto bello Lorenzo Favata. At just 24 he’s a rising star with solid ambition – and an extremely wise head on his shoulders. Charisse Kenion reports.
Ask any 18 year old what they’re doing for the weekend and no doubt most of them would be planning a pub crawl or a student gig. Not so for Lorenzo Favata. After starting out as a Saturday boy in a salon – at his father’s urging – Lorenzo quickly realised he had an affinity for the hair industry. He was also driven to succeed in the business, as his mother had to cut her hairdressing career short in favour of raising the family.
“The first place I worked was at Luigi & Carlo’s in Addlestone, Surrey – I was sweeping up, washing hair, making cups of tea; I loved it. It was fun, busy and run by these Italian blokes, so with me being Italian there was an immediate familiarity,” says Lorenzo.
While there, he decided to forgo attending college and aged 17, did his apprenticeship at the salon. He admits it affected his social life. “There was no going out on a Friday night, as there’d be work the next morning, but if you want to achieve things, be artistic or be a manager, then you have to give up your spare time. You might not have a day off for a couple of weeks, but it’s worth it – this is like a brotherhood to me.”
Although Lorenzo finds it hard to remember the very first cut he did on the salon floor – “too blasé” – the most memorable moments so far in his young career are topped by his arrival at Rush in 2002. “That’s when my career really took off. Before I even started there I would look at all the magazines and kept seeing Rush’s work and I really liked it. I called them up and they took me on.”
And the rest, as they say, is hair history. Since arriving at Rush, Lorenzo has won numerous awards, including Educator of the Year in 2008; he believes that in-house awards are vital for motivating the team. “Everyone gets a pat on the back and you all end up on a real high. It’s also great for any new team members as they get to meet the bosses, which doesn’t always happen with other companies,” says the Surrey-born Italian.
One aspect of hair that Lorenzo is almost evangelical about is education. “I try to make education as exciting as possible, as well as ensuring standards are high and that the Rush ethos is there. When it comes to learning, it’s all about standards – the creativity comes later. We place a huge emphasis on looking after our students and they regularly get together for ‘soiree nights’ and they also take part in their own photographic competitions. We also have an Assistant of the Year Award and staff are always encouraged to attend all of the Rush art team events.”
Lorenzo seems to love the constant stream of things to do, despite admitting it can be a stressful role, perhaps made more so by the fact he doesn’t just do one thing at Rush. As well as being officially known as Creative Education Manager, on his days off, he will work with the creative team, and then of course, there’s hair to be cut at the Rush salon in Epsom.
Next on the cards is an additional smaller site, opening soon in London’s Moorgate – and it’s keeping Lorenzo busier than ever. “We are being driven to develop, because more and more people are coming to us to learn, so more apprentices means more teachers which means more salon sites,” explains Lorenzo. “In fact, I thought the recession might have done us a favour, and allowed us to slow down a bit!”
It’s clear that Lorenzo is truly passionate about hair, as well as the people he works with. He does have one or two goals that he’d like to reach though; within the next five years he’d love to take British hairdressing to New York. “If Rush said they were opening a salon in New York next week I’d go; it’s such an inspiring place. I’d love to go there to teach British hairdressing there.”
When Lorenzo isn’t in one of the Rush salons, he finds inspiration in the form of fellow Italian, Angelo Seminara, International Creative Director at Trevor Sorbie.
“Angelo’s photographic collections are so strong, ahead of their time, yet he still makes women look beautiful. As a hairdresser I think that is a huge challenge and requires serious skill; his work is a piece of art. That’s what I aspire to but it will probably take me the next 10 years to get there. I’m a hairdresser; Angelo’s an artist.”
Does Lorenzo have a dream client? “Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, but not because he needs a haircut – I quite like his hair – I’d just like to pick his brain for an hour or two.” There’s little doubt that with Lorenzo’s drive, he might just have that opportunity, very soon.
