The Lucky One – Daniele De Angelis By Louise May

When Daniele de Angelis decided to be a hairdresser at the age of 13, little did he know how successful he would be. Initially training and working in his hometown of Rome, he made the big decision to move to the capital of cool – London.

“British hairdressing has always been renowned as the best of the best. It’s an epicentre of international talent, with hairdressing coming from around the world to work and teach there. Some of the best cutters and stylers are based in London and when I came over it was because of the precision, the creativity; it was the best place to express all of this.”

In the initial stages of his hairdressing career, Daniele received a lot of knock-backs. While at the time it was frustrating, these experiences helped him to grow as a person and develop resilience. “So, any problems I now encounter, I am able to take a step back and view with a clear perspective. There were a lot of rejections, but you’ve got to believe in yourself. In 2015 he became the manager of the TONI&GUY Academy in central London, combining his loves for hairdressing and education.

“To work in such an iconic building and educating some 2500 hairdressers from all over the world is a privilege,” Daniele says. “I get to spend my day with hairdressers who love education and believe it is the way forward to stay relevant in the current market. I work alongside different types of hairdressers every day; up and coming stylists who are excited about what lays ahead to more seasoned hairdressers who have lost their passion. When I see their flame being reignited and the spark return in their eyes, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Daniele may have worked in Italy and London, but his influences and inspirations come from all over the world. “Back in the day you didn’t have access to lots of international work, but now with social media, you can see incredible hairdressing from everywhere. The level of hairdressing is higher

now than ever; there are amazing stylists doing creative things, raising the game their education, and creating beautiful work. I truly believe Australian hairdressing has one of the highest standards across the world. When there are hair competitions, the work you produce is incredible. You have brilliant photographers and make-up artists as well as hairdressers and bring all that creativity together and you produce amazing imagery. The level of work being created by the next generation is on another level, I think the industry is in safe hands!”

Competitions are incredibly important to Daniele – he has won London Hairdresser of the Year twice and is a finalist again this year, and was nominated for AHIA International Hairdresser of the Year in 2022. “Competitions, for me, are a great way for me to push myself; they make me improve year on year. I compete against myself, no one else, and it’s a great opportunity for me to see where I am with my skills, my tastes, and my personal progression. Being nominated for International Hairdresser of the Year was amazing as it was judged by hairdressers from around the world and not just from the UK. For judges from other countries to enjoy my images and be inspired by them was an honour.”

Now that the world is back up and running and travel is back on the agenda, Daniele is planning to attend seminars in countries in real life, after several years of digital education. “Our Digital Academy has been incredible for bringing the international hairdressing community together and ensuring skills and knowledge were kept high when we were trapped inside or couldn’t attend live courses. But now the world is opening up again and nothing beats face-toface education, to see the joy on someone’s face when they master a technique or method. I love that. I think it’s taught us all to live life in the moment and make sure to surround yourself with people you can trust and look up. I work with an amazing group of people who have my back like I have theirs. I’ve worked at TONI&GUY for a long time, and I always have people by my side to look up to and had something to aim for. It may be work, but they are my family. How lucky am I?”