GLOBAL TALENT SPOTTING WITH PAULINE McCABE

Pauline McCabe

RINO RICCIO

Pauline McCabe joins the team at HAIR BIZ for a series of TALENT SPOTTING features. Owner of Rock, Paper, Scissors - a place dedicated to using products that are sulphur and paraben free, cruelty free and eco-friendly, Pauline enjoys a stellar portfolio and continues to dazzle on a global stage, balancing days in the salon with educating, shooting and her prolific session work. Pauline always keeps her ‘eye on the prize’ - and brings to us a truly cool collective from the international hairdressing scene in a fun, not too serious way.

Helping ensure learning is central to the Manifesto brand is head of education, Rino Riccio. A seasoned session stylist, Rino originally met the founder of Manifesto while working on a Vivienne Westwood show in Milan. The two became part of a team that worked on fashion shows across Europe and discovered they shared a lot of the same opinions on men’s hair.

Before entering the world of session styling, Rino had put in years of hard graft working in salon. Born in Naples, Italy, he comes from a family of hairdressers, but initially had no interest in joining the family business.

“It wasn’t until, at the age of 12, I went with my father to a live hairdressing competition that I decided I wanted to be part of that world,” says Rino. “I started working at my father’s shop in the afternoons and evening and left school at age 14 to train full time.”

By the age of 16, Rino was winning major awards in his home country, including Men’s Hairdresser of the Year.

Despite his early success Rino retained a passion for learning and began attending courses with some of the UK’s major academies, including Sassoon, Toni & Guy and HOB.

In his twenties he was introduced to session work and this became his passion, although initially he found the completely different approach to hairdressing a shock. “I was confused because I was being told to do things completely differently to how I had been taught. I realised I just need to learn a whole new set of skills,” he says.

Rino proved a quick learner and was soon working on shows across Italy and the rest of Europe, as well as editorial shoots. His commitments with Manifesto mean he has had to pull back a little from session work, but he still manages to work on a small number of shows, always trying to put the Manifesto stamp on his work and bringing each new experience back to the salon environment.

In his role as head of education, Rino is dedicated to passing on the Manifesto ethos and the skills and techniques behind it to a wider industry, both in the UK and abroad, as well as ensuring the Manifesto team is on board with the ‘cut technically, style naturally’ philosophy. He has helped devise the brand’s courses, Classic Now, and ADV, which both aim to teach experienced hairdressers and barbers how to cut the Manifesto way. Rino plans to extend the education offering over the next few years, ensuring the Manifesto name and ethos remains relevant and exciting.

If you had to name one skill that has got you to where you are today, what would it be?

Wilfulness

What professional achievement are you most proud of?

The professional achievement that I’m really proud of accepting an invitation from Corrado Terre and Mikey Pearson asking me to work for this amazing company called Manifesto.

Can you share with readers a time when you overcame a challenge?

My biggest challenge was leaving my successful salon in Italy and moving to London 8 years ago and unable to speak a word of English!.

How would you describe your hairdressing style?

I want to be someone that never merely repeats their discoveries, but creatively generates new combinations capable of expressing innovative men’s hair identity.

What three words would you use to describe your ideal environment?

• Minimal design • Friendly • nspiring

What excites you most about your work?

The consistency to explore and think new trends, new techniques all the time.

What three habits will improve your life?

• Wake up early and read • Stretching • Smiling

For what in your life do you feel most grateful?

I am very grateful to have the opportunity to express myself in my job which is more than a job for me - it’s my passion.

If you could do the hair of one person alive or dead, who would it be?

Boris Johnson

What’s been the best gift you’ve ever been given?

I have two – a Mac laptop and Mason and Pearson brush.