Beauty | Joe-yves Asmar | Passion

In His Own Words

“My passion is couture fashion and hair, I love what I do and I will do it until the day I die.”

I grew up in Lebanon in the middle of a war and when I was 5 years old I moved to Sweden where I still work today. I fell in love with the hairdressing after my brother died in the war. My brother was a famous hairdresser and was working with the royal family of Jordan. My brother is the reason why I became a hairdresser. My passion is couture fashion and hair, I really love what I do and I will do it until the day I die.

When I was 14 years old, I got my first job in a salon as a shampoo guy and one year later I went to school to become a professional hairstylist. At very young age, I won my first competition in Sweden and was hooked. My passion grew and after a lot of hard work, I went on to win many national and international awards. My last was Style Master of the Year. I have had the privilege to work for magazines and television and my work be seen all over the world. Nowadays, I really am enjoying the opportunity to share what I have learned with others at some of the biggest hair shows in Sweden in front of thousands of people.  

My dream has come true.      

R&J: What is it that inspires you about couture?

Joe-yves: All the people around the Haute Couture world are a huge inspiration, when the models walk in on the catwalk with the different fabrics, colors, makeup and hair… it just amazes me. It’s such a big inspiration for me.

 

R&J: Hair plays such an important role in every aspect of fashion, runway shows, editorial and advertising photo shoots and television. Which is the most demanding? Which is the most fun?

Joe-yves: The most demanding is the runway shows… very stressful and you need to work with very high speed on each model. The most fun are the photo shoots, I love it when the model hits that perfect pose and that "picture will live forever."

 

 R&J: What was the funniest thing to ever happen to you while you were working?

Joe-yves: One day, I was working in the salon and a lady comes in with very long hair and she says, “I give you a free hand.” I took the scissors and in seconds, cut off a huge amount of her hair and she looks at me, almost in tears, ready to strangle me. I put extra time on her cut because I realized that something must be going in her life because a women almost never gives you a free hand to do whatever you want. You need to know that something is wrong here. But in the end, she left with an amazing cut. Two weeks later she come back with flowers and she gave me a huge hug and said you changed my life. 

 

 

 

R&J: Do you ever get nervous doing those huge hair shows? What is like to work on a stage with all those people?

Joe-yves: My first shows I was really nervous but now… no. To work in front of all these people is an amazing feeling and especially when you are not nervous because then you can get this amazing connection with the audience and to share something that I love so much in my life…. hair, it’s extremely special.

R&J: What advice would you give a talented hairdresser who has only worked in a salon but dreams to work in the fashion world?

Joe-yves: Find a good photographer and do a lot of work (a lot) so you can build a strong portfolio and show your work. Assisting good hairstylist is essential. And continued training is very important day in day out.

R&J: That's all the time we have for now. Just wanted to give Joe-yves a big thank you for sharing his thoughts with us and wish him the very best.


For more information about Joe-yves, you can contact him via email HERE


Photography by Rasmus Wallin