How to Become a Runway Hair Stylist in WA
Washington offers an array of exciting careers in the beauty industry. One of the unique ways that Washington stands out from the pack in this area is that there are a number of runways held throughout the year, meaning that it’s a great place to start your journey toward being a runway hairstylist. With these runways and shows, you have a variety of opportunities to showcase your prowess.
If you want to get a piece of the action in runway hair styling, you’ll find all of it in Washington. Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get the technical skills you need to succeed in this field.
Get your cosmetology license
First of all, you’ll need the right education to get into the hair styling business. To start off, enroll at a reputable cosmetology school. As you go through the cosmetology program, you’ll have access to information about hair care products and hair styling techniques that will go quite a distance in helping you understand how to successfully work on the runway.
Once you’ve completed your beauty school education, you’ll then complete a state board exam. This will make sure your skill level is adequate to work with clients, which could include runway fashion designers who need someone styling hair to match their ideas. Once you have a practicing certification and license, you can go on to work in the beauty industry.
Get some experience
Once you’re done with your mandatory training hours, it’s time to get some experience. In general, the best way to get relevant experience is to start by working in a salon, even if you hope to move to the runway one day. A salon will give you hands-on experience working with many different hair types and performing an array of hairstyles, often working alongside master stylists, which will allow you to transition well into the world of fashion stylists.
Washington state has runway events and other fashion events all year round that require hair stylists. Many top stylists allow for a number of volunteers who are looking for hands-on training, and this can be an exceptional way to build experience and transfer from a career in cosmetology to a career in runway fashion. You may need to work some unpaid events before you’re able to find people who are interested in paying you for these skills; think of that work as an opportunity to show yourself off to others in the beauty industry, potentially carving out exciting career opportunities in the future.
Network with established runway hair stylists
Especially if you’re able to work on the runway, even as a volunteer, recognize that these are crucial networking opportunities that can help you move successfully into the fashion industry. Make sure you bring business cards to these events, and feel free to mention that you’re available for runway projects in the future. Even if you end up building extensive experience before someone reaches out to you, you’re getting your name out there, and that can be one of the most important elements of transitioning into the world of fashion. You want everyone to be able to remember your name.
Additionally, remember that some of the most in-demand runway hair stylists have to turn down jobs because they don’t have the time to do those jobs. The more fashion stylists who know your name, the more likely someone will bring you up when they’re asked to do a job that they just don’t have time for. That customer transition could be your ticket into the fashion industry for good.
Network with other types of cosmetologists
Hair styling isn’t the only thing that’s necessary on the runway. Professional makeup artists, for example, are also in high demand in the runway world, and nail technology may also be an important part of some fashion shows. Although not technically a cosmetology field, making friends with fashion designers could help you eventually become a runway hair stylist, as it’s likely they’ll eventually need stylists for their work.
Remember, part of networking is that you’re not just looking to move your own career forward as a fashion hairstylist. Sure, it can be great to get more work for your fashion portfolio and experience positives in your professional growth, but you should also want to make friends with other people in your field just because it’s great to make connections. This can be an environment for growth for everyone.
Start Your Journey Toward Runway Hair Styling Today
Runway hairstyling is absolutely a demanding field, and it’s not right for everyone. However, if you’re interested in eventually making your way to one of those coveted high-profile positions somewhere like New York Fashion Week, you have to start small. First, get the necessary beauty credentials; from there, you’ll be able to move up the ranks until you get to the job you truly want.
Evergreen Beauty College is a great starting point for your eventual career in hair styling. If you’re looking for a place to start the certification process and get the skills you need to pass your certification exam, consider the cosmetology course at Evergreen Beauty College. Check us out today for your hair styling journey.
FAQs: How to Become a Runway Hair Stylist in Washington
Is runway styling really that different from other types of styling?
Different types of styling do have important differences that you’ll need to consider when training for these jobs. Runway styling is all about putting on a show for an audience, which means looks that are bolder, stronger, and often quite strange, as well as styles that look great from a distance. This can be very different from, for example, bridal styling, which is about casting a soft, glamorous look. Staying up to date on the world of runway styling is a great way to make sure you know what will be expected of you as a runway hair stylist.
Do you need specialty training for runway hair styling?
Not inherently. Someone right out of cosmetology school may be able to land a runway hair styling job if they’ve been developing their skills in school and have the right connections. However, if any courses come your way, it can be a good idea to take continuing education courses that revolve around runway hair styling. Not only will this help you develop the skills you’ll need for this career, but it’ll also help you build connections in this world.
What skills do I need to become a runway hair stylist?
One of the biggest skills to develop if you want to become a runway hair stylist is the skill of working on your feet. This isn’t a skill everyone has, and if you’re looking to succeed in this world, you’re going to need to be great at it. There are also plenty of other great skills that you can master that are more relevant to hair styling specifically; for example, you may need to develop the skill of successfully using hairspray or hair gel to get a hairstyle to stay in one place for the entirety of a show. However, start with developing the skills of staying on your feet for long periods of time and working quickly and efficiently.
