Trenz Hair Studio

Thunder Bay Man Heads to Paris in November for Competition

Adrian Mirabelli's scissors are getting quite the workout these days.

The Thunder Bay hairstylist walked away with the title of Canadian hairdressing champion after a competition in Toronto last month, earning a berth in the world championships in Paris, France, in the fall.

"It's deadly," he said Wednesday. "I've been training for five years. I finally got it."

Minnella competed against 30 other hairstylists - a few from each province, he said - in a pair of timed challenges where he had to style a model in front of a live crowd. Then the finished look is judged, and the winner chosen.

The first challenge, Minnella said, involved creating the design in 20 minutes. Then, he said, he had to take that and make it "a little bit more extravagant and a little bit more out there.

"We had to add hairpieces, a little bit more makeup, change the outfit," Minnella said.

"All the elements that are used in hairdressing are used in this one competition.

"That's why they say it's the biggest competition in Canada."

Good thing he practiced.

Minnella said he started by sketching a rough design.

Then, after his usual shift at Trenz Hair Studio at Intercity Shopping Centre where he is a part-owner, he'd start developing the look he would eventually show with the aid of a mannequin head.

As the competition got closer, he'd switch it up, and start tweaking the look with the help of a live model.

"You start with a basic idea," Minnella said.

"Then you start to fix the balance, the cleanliness of it, the colours.

"It's gotta match the outfit, it's gotta match the makeup, the accessories. And then you gotta start putting things together, and that's how you develop a look."

And now, Paris in November.

It's actually Minnella's second time representing Canada at the worlds.

The first was in 2008.

The world championship is held every two years, he said.

"It's huge," he said. "It's all the best hairdressers in the world."

Minnella will be among four Canadians competing in Paris who will be taking on hairdressers from 50 countries.

"It's coming up," he said. "I'm going to start training pretty soon."

"I'm just taking about a month off to slow down."

March 18, 2010
Source: Chronicle Journal

Adrian Minella shows off the first-place trophy he earned in a Canadian hairstylists competition. He also earned the right to represent Canada at the worlds in Paris, France. (Brent Linton)