Dimosthenis

I always seek more knowledge and better quality


Interview: Vassilis Bonios | Photo: Stavros Niflis

Dear Dimosthenis, it’s not just your clients who praise your work, your talent and the way you express yourself through your work. Everybody does and they all defend your good reputation. Have you thought of making a move similar to that of Argyro Barbarigou, that is, setting off from Paros and going ahead to conquer Athens, opening a hair salon in Kolonaki, for example?
I’m doing my best not to get over enthusiastic by what people say, neither by my list of clients. I prefer being realistic and allow time to show me my next move. I’ve been in contact with some of my Athenian clients, planning something completely different, not opening a shop. I prefer my moves to be stable and powerful rather than hastily decided upon and overenthusiastic. Still, I do aim at achieving difficult objectives. Apart from that, the rest is down to opportunity and hard work!!

What would you think if an equally well-known hair stylist, for example Tryfonas Samaras, came to Paros and opened a hair salon?
A renowned and successful colleague is not very likely to come to Paros to open a hair salon. I would consider this a result of the economic crisis, the one and only reason being the fact that it would not be possible to adjust to the local price policy. On the other hand, the market is open to all. It’s to the client’s best interest to have plenty of choices and be able to judge from our work. But if it was going to be Tryfonas in particular, we would surely cooperate wonderfully since we happen to have met and I do believe we both value each other’s work and personality.

What differentiates you from other hair stylists? Competition is known to be really tough in your line of work!
If one gets stuck on competition they will miss out on their own advancement. I’ve never done that. I’m only interested in my own professional development. I always seek more knowledge and better quality.

Is it true that a hair stylist can sometimes be a bit of a psychoanalyst for their clients? What is there exactly on women’s minds these days?
It’s not just for women, but men as well. For the most easy-going to the most difficult person. It is a relationship based on trust and this helps people feel relaxed.

Who would you choose to be your client, Angelina Jolie or Carla Bruni? Which of the two heads would cause you to feel in awe when cutting their hair?
I don’t know if I would feel in awe. I am much more honoured when Greek show business people show me their appreciation and trust. Especially if they choose me at the time when they are professionally active and their looks become particularly important, and not only when they’re on holiday.

Do Parian women look after their appearance? Do they spend a lot on their hairdo and self pampering?
Parian women do look after their appearance, but they can’t always realise that for a good result and quality hair styling we have to choose the right products and not cheap ones, or cheap techniques which just make promises, because this way they end up paying a lot more for correcting wrong choices. We’ve got to understand the reasons behind price differences. As I said, the market is open to all; clients can chose between more or less expensive hair salons. For no reason, not even in the midst of this crisis, would I drop prices, because that would mean a drop in quality of products used. Quality, constant retraining and development are my principles. I invest a lot on them and I have to follow a respective price policy in order to keep up.

What has the hair salon and contact with people taught you?
If you don’t deceive people and keep developing steadily trying to produce quality outcomes for the client, then recognition and good reputation will follow suit.

Summer 2013