Natalia BALABANOVA: “I AM THANKFUL FOR MY DETERMINATION”
There are a host of things in life to make one develop an inferiority complex, including far from perfect social standard, economy, politics, and mentality. In a word, problems everywhere. Yet sometimes one meets another fellow human, a striking personality so captivating he or she is capable of brightening the mood of the most hardened skeptic. One such remarkable individuality is Natalia Balabanova, director and stylist at the Style Line Salon on Andriyivsky Uzviz, a real self-made woman who successfully continues in the same vein. A woman of all times and very up to date, modern in the truest sense of the word. We invite The Day’s readers to make this interesting acquaintance.
The Day: Natalia, you said once you had a dream: to dress the hair of the entire nation. What did you actually mean?
N.: Creating beauty, guiding and cultivating its potential — this is what I consider my business in life. This includes not only mechanical reproduction, styling technologies, but primarily it means work with the inner world of each individual. A hairstyle is the beginning and completion of every person’s image. It is our mood, confidence, tidiness, a calling card attesting to our belonging to a certain lifestyle.
Look at a passer-by or person you are talking with, and the next instant you know your bearings and how that person feels about you, his views, style, and temperament. After all, the whole essence is made up of impressions in general.
In every person the sense of self- esteem and personal style must be enhanced, so he or she can not only fall in love with naturalness and comfort but also be unlike everybody else.
The important thing is not to give in to the demands of sharp fashion but that thing which makes one feel comfortable. It is one’s style, including hairstyle, well-tended hands, and fine skin.
The Day: What do you think the Ukrainian school of fashion and hair style and design is like?
N.: My field of activity lies in constant searching. Here one cannot learn in a month, year, or decade. Once you stop, get stuck, you start to degrade. It is constant analysis of any information in the hairdressing and styling field which you get from English-language magazines from Europe as well as from trips to France, Italy, and the Baltic states to attend international forums, exhibits, and contests, so you can keep up to date and be aware of the latest trends in world hair styling.
At present, one has access to any school, anywhere in the world. All you need is money and determination. Even though you don’t always hear favorable comments from those bringing knowledge from abroad. Western instructors sometimes underestimate our professional level and assign us tasks like cutting or styling and dying hair that we have long mastered. But maybe that’s all they have in their database.
Hair styling schools are being opened in Kyiv, yet Vyacheslav Diudenko’s remains the most prestigious. Seminars are organized, including field seminars, sponsored by the Wella Ukraine Co. where we have a small Diudenko-Zyrianova-Balabanova alliance acquainting our regional colleagues with progressive technologies and equipping them with the highest quality Wella cosmetics.
Constantly improving one’s skill is the guarantee of success. Fashion never stands still. One can understand its trends and learn to put them into practice only under the guidance of outstanding instructors and expert coiffeurs. And of course there is one’s intuition and sense of style.
The Day: How do we look compared to other countries? What does your own experience say?
N.: I had a very interesting experience participating in the Londa’98 Modern Hair Style Collections international contest. My team and I did our homework well, elaborating on every detail. We made a special collection of garments titled “The Aroma of Color” and the DJs selected special music for every model’s appearance. The same applied to hair styles, makeup, and footwear. Put together, it turned out to be a harmonious whole. The girls did great on stage, but the jury was obviously biased, placing us fourth. Later, I tried to find out why and heard that we were so modern that they didn’t know how to judge us.
In other words, we were two years ahead. A while later, the Londa president personally gave us consolation prizes, a watch for each of us. I don’t know, maybe our performance prompted Londa to stage a series of shows in Kyiv involving five local salons. In December 1998, we appeared again with the Aroma of Color at the capital’s Hollywood Club. This time the lighting was better, the models were more emotional, and the audience responded with applause. Vyacheslav Diudenko told me, “Thanks, you did a good job.” I will always remember his words, for with him it is the highest of praise.
The Day: You are not only a playing coach, but also a salon hostess. One might say you a real business lady.
N.: To me, the word business implies making money, building capital and multiplying it. I serve my art. I keep my salon in a vein dictated by my experience, intuition, and innovative ideas.
The Day: You play tennis, you are fond of skiing and photography. And you skydive if you feel like it. What drives you?
N.: I love life and I am interested in mastering the right kind of techniques, be it hairstyle or parachute jump. Getting the knack of using a pair of scissors, a racket, or skis is so very exciting. It’s intriguing! And the awareness of attainment and understanding. It has a touch of perfection. And there is no boundary to perfection, as we all know. My sources of inspiration are the Crimea, the sea, sports, books, and solitude. But it all depends on state of mind, circumstances, and possibilities.
The Day: Do you think there are special women’s problems in society? If so, what problems would you refer to?
N.: Yes, and I would refer to vulnerability, hopelessness, and despair. I can’t think of a single period when we lacked such problems. History, movies, and books are all packed with hardships and obstacles in any given era. Time puts us to the test and one must not give way to despair or vent one’s laziness or primitive thinking.
One should work to improve oneself, charge oneself with positive emotions by going to the theater, on picnics, or by taking up sports. Life is beautiful, and all it takes is a peek through the curtains and a step outside to take in the surrounding beauty. Most importantly, it takes a closer look at one’s inner world, filling it only with wise and positive ideas and emotions.
The Day: Would you describe yourself as a “new Ukrainian” woman?
N.: Perhaps. My professional experience comes from working in a number of beauty salons. In this sphere finding the right approach and one’s own views takes time.
How do I relate? I just can see the right kind of hairstyle that will do a woman justice and convince her that hair is not something that can always make one attractive. It also takes perfection oneself, polishing one’s ethical and aesthetic posture. I have always been enraged by the very climate, traditions, kitsch, and slapdash approach to customers of some beauty parlors. I revolted internally and left such salons, always seeking a new truly professional attitude. Everything has changed over the past couple of years. This is very inspiring and encouraging. There are plenty of salons in Kyiv and a dozen leading ones are marked by excellent design and the most modern equipment. One can only hope that their high professional skill and culture will justify the investors’ money. In my case, I have my determination to thank. I took the risk of opening my firm back in September 1998 when Ukraine found itself gripped by a severe crisis. Many businesses were closing or losing a lot of money — you know how it was. But I was obsessed, I knew success would come my way. But most importantly I had my team, people who trusted me and supported me whenever it got really tough. They are still with me, I create together with them, and I am very proud of them all.
The Day: Many believe that the current times do not foster development of personalities.
N.: I wish I could turn the world back to good, harmony, and confidence. I’m an optimist, yet I expect nothing handed me on a silver platter. Being purposeful by nature, I am sure that anything is possible once you set your mind to it. Determination and willpower are the main things. You have to instill them at the instinctual level.
