30 InRegister • July 2008
InProfile
By CHRIS RUSSO BLACKWOODFabian Bordelon first heard the term “wabi-sabi” froma New York model lamenting the fleeting nature of herchosen career.
A life-long learner, the Baton Rouge hairstylist and color specialist quickly delved into researching wabi-sabiupon his return home. This basic concept of Japanese aestheticsstresses finding beauty in imperfection, where inessentials are eliminated andauthenticity revealed. Basically, it’s the Japanese art of impermanence.
“And, what is hair color if not impermanent?” hypothesizes Fabian,who quickly seized the theory and translated it into ahair-coloring technique which uses heavier color pigments and a12-minute processing time to produce a “moving dimensionof hair.”
Not long after he hit the road tointroduce the technique as part of his freelance teaching gig,industry magazines began to take notice. Modern Salon carried thestory in May, referring to Fabian’s “Simpatico Education” seminars… “His unique system bridges the gap between artistictheory and salon application, and breaks a few rules alongthe way.” It labeled the technique “sustainable color.”
Fabian’sprocess accounts for the natural process of hair’s color: beginning,peak, decline and change.
“All hair color must bedesigned for how it fades,” he told Modern Salon. “When necessary (on finer hair), I use accelerators, whichcreate great color retention. To create a denser feel tothe shaft, I add wisps of reflective color on theends or last few inches. This fools the eye; whenviewed as a whole, the hair looks denser.
“Fordense hair, I break up the reflectiveness of the pigment… and adding contrasting colors, the opposing hues look morevibrant.”
As part of the wabi-sabi practice, this colordesign transitions well. When Fabian sees the client again, here-defines the formula based on how the hair hasevolved. There are no set color-formula cards for eachclient at his studio, Fabian’s.
“I love this concept… I’ve been working on it about a year,” saysFabian. “A lot of women are given such horriblemessages if they think they’re not perfect. I like theidea of beauty with imperfection. I see beauty in alot of things and I love the wisdom of anolder woman.”
Fabian’s training in neuro-linguistic programming, the studyand structure of the subjective experience, helps him integrate interestingtheories into hair design and color practices through his “Simpatico Education” seminars throughout the country.
His first foray intooriginal hair design, deemed “Cajun highlighting,” involved seamless highlightingwith invisible lines of demarcation.
“I’m doing more ofthat today than when I introduced it in 2004,” saysFabian. “When times and finances become uncertain, fashion andhair become less dramatic and Cajun washing is certainly that.”Complementing his long-time hair-styling career with designing andteaching color techniques allows this designer to re-invent himself.“Teaching and traveling have kept me relevant in anindustry in which I have worked for 30 years,” hesays.
His greatest wish is to write his own articlesfor beauty industry magazines. And, what about his name?
“Handed down from father to son since 1864,” says thecentral Louisiana native.
hair
F
‘wabi-sabi’
Hair stylistand color specialist Fabian Bordelon
Wabi-sabi-influenced
hair colordesign process
