When I began working at Vidal Sassoon.  I was always inspired by his philosophy regarding architecture within hairstyling.

How did you get your first big break as a professional hairdresser?

In the 80’s, I began working on really basic magazines, assisting and doing my own thing and really just built on that as time went on.

What is your main philosophy regarding hair?

I think that finding beauty and inspiration from experimentation and imagination is key. Rebelling against the mainstream ideal of what beauty should be – I believe beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.

Your runway, editorial and celebrity portfolio is endless. What were some of your most memorable collaborations?  

My first real break working with Calvin Klein in the 90’s.

What was it like working with fashion photographers like: Steven Meisel and David Sims?

Each photographer that I work with pushes my work into different areas. They all have a very unique style and working with that allows me express exactly what I feel in front of the lens.

Where do you draw the inspiration when creating hairstyles?

I draw inspiration from the people that push ideas to extremes. From sub-genres and sub-cultures. I love what Japanese kids do with their style, I love everything from Punk to Goth to pageant queens. I like the extremes and it’s great to take elements of that and filter it into my work.

How would you describe your role at Redken?

Redken is great, I get excited by their enthusiasm and their drive to push forward with concepts – and the products are actually amazing! My role really consists as their eye on what’s happening right now in fashion, they already have a great view on this but together we work brilliantly.

What are some of your favorite hair styles of all time?

I like most things really, I love looking at a woman or a man and thinking “Wow! That actually looks great on you, big shape, small shape, whatever.” If the person believes in it, then they can carry it off and that’s what stands out to me the most.

How does your London background influence your hair styling today?

London in the 80’s is one of my main inspirations. I arrived in London just as the “New Romantic” scene was exploding. These people took inspirations from different eras and mixed it all together in a way that we really had never seen before and it was amazing. People like Leigh Bowery, Princess Julia, Steve Strange, they were doing things which although were elements of past era’s, also looked really new.

What are some of your must-have products for creating that perfect blow out?

I love Redken thickening lotion 06 body builder, Redken spray starch 15 heat memory styler, and at the moment I can’t be on set without Redken forceful 23 super strength hairspray. I also love using basic baby powder in hair to matte the texture.

What makes a hairstylist stand out and become an influential force in the fashion and beauty industry?

It’s difficult now-a-days. People are so much more educated than they were years ago. I think that a lot of hairstylists know a lot of references and have a good idea of how something should look or feel and that’s mainly down to archives and references being gotten at the touch of a button on the internet. But the real test is in the execution. That’s what makes a good hairdresser stand out.

What projects are you working on these days and what’s next for Guido?

Well, I break after a really busy year doing many many campaigns and editorial and I’ll be resting for a few weeks. Then in September it’s all hands on deck again as the show season kicks off in NY.

It was a pleasure to interview Guido you can find out more about Redken hair products at the official website: www.redken.com