Interview of Jean-Michel Faretra : Globetrotter hairdresser with an incomparable talent!

Livecoiffure : You participated to the show Probst in Luxembourg, could you tell us more about it?

Jean-Michel Faretra : I have a very good memory of it, it was a very interesting event, there was many people. The event gathered very talented hairdressers and I was very happy to participate. As far as I am concerned, I wanted to play with “ the live haircut”. I didn’t prepare myself much, not much backstage because I knew that my colleagues had showed something more “elaborated” before. I wanted to show something different that in a very short space of time a change of haircut can transform somebody. I wanted “live hair fall”!

Livecoiffure: Your specialty : haircut on dry hair, why did you make this choice?

Jean-Michel Faretra : It's been about fifteen years that I’ve chosen to cut on dry hair because I obtain a real result. If you cut when the hair is wet, it’s just the first aspect. On dry hair, the second aspect appears because it is thicker and changes. To obtain something more realistic, I prefer using the material as it is whether the hair is curly or straight. I like adding modernity and texture to dry hair, it moves even faster.

The aim of my haircuts : The client leaves my salon and they don’t have to spend 3 hours on their hairstyle the morning.

Livecoiffure : During some shows, you cut the hair with a sabre… how did you come up with this idea?

Jean-Michel Faretra : I spent 11 years in Japan and I had the opportunity of using the Katanas. I was practicing martial arts. Then I had this idea : finding a new haircut system like a razor. It’s more difficult and heavy to carry but thanks to training and experience I could use the katana like a haircut tool. I warn all of those who want to try to create the buzz.
One shouldn't try it like that, it can be very dangerous! It is very precise especially these katanas, they are very sharp and they can hurt someone. I was the first one to cut the hair with a sabre, I did that for the spectacular side, I know that people like it. I did a demonstration at the Morning Live at the time, it created a big buzz and then I held a series of MCB stages. I then gave up the sabre because I was bored. Very recently, Bruno de Fun Radio called me after having seen a video of one of my shows  on the Internet. He was impressed and invited me to his program “ Spéciale matinée People “. I accepted with pleasure. The video was viewed more than 80 000 times, I couldn't believe it!

Livecoiffure : Could you tell us about your hairdressing salon Faretra Paris?

Jean-Michel Faretra : We moved in the district 8 in a big salon of 100 m² chic and modern. There are four of us : Audrey, Julien Thérésa and myself. We have several concepts in the salon : the dry haircut, the barber and V balayage corner. I already told you about the dry haircut. The barber area works very well.
More and more men like taking care of themselves. Regarding the V balayage, it is a balayage on the mid-lengths, without roots which is very modern and there’s no line when the hair grows up.

The clients have been following me for 11 eleven years when I was at the avenue Georges 5. Since then, we’ve been communicating a lot on websites with preferential tariffs at the opening to bring new clients to my team. The success of the salon results from my experience and the fact that I am Ambassadeur Wella since 1998 but also thanks to our website. Today, it is essential for us, it is a real shop window. Indeed, we have faithful and international clients who come from Geneva, London, Milan…
They organize their business or family trips according to my salon, it is very flaterring! In the future, I would like to start training. I would like to run my own academy for professionals but also for CAP and BP (hairdressing diplomas). At the moment, this is just a project. I want to do things the right way and take my time.