Portrait: Nicolas Christ, the hairdresser with all the medals

Nicolas CHRIST - Photo Didier Adam

Nicolas, we already talked about you during the 25th final of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France on 1 march 2015, you are a champion of all categories, could you tell us about your career as a competitor ?
The competition is in my DNA. My father André Christ, M.O.F, certainly influenced me. I learned everything in the family salon because I knew I was taking that path: requirement. I started the competitions in 1984 through the Comité Artistique of the Coiffure Française.
Then from 1986 to 1992, I was champion of France - junior and senior -
I won several great international awards and also the European Championships and finally a bronze medal at the world championships of Tokyo in 1992. The latter indeed received 155000 visitors !

And the supreme title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France ?
After the world championships, I was in search of the quest of the grail and in 1994 in Angers, I received that medal.

We can say that you were "hot" during all these years of competition ?
Laughter, yes I should say I was operational !

We can find you in other roles: trainer, director of competition, world vice-president of the HCF...
Indeed, I was a trainer of the national Russian team, I met my superb wife at that moment, model at the time. Then the South Korea asked for my services and finally the team of France... The OMC (world hairdressing organization) asked me to be the director of competition for the world championships and I've been honored to be reelected every four year since 2004.
By the way, I am glad to announce that this competition will take place in South Korea in March 2016 and that the Parisian professional salon, the MCB by beauté sélection, is back with the international competitions with the Coupe d'Europe Open in September 2015. Regarding the Haute Coiffure Française, it is true that I am the world vice-president.

Nicolas, this is an impressive prize list ! Is it everything about the competitions ?
Not quite finished, I also created the HCF Trophy.

With that technical and artistic amazing career, you did attract the great brands of cosmetics ?
Indeed, I was first noticed by the society Wella for Germany and thanks to M. Leprince Ringuet, I have the status of Hairdresser Ambassador l'Oréal Professionnel. This role permitted me to create collections every semester and to participate to many shows in the world. For the artistic part of my career, I was also part during seven years of the creation team of the HCF.

What about the business hairdresser that you are ?
I have two salons in Strasbourg and the main one has a team of twelve persons. Regarding the second one, I am associated with an old colleague.

Do you still style ?
Absolutely, I'm not getting tired of it, every day except the days I have a specific mission. I need that relation with the clients and my team and that for... 31 years !

With your prize list, are your prices accessible ?
Yes, absolutely, and I like to see the surprise of new clients when I tell them the prices of my services. However, I closely monitor the profitability of my company and we regularly develop our business volume.

And what do you think about the new generation of hairdressers ?
It is obviously more difficult with the young apprentices in particular regarding their motivation, their commitment. I would probably say that the young people don't really want to commit too much or they do it but differently. I think also that the apprenticeship, reduced to two years and the 35 hour working week don't optimize the initial training.
Consequently, the bases of the profession are not always acquired and I am referring to the beginning of the trainings of the last competition of the MOF... we had to spend a lot of time on these bases. But I will end with that positive fact that with work we still have ten Meilleurs Ouvriers de France for this session 2015 ! And I am proud of that.

NICOLAS CHRIST Creations

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