The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.
Переклад цього матеріалу українською мовою з російської було автоматично здійснено сервісом Google Translate, без подальшого редагування тексту.
Bu məqalə Google Translate servisi vasitəsi ilə avtomatik olaraq rus dilindən azərbaycan dilinə tərcümə olunmuşdur. Bundan sonra mətn redaktə edilməmişdir.

How a guy from the Russian outback, where there was no hairdresser, became a fashion stylist in New York

'05.08.2022'

Nikolay Derkach

Subscribe to ForumDaily NewYork on Google News

Known in New York fashion circles hairdresser and makeup artist Dmitry Puchnin has been living in the US for 5 years. He works with top models for iconic fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. He began his journey to success in a small town in Russia and winning the Russian Hairdressing Awards.

According to 29.ru, Dmitry was born in the inconspicuous Russian village of Brin-Navolok, Arkhangelsk region, where there is not even a full-fledged beauty salon. Dmitry admits that until the 11th grade he didn’t even know that there was a profession of a hairdresser: “I grew up in a village where there is no hairdresser in principle, my neighbor Aunt Sveta cut my hair.”

But now, looking at him, few people can guess where he comes from.

From early childhood, Puchnin was engaged in creativity and tried in every possible way to realize himself. After school, he went to the Technical School of Technology and Design to study hairdressing. After receiving a diploma, he went to work - to make his dream of a career in fashion a reality.

The first clients for a haircut appeared in his student hostel, and he worked out the technique on friends and acquaintances. Having gained experience, the hairdresser began working with models at photo shoots, creating images for the participants in the Miss Arkhangelsk beauty contest.

Tens of thousands of kilometers in pursuit of a dream

After working a little in his native land, Dmitry realized that he would not be able to realize his creative potential there, so he soon moved to St. Petersburg. Having quickly settled down there, he got a job as a Matrix technologist at the Loreal concern. His remit included solving problems with the use of dyes in styling products. In addition, he was a member of the Matrix Design Team.

Having gained valuable experience, Puchnin created his own unique approach to work, which favorably distinguished him from his competitors. So he was able to become a teacher and conducted author's seminars throughout Russia. In particular, he taught young professionals how to perform high-speed hairstyles. In parallel, he mastered professional make-up, as a large number of clients wanted to receive all services in one chair. Innate talent and perseverance paid off.

Gradually, Dmitry began to expand his audience by speaking on the international channel Fashion One and the domestic Russian “Culture”. But he wanted to expand his horizons even more and soon went to Orlando, Florida, where he took part in a hairdressing show. The United States was very interested in Puchnin, and in 2016 he decided to finally move to America.

New York, New York...

The first six months of adaptation to life in America were quite difficult. In particular, problems were created by obtaining a legal permit for employment in a beauty salon. The moral restructuring was also difficult, because in Russia he was in a comfort zone, where everyone knew him and he got used to everything, and in New York he had to literally start from scratch.

“I often flew to Paris, Spain, Portugal. I never wanted to stay anywhere - I didn’t feel like I belonged. When I first flew to America, it naturally started from New York. And I seemed to immediately be at home, fell in love with the city. The energy of New York is mine. Los Angeles and Miami didn’t come to me: you can relax for a few days, but not live, ”said Dmitry.

New York, according to the stylist, is a city of freedom and opportunities for self-expression. When he first visited here as a tourist, he was surprised: almost every day people come out with posters for something, freely express their dissatisfaction: “You can even boldly send three letters of the president.”

After some time, Dmitry issued a visa for talented O-1s. This allowed him to get an official job and a license as a barber. But the problems did not disappear, because Dmitry's English was so-so, but he learned to get out.

“There was an option to go to Manhattan without English or stay in the Brooklyn area, in the Russian community, and never learn English. I chose the first option. There is a Russian salon, but the clients are Americans. I had a notebook: 15 adjectives, 10 nouns. In short, longer, lighter, darker ... And with the help of creativity, I juggled these words and communicated with clients, ”the stylist shared a life hack.

According to him, clients were very supportive of his efforts, which helped him overcome his fear of communicating in English. In the United States, Dmitry's talent quickly became interested. Demand for his services appeared among top models, Hollywood actors and New York photographers.

For 5 years in New York, Dmitry changed several salons, gradually increasing his earnings and expanding his client base. In 2022, he began working for himself - he opened his own studio. He loves his new home.

“New York is not America, just like Moscow is not Russia. People come here for a dream, and you can make it come true if you work hard. New York has taught to sell itself, to create a beautiful picture in order to get more money, ”Dmitry Puchnin explains his success.

Business in New York and war in Ukraine

Dmitry Puchnin admits that he was scared for his career when the war in Ukraine began. According to him, Russian restaurants and other businesses began to be boycotted in New York, and he was afraid for his salon.

“In the very first days, such a stream went - they removed Russian models from work. My friend from Manhattan was also removed. I began to worry that there would be a decline in clients: 70% of my audience are Russian-speaking people, half of them are from Ukraine, ”complains Dmitry.

“It’s like with a pandemic: when you don’t know what’s going on, you feel dumb,” he added.

On the subject: Six American banks where immigrants can easily and quickly open an account

However, the conflict between the countries did not affect the work of the stylist, and there were even more clients - Ukrainian women who use the services of Dmitry moved their families to the States.

“Clients from Ukraine began to bring their mothers, sisters and other relatives to me so that I would return their beauty to them. For most women, beauty services are like a psychotherapy session, especially if they have gone through a serious test, ”said Puchnin.

Not a single job

To realize how much Dmitry is passionate about work, you can simply look through it page on Instagram. His friends and relatives say that he is a real fan of his work. But despite the constant work, he does not miss the opportunity to be with his husband Lio, who works as a manager in the largest shopping center in the city. The stylist met her future husband on Tinder. In addition, Dmitry spends a lot of time with her husband's niece Amelia, with whom they often make stylish experiments.

“We are a very friendly family, we go to the beach together, we do makeup for each other. I prepared Amelia for September 1, braided braids, took her to school with her mother, because her father is practically not involved in her life, ”said the stylist.

The family plans to buy a house in Florida. As Dmitry says, there is a good climate and relatively inexpensive housing - real estate prices in New York are very high. Dmitry does not plan to return to Russia, although he visits his homeland from time to time.

Today, Puchnin admits that he is surrounded by many talented people who inspire and motivate him. These are models, and actors, and simple acquaintances. He knows how to enjoy life - even the appearance of cosmetic novelties makes him positive. At the same time, Dmitry does not try to keep up with trends, preferring the classics. He has enough plans for the near future, in particular, cooperation with Victoria's Secret models.

Subscribe to ForumDaily NewYork on Google News
WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By: XYZScripts.com