Meet NIK ALEX
Hi, I’m Nik!
Born in Adelaide, also known as the city of churches, most of my childhood spare time was devoted to the arts – whether this be performing arts, visual arts and surfing.
Fast track 25 years, and my passion for all things artistic still ignites.
Devoted to growth and global experiences, I’ve kite surfed in Mykonos, snowboarded in Japan, surfed in Bali, and explored some of the most remote islands around the world with my camera.
From the young age of 11 - I kicked off my career in the fashion industry, working backstage in theaters as well as on set at fashion shoots & catwalks. Before I knew it, I was a hair industry educator being flown around Australia to perform at trade shows and ticketed events, all while maintaining a regular clientele in my beloved salon.
Entering national photographic competitions was a regular thing back then, and quite often I’d win a “Judges Recognition Award”, placing me in the top 5 in the country for the selected award category. Because of this, I found myself rubbing shoulders on a regular basis with some of the industry's greatest. (and yes, I’ve had my fair share of fan-girl moments)
But, while still establishing my name in the industry, I found that the cost of photography was my greatest limitation. Most photoshoots I shadowed consisted of photographers asking me if I wanted to take the camera, as I was always right behind them asking for changes that matched my vision. Behind the scenes, I would sketch my ideas on paper and then bring them to life with photography.
This passion led me to attend Imaging school, where I fell in love with photo and video imaging. At this point in my life, it felt like I was cheating on myself. My first love was for the art of hair and beauty, however, my newfound passion consisted of photography and videography. Despite many sleepless nights, juggling both industry hats, and stretching myself thin day in and day out, I never let one or the other go. To this day, I still dance around my week with a camera in one hand and scissors in the other - I still love every single minute of them both.
My background in fashion and my career development have taken me to so many unforgettable places around the world. I have been lucky enough to have worked for labels that educate entire provinces around the globe. I have worked on a global scale, sticking around for a little longer in The United Kingdom, Europe, Asia and of course, all-around Australia. Hair Fashion labels I worked for as a National Educator are Joico, GHD, Fudge, Cloud 9, Moroccan Oil, Lakme, and Evo.
Working alongside these reputable brands, my job was to teach and demonstrate each colour and product line to prospective clientele, highlighting their performance wonders. During this period of my career, my colleagues and I smashed targets in our territories and received some of the highest recognition awards that a multi-national company could delegate.
During my time residing in Sydney, I worked for renowned fashion agency DLM Australia, one of Australia’s leading artist talent agencies that put together breathtaking high end photo and video campaigns. Companies such as Zimmerman, Carla Zampatti, St.Augustine, Camilla, Bianka Spender, Guess, Dior, Vera Wang, R&M Williams, Channel 7, Channel 10, and Telstra were just snippet of the remarkable brands I got to work with. During my time here, I focused heavily on seasonal campaigns for various fashion magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Clare, Yen and Not Another Man – I was featured in these magazines on a regular basis.
Then there were major Australian fashion events such as Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Sydney Hair Expo Australia, Adelaide Fashion Week, and Myer Fashion Festival, where I worked backstage for over a decade.
As for my hairdressing education history, I started hairdressing at the ripe age of 11 years old, studying the hair methodologies of Sassoon, Tony & Guy, Trevor Sorbie and Pivot Point. I am an expert certified educator having studied the highest levels of the hairdressing curriculum in Australia and overseas.
Additionally, I have gone on to study Photography, Videography, Make Up, Garment Construction, Training & Assessing, Image Management, Event Management & Business Management.
Through actively performing and teaching these crafts, I’m consistently maintaining a competitive industry edge.
My years of various industry experience, global education, and ever evolving passion for the field of work all contribute in helping me create a dream come true for my clientele. I was the Creative Director at Fashion House Academy Colour Cosmetica for many years and taught all the above fashion elements to students on a weekly basis for over 10 consecutive years.
I have recently returned from South East Asia for the second time due to Covid - where I was Training Hairdressing Colour Techniques to staff in powerhouse salons - “The Parlour Hairdressing,” In Jakarta & Surabaya with scope to open in Bali, Malaysia. My regular clients were agency models including Indonesian celebrities such as Dian Sastrowardoyo, Rich Brian, Titi Radjo Padmaja, Tara Basro, and should we say - the Real Housewives of the South East. It was hair by day, cameras by night, and non-stop travel on weekends.
Now, I have returned to the city of churches, my beloved Adelaide. I can’t wait to share my craft and knowledge with you. If you’re ready to try something different, let my team and I show you what it means to experience great service, and most of all, outstanding documentation of your big event.
Nik Alex xx
