The year was 2009, the phone rang with Pittsburgh’s WHIRL Editor asking for a Philip Pelusi hair and makeup duo for their Holiday issue.  Philip tapped his dynamic duo Lisa K. (currently our Director of Talent Acquisition) and Nikki B. (currently our Product Education Director) for the task! 

Lisa created the intricate updo and Nikki created a series of makeup looks on the model’s face.  They put together one of the most dynamic looks WHIRL Magazine has ever seen!

Lisa shares… “We had so much fun that day!  Her hair actually had wire cable from Home Depot in it to make it stick out like that!!!  I think I had like 6 separate hair pieces, all different textures that I made in it, and some of Philips vintage hair coils!  Then they asked me to add jewelry (real diamonds, gold etc.) to the hair.  I remember weaving jewelry through all the pieces!  And Nikki’s makeup was phenomenal!!  What an exciting memory!”

Nikki shares… “They asked for several makeup looks to juxtapose the bold body art a painter was creating.  I started with a fresh shimmery holiday face then worked up to the smokey eye look that made the cover.  No photoshop so I loved the challenge!  I mostly remember how much fun Lisa and I had working together that day!  We were in that room working on that model for like 10 hours, all while the body art was being painted at the same time!  So fun!!  Lisa’s updo was absolutely spectacular!  The beautiful model had very fine hair and Lisa literally built that updo with all that heavy jewelry!  I think I handed her about 1,000 hair pins that day.  It was a blast!”

Check out these images scanned from the actual WHIRL 2009 issue and the fun image of Lisa and Nikki!  Wow how time flies while you are having fun!

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

Timeless indeed!  In 1982, Philip was selected by the prestigious Milan Italy Hair and Fashion Magazine Lo Zeffiro as the #1 International Haircutter and Hair Designer in the World!  This design and photo, titled by Philip as “Punk meets Ballet”, was part of a hair collection Philip presented at the Lo Zeffiro Awards Ceremonies in Milan and Florence. 

Philip shares, “Note the delicacy of this hard-edge look where beauty and rapture meet unspoken strength.  It captures the mood and spirit as well as transcends decades of design.” 

Philip was featured along with top fashion clothing designers Krizia, Versace, and Armani.  Cool fact… this cut was dried by a hand-held heat lamp as Philip cut the hair, literally cutting and sculpting the cut as it dried!

Behind The Scenes…

Volumetric Haircut, Design and Photo by Philip Pelusi

Background Art by John Patton

Hair and Photo assistant Jeffery Reitz

Philip Pelusi Products ~ La Creme Shampoo and Conditioner, 3D Modeling Glaze and Modeling Conditioner

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

There is a little-known fact that Philip, along with Jeffry Reitz, designed hair designs for the dance company “The Pittsburgh Alloy.”  Philip was a member of the Board of Directors supporting the arts in our great city of Pittsburgh.

This look was inspired by a specific highly expressive Spanish dance form along with the traditional dress worn by its dancers.  The traje de flamenca (“flamenco outfit”) is the dress traditionally worn by women at festivals in Andalusia, Spain.  

Philip shares, “This modern interpretive design captures the modern cultural energy of the Spanish dance the Flamenco circa the 1990’s.  It was featured in many hair magazines throughout Europe, the UK and the USA.  The baby fringe around the hairline is an understated feature to the design as well.”

Note… The lattice crown the model is wearing was a hair piece designed and crafted by Jeffery and Philip and incorporated into the design

Behind The Scenes:

Hair Design by The Trend Team of Philip Pelusi, Jeffrey Reitz, and Sam Canavan

Hair Color by Sam Canavan

Photo, lighting, photo styling by Philip Pelusi

Dress By Designer Vivian Tam

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

The term “Chiaroscuro” (pronounced kee·aa·ruh·skyur·ow) is an Italian term referring to the use of light and dark shadowing in a painting or photo.  This is reflected in the composition and lighting in every aspect of this Philip Pelusi original design, from photo, hair color, even the clothing.  Philip played with shadows and light to complement the design as this model was actually sitting off stage waiting to go down the runway in Paris!  Thus, the theme Somewhere in Paris!

The hair and image were created in 1985 for the French magazine Coiffure de Paris and was shown locally too on The Pittsburgh Today Show on CBS.  Mind blowing fact…remember this image was created in 1985 so none of Philip’s photography was ever altered.  There was no retouching or Photoshop or apps (weren’t invented yet) used to enhance or alter the photo, hair, makeup, or clothing, everything in every image is all real!  Kinda wild when you think about it.

Behind the Scenes:  Hair Crafting Hair, photo styling and photograph by Philip Pelusi

Philip Pelusi Products: La Crème Shampoo and Conditioner, for blowout styling P2 Fixative and P2 Soft Wax, P2 Fluid Spray for detailing and P2 Industrial to finish 

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

Philip calls her “The Rebel” for a reason, he says, “She is the best combination of tough and chic.  She knows what she wants!  She’s fierce and glamourous.”  In addition to always adjusting his versatile haircutting method for all textures, Philip is also the master of capturing the spirit of his Guest as he did here with The Rebel.  Style and strength embodied in one!  There is a sense of timelessness to his designs.  Note the dream like quality of the photo’s background as it draws in the imagination!

Behind The Scenes…

Hair And Photo – Philip Pelusi

Hair Design and Styling – Trend Team of Sam Canavan, Tim Dehainaut, and Jeffrey Reitz

Philip Pelusi Products – The 3D collection, P2 Fluid Spray and P2 Rivet Spray

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

Deemed “The Beret” by name, this iconic Volumetric™ Haircut was created it the early 70’s.  Haircut, design, styling, and photograph all by Philip himself!  The design features Asymmetric Bangs and a strong Weight Line.  Note the amazing subtleties of the Layering and Weight Distribution, one of the foundations for the Volumetric™ Method Hair Cutting System created by Philip.  Timeless, these techniques are still applied today to create the chic looks of 2022!

This well-crafted Volumetric™ Haircut was feature in Hair Dressers Journal, a prestigious hair magazine distributed in England, Ireland, and Scotland.  The model?  A Frequent Guest of Philip’s from Belfast who was attending college in America. 

Philip Pelusi products used:  La Crème Shampoo and Conditioner and for styling, the original P2 Glaze formula

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

These stunning images were created in The Philip Pelusi Talent Center in 1994.  Part of a seasonal hair trend collection, Philip and his International Design Team created these edgy, moody shapeshifting looks.  From smooth blowout, to intricate updo along with a smokey eye and neutral lip.  The looks were truly 3 dimensional, just like the Philip Pelusi products used during the shoot! 

Behind the scenes?

Volumetric Haircut and Design – Philip Pelusi

Overall Design Concept – Philip Pelusi and Jeffrey Reitz

Photo – Philip Pelusi

Styling and Photo Styling – Jeffrey Reitz

Hair Color – Sam Canavan

Photo Assistant – John ONeill

Philip Pelusi Products – 3D Modeling Lotion, 3D Modeling Gel, 3D Modeling Glaze (all pictured here), P2 Color Guard Shampoo and P2 Moisturizing Conditioner

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

Philip and his team were commissioned to create this collection for a very prestigious Spanish Magazine named Peliqueria (which means hair studio/salon) circa 1996.  The inspiration?  The Spanish dance the Tango!  Philip shares, “This was part of a presentation showcasing the amazing versatility of this short haircut and the elegance and sophistication of The Volumetric Pelusi Method Hair Cut and Design.”

This photo, shot by Philip himself, was taken from above in the choir loft in The Philip Pelusi Center for Talent Development! (Yes, it used to have a black and white checked floor years ago!)  Inspired?  Let’s dance!!

Behind The Scenes…

Volumetric Haircut and Design Concept – Philip Pelusi

Photo – Philip Pelusi

Products – Philip Pelusi Color Guard Shampoo and Conditioner, P2 Fixative and P2 Fluid Spray

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist

Check out this Philip Pelusi ICONIC Haircut and Design circa 1973!  Inspired by 1930’s film stars, this V-shaped cut truly puts the “V” in Volumetric™ The Pelusi Method, the organic hair cutting system created by Philip.  And the texture, created by Philip via a Stack Perm, helped create this uplifted V-shape.  This style is timeless fitting into today’s natural curly looks. 

Philip created this look to dry naturally and be low maintenance with just a few pumps of P2 by Philip Pelusi Liquid Mousse.  In fact, he cut this Guest’s hair while it dried naturally under a heat lamp so he could see the shape transform before his eyes.  Philip sometimes cut curly hair with several then Future Designer Trainees (now called New Talent!) holding heat lamps, a magic secret he created for cutting curly hair!

Philip photographed this in the lower level of the Philip Pelusi Squirrel Hill location, the very first Philip Pelusi “Talent Center” known then as the Philip Pelusi Training Center.

Did You Know? are fun facts and photos about how Philip got started in the industry, his salon journey, the history of his products, with more adventures on the horizon!  See ALL Did You Know? on Did You Know? – Busy Stylist