Bellus alum goes to Fashion Week
What’s Justine’s Fav?
Adult drink: Mai Tai
Ice cream flavor: Mediterranean Mint
Place to visit: Home
Social Media platform: Instagram
Beauty Service to perform: Color
Bellus alum Justine Werline responded to a post on Instagram and four weeks later she found herself at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. She currently works for Hair Body & Sol. and we’re pretty sure this is just the beginning to the amazing career ahead of her.
Q& A
Q. What led you to a career in cosmetology and choosing Bellus Academy?
A. I have always enjoyed creating. It doesn’t matter what the medium is I just love to create. After receiving so many compliments and repeated encouragement from my own hair stylist, I finally gathered up the courage to be a licensed professional. My neighbor Kathrine Grymonprez was already a student and she recommended Bellus to me. After one tour I was convinced Bellus was the school for me and it was the best decision I could have ever made.
Q. What kind of opportunities did you take advantage of while in school?
A. Every opportunity that was offered I took it. I was on the design team, which allowed me to participate in fashion shows and local charity events. I made sure I participated in every competition the school held which also gave me the courage to seek out national/ professional level competitions while attending Bellus and I haven’t stopped since.
Q. What do you love most about your new career?
A. The best parts about this career are the infinite possibilities you have as a licensed cosmetologist. You can go as far as you let your mind take you and I think that’s pretty amazing. The people I meet through it, the team I work with, and the clients in my chair are just an added bonus.
Q. How did you end up working at Fashion Week?
A. Anyone that knows me well knows that Charlie Price is my “Hair God.” I have been following his accomplishments for several years, so when Charlie posted a photo of Mercedes-Benz Fashion week on his Instagram it got my immediate attention. I figured the worst he could say is to gain more experience and apply later, so 20 minutes after he posted, I sent him my resume and three photos of work I’d done at Bellus Academy and UCSD’s TREND Magazine. Charlie said he had such an overwhelming amount of responses, so I was not only surprised I was chosen, but I nearly lost my dinner from a wave of nerves that were preparing me for the chance to not only meet Charlie but work with him and a team of like minded colleagues at an event that I have always dreamed of working at.
Q. What was the most memorable part of that week?
A. That is a very simple question that requires a complex answer. To choose one moment in particular aside from meeting Charlie Price, Ruth Roche, Lisa Vann, and Jill Leitz would have to be the morning of the Jay Godfrey show. Walking over towards the Lincoln Center’s Pavilion was like the calm before a storm. It was the first time I had ever heard Manhattan so eerily quiet. Maybe it was just me and maybe nothing else mattered, but in that moment everything but the wind was still. I was so nervous but still oddly calm at the same time. At 6:13 I walked into to the entrance to be greeted by Charlie and Lisa Vann, and 15 minutes later the hairstylists, makeup artists, models and photographers came pouring in, and the greatness had begun! It was truly one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever been a part of.
Q. What advice do you have for Bellus students?
A. Bellus Academy will give you the education and tools to achieve your dreams, but it is ultimately up to you to take yourself where you want to go in your career. Push yourselves! Surround yourselves with likeminded people. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone, and above all (and this is so important) welcome and embrace your failures because they will end up being some of your greatest discoveries.
Q. What are some other goals you want to accomplish in your career?
A. I honestly don’t want to limit or categorize myself when it comes to goals. I know the endless possibilities of what is out there and I want to do it all! I want to be a platform artist, I want to teach, I hope to someday win my own NAHA award and more, but most of all and what is truly important to me is what I have to do while achieving these things. My end goal is to leave behind a legacy that inspires the men and women in our industry. If I don’t inspire anyone before my time is up then what is it all for?
