Ivan Teteryuk is the founder of BACKSTAGE beauty salon, a celebrity stylist with twenty years of experience and an impeccable reputation in the fashion industry. Starting his journey at 18, he rose from a L’Oréal technologist to an ambassador for the premium brand Kérastase, worked at Fashion Weeks in Paris and New York, and collaborated with Dior and Moschino. Today, his salon successfully operates in the USA, and Ivan himself continues to set trends and shape the future of the beauty industry, remaining true to his main mission — promoting natural beauty and individual style.
In an interview for Fashionuer, Ivan Teteryuk spoke about his professional journey, the influence of global brands on the Russian beauty industry, the intricacies of working backstage at fashion shows, and how to build a successful business by integrating best practices from different countries.
— Ivan, you’ve been in the beauty industry for 20 years, starting your journey at the age of 18. What exactly ignited your passion for hairdressing, and how has it transformed over these two decades?
At some point, I realized my talent and understood that I was good at it. I started actively developing in this direction, and eventually, hairdressing became my profession. A turning point at the start of my career was joining the L’Oréal team — first I worked as a technologist in Southern Russia for about two and a half years, and then I became an ambassador for the Kérastase brand. Gradually, I built up my own client base, and I opened my salon. In parallel, my salon became a member of the Haute Coiffure Francaise association — it was a kind of closed club for hairdressers who traveled the world, shared experiences, and were published in professional magazines. Thanks to this, I had the opportunity to work backstage in Paris and New York. My career was shaped around the L’Oréal brand, and I still continue to collaborate with the brand, now in the USA.
— Ivan, you have an impressive professional path. Could you tell us more about your role as a L’Oréal Professionnel technologist? What were your tasks, and what experience do you consider most valuable from that period?
My job as a L’Oréal Professionnel technologist was to transfer the brand’s knowledge to stylists. I taught coloring, helped them understand how to use the products correctly. One of the most interesting projects for me was a unique L’Oréal initiative that, unfortunately, no longer exists: every six months, a coloring collection was released, like in the fashion industry. A premium professional video was created, six looks were developed, and we traveled with these collections to train stylists. This significantly influenced the entire industry — the concept of fashion trends in hairdressing emerged. Clients started asking stylists: “What’s fashionable now?”. We taught how to connect a client’s lifestyle, style, and hairstyle, tailoring the look to their individuality. Over time, clothing became ‘tied’ to hair, forming a unified concept of style.
— Earlier you touched upon the important topic of how L’Oréal influenced the industry in Russia. How do you assess this contribution from the perspective of the evolution of hairdressing in the country?
I believe that, in part thanks to the L’Oréal brand, the industry in Russia began to actively develop. At a certain point, the French discovered the Russian market and began to develop the salon industry. This is why, among other things, the level of service in Russia is so high now, because L’Oréal invested significant effort in training and development. Over time, thanks to this, a leveling of stylistic preferences occurred in Russia, even in the most remote regions. Previously, Moscow and St. Petersburg differed greatly from the rest of the country in terms of trends and approaches to working with hair. But thanks to the active work of companies like L’Oréal, who trained stylists in the regions as well, style became more uniform across the country. I am glad that I was part of this process and made my contribution.
— That’s a very interesting observation about the leveling of tastes and style. And how did your approach to work change when you became an ambassador for the globally renowned Kérastase brand? What tasks did you handle in that role?
The position of Kérastase ambassador is a special status in the professional environment. Kérastase is a luxury line of L’Oréal, where real scientists work, creating sophisticated professional cosmetics. To become an ambassador, you needed to undergo serious training and pass an exam.
For me, being an ambassador meant being part of a team that tested products before launch, and conducted training events for stylists and clients. We organized private events — this is a special format of luxury experience, where in a pleasant atmosphere, at special parties or brunches, we tested products and talked about them. Kérastase is sophisticated professional cosmetics. We recently had a new product launch here in the USA, and we spent four hours dissecting its molecular structure, fragrances, and components. The end consumer gets a light luxury experience, but stylists undergo in-depth training. This is precisely why I always valued the brand — for the opportunity to delve deeply into my profession.
— Thank you for such a detailed answer. Ivan, you’ve worked with premium brands like Dior, Moschino, Rogov, which speaks to how highly you are valued in the industry. In addition, you’ve repeatedly worked at Fashion Weeks in Paris. Many only see the glamorous side of this process. Tell us, what is it like to be part of the stylist team backstage at major fashion shows?
Each time it’s a very interesting experience. In my case, it all started when I went for an internship in Paris, working at a L’Oréal salon. The first time, my colleagues and I were, of course, very surprised. Imagine: you get backstage, where there are about 100 models and only 6 hours for preparation. It’s very challenging work, but it provides incredible experience. And what’s especially valuable about this experience is that you see the fashion industry from the inside, understand how trends are formed, learn to do a hairstyle in 5-10 minutes, control the process, and take responsibility. Today’s fashion, of course, is organized differently than 10 years ago, but this experience of working with different hair textures, different types of people under tight timing made me a professional of a completely different level.
— We see how much the industry has changed in recent years. Please share what main trends you observe now in the world of hairdressing? How are technology and social media changing your work?
The industry has indeed changed significantly. Firstly, everything has become digital. But alongside the development of artificial intelligence, we are increasingly striving for naturalness — this is the main trend. Here in the USA, everything is literally divided into organic and non-organic.
At the same time, clients have become much more demanding and informed. Many come with apps that scan product toxicity to determine how safe it is. We’ve reached a point where we use our phones to check product ingredients, and can virtually try on haircuts and hair colors. Because of this, our work has become more complex, but at the same time, more interesting. Client demand has become noticeably more serious. But hence, the higher value of our work. Now, a hair stylist is a serious professional who can earn well if they keep up with fashion and closely follow trends.
Separately, I want to note a major global trend — towards naturalness in everything. Clients want to look natural, but at the same time, younger and fresher. This trend is clearly visible in coloring, haircuts, and styling.
— Ivan, as a professional, you actively promote the natural style and have made a significant contribution to this trend, which continues to gain momentum. Looking back at your 20-year career, what significance does this have for you personally?
From the very beginning of my career and to this day, I truly strive to actively promote the trend towards naturalness and help clients find their individual style. I am convinced that this is my mission. And if we look at the trends now, we can already see how much looks have changed. Now we can talk about trends for soft, natural, effortless looks. And I actively continue to contribute to this.
I am very grateful to my teachers who instilled in me a love for everything natural. And I have always focused on this aesthetic. About 10 years ago, I probably looked a bit strange against the background of the creativity that dominated the industry. But now we see a trend towards naturalness and effortlessness everywhere. And I was able to contribute to the popularization of natural style.
— You have a very rich international experience — working in Russia, at European shows, and now in the USA. What differences have you noticed in approaches to working with clients and in the beauty industry itself between these markets?
In Russia, a very high level of service has developed over the past 15-20 years. Many Russian clients, upon arriving in the USA, are surprised by the difference in approaches. Here in America, the industry is actively transforming right now. Specialists who came from Russia, Ukraine, and Europe are very noticeable precisely because of their approach to service. We are used to in-depth consultation, an individual approach, and tailoring the look to the client’s style and lifestyle. In the USA, work is often more conveyor-belt-like and narrowly specialized. But at the same time, the American market is much more advanced in terms of conscious consumption and eco-friendliness. Here, clients truly study ingredients, pay attention to ethical production, and care about cosmetics being organic. This culture is only just starting to arrive in Russia, while here it has been the norm for a long time.
Another interesting observation is that in the USA, the niche of stylists who specialize only in styling is actively developing. It’s literally like Uber for hairdressers — there are special apps where backstage stylists can pick up freelance styling work. This is a very promising direction if you know how to style hair well and quickly.
— Ivan, you are an outstanding expert with extensive experience, which is also confirmed by your repeated participation in the Color Throphy coloring competition. Now you are developing your own salon, Backstage, in the USA. What goals do you set for yourself in this project, and what specific elements do you bring to it from your many years of experience?
Backstage salon is my main project, which I am currently developing in the USA. The name is no accident — it reflects my experience working backstage at fashion shows, where looks are created and trends are set. The main goal I’ve set is to create a space where clients don’t just receive a service, but a full immersion into the world of professional styling. I strive to transfer the atmosphere of creativity and professionalism that exists backstage at fashion shows into the everyday client experience.
Now, after three years in the USA, my main task is expanding the salon and reaching a new level of service. I bring the best practices I’ve adopted over years of working in Russia and Europe — in-depth consultation, an individual approach, and attention to detail. At the same time, I actively integrate approaches that are in demand here — working with organic products, using special apps for consultation, and attention to eco-friendliness. It’s an interesting synthesis of different service cultures.
— Thank you for sharing. In light of how quickly the industry is changing, we must touch upon the importance of continuous learning and professional development. How do you maintain your own professional level, and what skills, in your opinion, are most important for a modern hair stylist?
That’s a great question, because the beauty industry is one of those fields where stopping learning means professional death. In my case, I always strived to be at the center of things — that’s why I worked with L’Oréal, became a Kérastase ambassador, and participated in professional associations. Even now, with 20 years of experience behind me, I continue to learn constantly. This is what keeps me sharp and at the forefront of the profession.
As for skills, not only technical abilities are important here, but also the ability to listen to and understand the client. You can be brilliant with scissors and a brush, but if you don’t know how to read a person’s needs, to transform their desires into a specific technical solution — you won’t become a true professional. And this highlights the role that adaptability plays in all of this. The world is changing rapidly: today clients come with apps that scan product ingredients, and tomorrow they will demand something else. You need to be flexible, open to new things, ready to adapt.
And finally, what I consider my main professional quality — a sense of taste. A master should know when to stop. Coco Chanel’s famous quote about taking off one accessory before leaving the house applies to our profession too — sometimes it’s better to do less, but more precisely.
I am convinced that in the modern world, when technical skills can be acquired through numerous online courses, it is precisely these ‘soft’ skills that distinguish a true master from just a technical performer.
