This Directory does two things. 1) It lists Curl Specialist training that's known & trusted by online curl communities internationally. 2) It lists stylists in NZ who've done such training. when I first started it at the end of 2018 (well before I entered the world of being a Curl Specialist myself). But faith was needed. I saw an unmet need amongst people of curl, and I saw an industry here in Ao
tearoa NZ which had no co-ordinated or sustainable answer to that need. Knowing that the Directory would fill out as the sector began to see our need, the criteria to start this had to be in keeping with the best practices of curl specialists internationally...
..One did not need to look far to see the rapidly emerging niche of curl specialisation internationally, and what the criteria was for someone to be called a Curl Specialist, and so the journey began: Connecting with curl specialists and curl specialist educators in this beautiful niche internationally. Making it a high bar for inclusion on the Directory (or perhaps more to the point - a bar equal to that which our international curl friends were enjoying) was the direct goal - so that we truly would have the best of what was available internationally, here in Aotearoa NZ, and not have to settle for less. So far, on track! Curlfriend, while there may not yet be someone in your area, have faith! The niche is growing, and growing the right way. With like-minded people who are passionate to see this come about, and who desire a lasting professional outcome for this generation of curls and the ones to come, more and more stylists are hearing the call. Depending on when you joined into the curl movement here, you may or may not recall the days of tumbleweed and blowin' wind (when travelling to Sydney or Melbourne for a curl cut seemed to be the only way to access what our international curl-friends were enjoying). You and your curly young people will benefit in the long-term from the requirement for such a high bar for inclusion set by this Directory. Now, travelling overseas for a curl cut has become a thing of the past because there ARE options right here in NZ in this developing niche...even if they aren't in your own town just yet, or even if they are fully booked up for months in advance and not taking new clients just yet! (Yes, the demand is that real!)
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We curlies in NZ have deserved a better deal for a very long time. We deserve a long-lasting, up-with-the-times, laser-sharp customer-focussed response to our needs, based on clearly established, internationally-(grassroots)-trusted criteria for what it means to be delivering curl specialist services and producing curl specialist results. Delivering what the curly client wants...and delivering it with excellence and skill. One by one we are making headway! Thank you for believing for the best, not just for our curly selves, but also for the next generation of curls to come!
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To be listed in this Directory, these stylists or salons have completed cutting and styling education in methods that are trusted by the global curl community. We have provided this list for your convenience, and to encourage the growth of this highly sought-after niche. Please do your own due diligence, by viewing their portfolios of work on their own social media pages and/websites, to evaluate if they someone will meet your needs. If in doubt, CALL THEM TO DISCUSS OR BOOK AN IN-PERSON TALKING CONSULTATION. xx Donna, The Curl Next Door.
