Where does Julien come from? D'où vient Julien?

Julien Lacelle comes from a background in arts and fashion, molded by the cultural diversity and creativity of Montreal. He was often told by his peers that he was doing too much, that he was wasting his time putting his hands in all kinds of different mediums, however it was his many pursuits and complex interests that led him to where and who he is today. Along the way his exploration of acting led him to modeling, and modeling led him eventually to hairstyling where he found his calling. It was difficult to ignore the allure of working with his hands, creating and sharing his passion for beauty and art, while also being social and leveraging art to bring people joy. In parallel, he is also a sketch artist on the side and even makes and sells his own clothes. With Covid-19 and the pandemic happening, Julien had to find other creative outlets to fulfill his creative needs. That’s when his many pursuits culminated and inspired him to design, develop and create his own brand. This has now led him to orchestrate his own creative photo shoots where he features his hair styling as well as his clothing designs as the chief creative director, clothing designer, stylist, hairstylist, and sometimes even the model!

julien lacelle haven toronto hairstylist fashion professional
julien lacelle haven toronto hairstylist fashion professional

Feeling he would have more room to grow as an artist, Julien moved to Toronto in 2017. Having most of his experience in creative projects, his goal needed to shift towards building a clientele behind the chair in a top tier salon, and to build a strong foundation as a hairstylist. For the first 3 years in Toronto, Julien worked countless hours and committed himself fully to his growth as a hairstylist, but felt as though he was being held back by his environment and wasn’t growing as quickly as he needed. Thankfully, during the first lockdown in 2020 he was contacted by the up and coming premiere salon of North York, Haven. Owned and operated by Hugo Molina and Evan Ross, who had just opened Haven 4 months before the pandemic, the timing was immaculate. When businesses began reopening, with the help of Haven, Julien was able to build an almost complete clientele in 3 months, which is unheard of in the salon industry. It normally takes years for a hairstylist to be fully booked and have a large returning client base. Meanwhile, during the lockdown when Haven was closed, Julien was able to teach himself how to sew with a sewing machine given to him as a gift by a client, as well as the YouTube videos of an inspiring 13 year old girl. 

It is now 2022 and things are looking up! Julien plans to creatively direct his own hair editorial with the whole of Haven’s team to support him, get it published, and enter the looks into a hair competition. He intends to continue to expand his clothing brand with an official website and online presence, as well as travel internationally to some of the most trending hair and fashion locations in the world. The sky’s the limit for his personal growth and education, and he will push to reach endless heights with his ceaseless inspiration and motivation.

julien lacelle haven toronto hairstylist fashion professional

“I can see the potential beauty in everyone, with the right push I believe I can bring it out.” Julien Lacelle

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julien lacelle haven toronto hairstylist fashion professional designer
julien lacelle haven toronto hairstylist fashion professional