Over the past year, we’ve shined the Local Artist Spotlight on painters, illustrators, screen printers and other types of visual artists, and in 2011, we’re looking to branch out a bit. Brianne Skolnekovich is a prime example of a local artist with a unique creative outlet. She self-identifies as a Hair Artist and primarily works within the fashion industry on synthetic wig design for photo shoots and shows.
We recently spoke with Brianne for a quick Q&A about her profession, her style, and how she got her start.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your personal, artistic and professional background?
A: I first got into the modeling industry in Jacksonville, Florida in 2009. After moving to Columbus later that year, I started modeling extensively with Heather Winniestaffer and Jeremy Allen, formerly of Nevermore Photography. They immediately encouraged and inspired me to try my hand at other facets of our images, and I quickly became involved with pretty much everything we did: hair and makeup, styling, concept creation, location and stage development. From there, I just evolved. I started doing bigger projects for publications and designers, and my skills had to grow in order to keep up. I began making wigs and hairpieces for different shoots and clients, and of course, for myself. Since then I have styled some of my favorite models, like international pin-up Angela Ryan and Kelly Eden, and I’ve also worked behind the scenes for beauty editorials in magazines across the country.
Outside of my stylist career, I’m a full-time college student at Capital University, I run my own fantasy hair art company called Synthetic Rebellion, and I spend a lot of my free time volunteering and radio DJ’ing for WXCUradio.
Q: Tell us about the type of stylist work you do, and how you would describe your style?
A: I specialize in pinup and retro styling, which essentially means that I get to be the one that brings out the inner-bombshell in my client. Having lived a very vintage lifestyle for years, I feel like I’ve gained a special eye for the little things that make a look accurate and individual to an era but still fun for everyone to enjoy. My own personal style is a mixture of modern and vintage, with heavy influence from the 1950’s and late 1960’s.
Q: What exactly is a “hair artist” and what type of work do you create in that medium?
A: For me the title of a hair artist has a different meaning than what people might expect. I’m not at all like the stylists and artists who work on human hair in salons! I am a fantasy hair artist, and I work exclusively with synthetic materials. I build shapes, objects, and structures that are detachable and made completely out of fake hair. All of the pieces I make are used for photo shoots, runway shows, and special events, and can be taken out of the hair and saved or re-worn- which is something that most fantasy hair artists don’t do. It’s a lot of fun turning inanimate objects into fashionable art!
Q: Do you do much work locally, regionally, and nationally?
A: I do almost 85% of my work locally, but I do ship orders all over the United States. You can find the fanpage for Synthetic Rebellion on Facebook, and there you create custom orders with me personally, or to buy a piece that’s already created. This summer I’m set to open an etsy store, so definitely keep an eye out for that!
Q: Do you have any upcoming shows, exhibits or collaborative projects where locals can see your work?
A: Synthetic Rebellion will be putting together a runway show this summer that will feature its signature hair art, and also vintage clothing from Garbo Harlow Vintage Clothing. Keep and eye out for more updates on that and other projects on our Facebook fan page! You can view my Modeling Profile here.
Photos provided by Laura Dark Photography.