posted on: 12/12/2023
Where does inspiration come from? As a finalist for the NAHA Masters, the WELLA Beauty Envision Awards Ready to Wear, the Alternative Hair Show, the International Visionary Award, the Behind the Chair Top 100/Cut Transformation, and most recently the Southwest Hairstyling Awards in three categories, inspiration seems to find Teresa Romero (@_teresa_romero), creative director for Sam Villa and artistic/education director for Jose Luis Salon, when she needs it most.
On What Inspires Her
There are so many things [that inspire me] … art, fashion, music, nature, street styles, people in general. Very often inspiration is triggered when I’m under pressure or not looking for it. That moment when something catches my eye or emotionally moves me. It’s a journey of the senses fueled by the environment I’m in that often leads to exploration of new ideas and possibilities. .jpg)
On Her Biggest “Aha” Moment(s)
The beautiful thing about what we do is there are many “aha” moments throughout our careers. Early in my career, when I realized the direct correlation between sectioning for cutting and color placement; the discovery of how sectioning causes the eye to visually experience movement in hair. For example: Diagonal-forward sectioning causes hair to move forward in a haircut and the same can be said with a diagonal-forward slice of color. Both cause the eye to look towards the face. Having a deeper understanding of horizontal, vertical, and diagonal sectioning opened my mind up to so many exciting discoveries and an increase in confidence. To this day, I always factor this into consultations and creative projects. Planning how the sections of cut and color complement or contrast each other is key.
On Her Unique Teaching Style
It’s important to connect with your student, client, or audience. In preparation for this, I try to learn as much as possible about the people I’ll be with prior to seeing them and then take a few minutes to speak with them directly, making that personal connection to learn what is important or exciting to them. Teaching is more than the delivery of information; it’s about connecting and creating a memorable experience that can be shared beyond the classroom. Helping others discover new things, gain confidence, and ignite inspiration is my goal.
On Educational Focus for 2024
As 2023 winds down, I’m excited and preparing for 2024 shows and in-salon classes. Be on the lookout for more about fringes/bangs, detached sectioning, and layer stories. We have so many things happening with Sam Villa Education and will be sharing tips such as:
- For truer results in eyebrow-length to micro-fringes, dry and style the fringe first before cutting or texturizing.
- Layers with detached sectioning will continue to dominate by adding floating, airy movement to one-length hair. Start at the nape and add subtle layers to the established length by elevating hair straight out from the head and removing about 1 inch of hair. Then take a 1 to 2-inch horizontal section above the nape and blend to the established length. This section will be detached from the nape section. Elevate it straight out and be careful to maintain length while layering the ends.
On Impacting Student Learning 
I used to be an educator and director of education in a cosmetology school, and being part of someone's journey at the beginning of their career was really exciting. Sometimes you don't realize the impact—it can be years later when you run into someone and they tell you that you taught them a technique and they use it all the time and love it. It’s comments like this that remind me why we do what we do. We share with people to help them expand their knowledge and we really care about their career and growth.
On the One Tool She’d Have on a Deserted Island
I’m going to assume my deserted island has electricity, so I would bring my Sam Villa Signature Series Sleekrâ Professional Straightening Iron. I can create anything with it, from smooth, sleek hair to curls and ric-rak textures.
On One Thing We Don’t Know About Her
Outside of hair and fashion, I really like racing and extreme sports. All kinds … motocross, freestyle, F1, MotoGP, drag-racing, BMX, skateboarding, snowboarding, etc. I admire the commitment and focus of the athletes as well as the engineering that goes into these sports.