Daniel Roldan Photo Journal: New York City Architecture

In this Digital Photo Journal series, Matrix Artistic Director Daniel Roldan shares his personal views and storied photos as he travels across world educating artists on his craft, sharing tips, tools and techniques to creating inspired hairstyles – all while documenting via Instagram. 

The inspiration...New York City Architecture

“One of the benefits of traveling is that you’re always experiencing new sites and sensations, which can be very inspirational. As a photographer, I capture these scenes and moments; but as a hairstylist, I strive to create looks that show my inspirations that can transcend beyond a photograph. For me, hair and photography go hand-in-hand as forms of expression that complement each other, telling stories about my travels. When I’m out and about, I’m always looking for different shapes, colors and infrastructures that serve as inspirations which are then reflected in my work.”

The Looks (A-C)...Fierce Structure

“In New York City there is so much to see: grand theatres, beautiful parks, amazing stores, -- and let’s not forget about colorful characters.  However, one really great thing about New York is its architecture.  This grand city is known for its architectural styles ranging from wildly tall skyscrapers to humble row houses that bring in people from all over the world who come to admire.  These styles show that while New York City has gone through many changes throughout history it has always maintained fierce structures that represent the attitude of the city.  Inspired by this, I wanted to create a sleek, yet powerful look to reflect the strong structural foundation, and fierce attitude of New York City.

To create Look A:

1) Apply StyleLink Volume Builder to damp hair and distribute well. Blow-dry with a Denman brush creating volume and fullness.

2) Spray StyleLink Heat Buffer to individual sub-sections and use a large curling iron to direct the hair away from the face.  Allow hair to cool while in the curl placement.

3) Use a Denman Brush to arrange hair into place and spray StyleLink Volume Fixer to finish the look.  

About: Criss-crossing the globe on behalf of Matrix for the past 20 years, Matrix Artistic Director Daniel Roldan is hailed as a hair rock star in more than 40 countries.  From India, Italy and Indonesia, to Prague, Spain, China and Dubai, this gifted artist has mastered the international language of beauty.  He prides himself on being able to adapt and communicate with every audience, as he strives to lift the skills and imagination of his fellow hairdressers in every corner of the world. Matrix, the number one American professional hair care company in the world, is at the forefront of salon education and innovation, helping professionals build on and improve their skills while creating cutting edge, first-to-market products. Daniel used the new Matrix Style Link line to create these inspired looks – Style Link allows for total styling freedom and makes it easy for anyone to prep, play and perfect! 

About Matrix: The Matrix philosophy is to inspire all salon professionals to transform a passion for beauty into personal success. By sustaining one of the industry's largest teams of educators including colorists and salon owners – Matrix artists remain dedicated to crafting style and motivating others to express personal creativity. Through innovation, education and inspiration, Matrix encourages hairdressers across the globe to share the American dream and imagine all they can be!