Claudia Cataldo, hairdressing’s new champion of the world
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Canberra hairdresser Claudia Cataldo is the global winner of one of the industry’s most coveted awards—the L’Oréal Style and Colour Trophy—after a whirlwind competition in Paris.
It’s a thrilling end to a challenging year for the 34-year-old stylist who has spent much of 2022 recovering from treatment for Stage 3 breast cancer after being diagnosed in late 2021.
Claudia decided to enter the competition this year as a way to help her maintain her positivity and focus on her love of hairdressing after finishing treatment.
She won the the Australian L’Oréal Style and Colour Trophy in August and was then whisked to Paris as one of the top six stylists judged from 32 countries.
In a live-streamed event this morning Claudia was announced the winner, with Lisa Saccio from Germany coming second and third place tied between Pin Hui Chen of Taiwan and Kelly Manu of New Zealand.
Claudia earned the judges’ approval with her focus on timeless and classic hair that comes from the salon and all her training, but which she gave “a spin to be a modern Parisienne ‘it-girl’ style.”
She used the inspiration of screen beauties of the past, including Brigitte Bardot, and created a 2022 shag using seamless French balayage and creating glossy golden tones.
Claudia Cataldo, crowned global winner of the L’Oreal Style and Colour Trophy
Claudia has hairdressing in the blood.
She is the granddaughter of Guiseppe Cataldo and the daughter of Australian champion hairstylist Angelo Cataldo. When Guiseppe arrived in Canberra in the mid-1950’s amid the post-war rush of European immigrants, he was desperate to carve out a new life for his wife Ida and two young sons, Emilio and Angelo (who would be followed by Anna and Aldo) and worked long days on the roads of the Cotter Dam while trimming fellow workers’ hair at night.
By 1965, Guiseppe opened the eponymous Cataldo’s Salon in Hobart Place, often calling in his kids to lend a hand sweeping or shampooing his clients, who would soon range from Prime Ministers to Judges and country women (who would drive for hours for the unmistakeable Cataldo’s style).
Emilio and Angelo would follow in their father’s footsteps and earn their place among Australian hairdressing champions.
Now the third generation of Cataldos are making national and international waves for themselves out of a beautiful and custom-built salon on Ainslie Avenue and sister-salon in Woden.
None more so than Claudia, who has managed to take out one of the most significant hairdressing titles in the world.
Claudia can’t help but become emotional when she stops to consider where she is, and how she got to this point.
“Yes Nonno would be proud. He is my hero. He instilled into all of us a work ethic, an ability to dream big and the understanding that family is the number one most important thing, always.”
Claudia and her grandfather Giuseppe Cataldo, who died in 2010.
“This prize is a continuation of his dream, and recognition of his sacrifice, and I hope it doesn’t stop with us. I want Cataldo’s to keep going to the next generation.”
The Cataldo family is a gigantic, effusive, boisterous Italian affair which enveloped Claudia in a protective bubble of care and love as she was diagnosed and then went through several months of post-surgery recovery and chemotherapy.
When it came time for Claudia to lose her hair, she faced it with aplomb. “My dad kept cutting me a pixie cut but eventually Michael (her cousin, Aldo’s son and another award-winning sylist was named a Rising Star by L’Oréal in 2018) shaved it for me. To be honest it didn’t faze me at all. I, of all people, know how quickly hair grows back!”
Not one to dwell on difficult times, nor feel sorry for herself, Claudia does not want to focus on her cancer diagnosis, but rather, on her future.
She found the hardest part of the journey was being cut off from her team and her family in the salon. The best therapy has been to return to doing what she loves most.
“I have loved hairdressing since I was a kid and I used to come into the salon to help out. I love the energy and the people, the conversation and the bustle and the creativity and the coffee (now supplied by Emilio’s eldest son Joseph from his busy neighbouring eatery DOP.)
Claudia and the Cataldo’s team celebrating her win (including proud mum, Lucy, and dad, Angelo, to her left).
“I love having a connection with my clients and the power I have to help transform not only how they look but also how they feel about themselves. They can come in feeling flat and walk out on air.”
“I love that what I do is ever-evolving and I can learn incredible things from professional education as well as from someone in my team showing me how they do something in a particular way.”
This enthusiasm has been with Claudia for 17 years, since she began her apprenticeship at 16.
“I was the one who would volunteer to hand pins up to the senior stylists for photo shoots, I was always happy to come in on weekends for events and I have done an insane amount education. Dad always says the moment you don’t want to learn more about your craft is the moment you should give it up.
“I have always had a thirst for knowledge and I will never think I am beyond needing to learn.”
When asked how she stayed calm in Paris when she had only been able to choose her model via photos and videos (never once getting to touch the hair she would be transforming) before enduring the pressure of a fully filmed and judged styling session that ended at 2.30am, Claudia is characteristically sanguine.
Claudia Cataldo’s model in Paris with her award-winning style and colour
“I was pretty nervous, but I don’t get myself worked up like I used to when I was younger. I trust in myself more know, and I know what I am capable of. I told myself, ‘What is the worst that can happen? I will meet new people and get to travel and see some amazing work’.”
As it turns out. A lot more than that happened. Claudia Cataldo’s style has been judged the most beautiful of all and will feature in editorial coverage around the world.
“I still can’t quite believe it to be honest. I haven’t been able to tell anyone until now. So I am glad the secret is finally out. I am so proud to show people what can be done from Cataldo’s and what can be done from Canberra. And I am relishing the opportunities ahead!”
