Meet this celebrity hairstylist whose name shines among Hollywood and Bollywood stars like Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Jessica Alba, Robert Downey Jr and more. This "up for an adventure" stylist gives credit of his limitless source of energy and inspirationto a peaceful meditation practice, which he practices daily.
Gabriel Georgiouhas made a name for himself in the world of glitz and glamour. From being awarded as the "Best Hairstylist" by Vogue India, to conjuring up the stunning red carpet looks of stars, and not to mention the gorgeous hairdos that Deepika Padukone flaunts, this passionate artist has embraced it all. The recent feather in his crown is the ethereal hairdo that Anushka Sharma carried at her wedding.
Georgiou spent most of his childhood in Australia and Greece. He graduated from the Toni & Guy Academy of Hair in London. He also studied period makeup, costume, wigs, and hair at Flagstaff college of TAFE, Melbourne. From Australia to Athens, London to L.A., he finally set foot in the glamorous Indian city of Mumbai in 2008.
The hair styling industry in India surely came in as a surprise to Georgiou. "I felt that I stepped back in time with the aesthetics and hairstyles that seemed to be stuck in the 80's," he says, "textured hair were never seen in magazines or on celebrities for instance. The younger actresses wanted to be more experimental and wanted to look like the Hollywood stars."
Over the years, one thing led to the other, he started off with magazine shoots with celebrities, who then started booking him for advertisements, which in turn led to films. He cast his awe-inspiring spell on every Bollywood beauty he worked with. His iconic work that combines texture and structure has made him one of the most sought-after hairstylists.
When being asked about the most challenging aspect of the hair styling industry, he says, "It is to not be swallowed up by the superficiality while living in the fashion glamour-bubble of illusion. Staying true to oneself and not being deluded by the industry."
For someone to be this adventurous and enthusiastic, and not to mention so positive and calm, there surely must be a "secret" that is playing out behind the scenes. When asked what keeps him grounded after all the success, he said that he owed it to the daily meditation practice of Falun Dafa (also known as Falun Gong).
Georgiou was introduced to Falun Dafa in 2002 in Australia. "I connected to the fact that it is a practice of both mind and body, that it is based on the universal principles of Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance, and that it is for free."
"Goodness and knowledge are given from the heart, you don't pay for that, and I always knew that deep down inside. I also always believed in the proverb, 'When the student is ready the teacher will appear.' Everything comes to us for a reason and I felt that I had to give it a try," he adds.
He says, "I see continuous improvement as a person. I have not only become extremely healthy but also have a lot of energy and feel positive. I am also able to handle difficult situations lightly."
Falun Dafa was introduced in China in 1992 and grew immensely popular due to its health benefits. More than 70-100 million people were practicing this system in China alone. However, the former leader of the Chinese communist regime, Jiang Zemin, being alarmed by its growing popularity, illegally banned this peaceful practiceon July 20, 1999 and started brutal persecution of its followers, which continues till today. On the other hand, Falun Dafa is being practiced in more than 114 countries around the world including India.
Despite his ever so busy schedule, Gabriel takes out time to teach Falun Dafa exercises to interested people. He also makes it a point to tell them about the brutal persecution being suffered byits followers in China. No doubt, Gabriel is a telling example of how to balance a successful career and spirituality in today's materialistic world.
If you are interested to learn Falun Dafa exercises, you can check details on www.falaundafa.org or www.falundafaindia.org .
Article by:
Arsh
