When it comes to transforming tresses, Natasha Naegamvala isn’t just a celebrity hairstylist; she’s the ultimate hair sorceress! With a flick of her scissors, she takes locks from classic chic to edgy glam in a way that only she can – effortlessly, fabulously, and with an eye for bold beauty. Indeed, as the creative force behind the iconic Nalini of Nalini & Yasmin, Natasha’s styling prowess is unmatched.
At TheGlitz, we’re always on the hunt for the 2025 TheGlitz Catalysts – industry-defining game-changers – and Natasha Naegamvala fits the bill with her boundary-pushing style and unmistakable flair. We tracked her down for a fun and fabulous telecon interview, and let’s just say, she had us hooked! With her signature candid charm, insider tips, and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, Natasha took us on a ride through her whirlwind world of hair magic, balancing life as a power stylist, and managing the hustle and glamour like the pro she is. One thing’s for sure, by the end, we were all dying to book an appointment!
So, beauties, get ready to take some serious style notes because ‘being an integral part of ‘TheGlitz 2025 Catalysts‘, Mumbai’s magical maverick hairstylist Natasha Naegamvala, in an exclusive interview with Sumita Chakraborty, Founder and Editor-in-chief, TheGlitz, is about to shake up your mane game and inspire a whole new level of hair fabulousness. Read on…
Over To Natasha
Natasha, 2025 is all about pushing boundaries in beauty. What major hair trends do you see defining this year?
Natasha: People are either going to go very, very bold or very, very subtle in regards to colour – there will always be the in-betweens – but I find a lot of my clients asking for these trends. Curls too are here to stay, especially when they are unstructured.
Natasha, every artist has a signature. What would you say your signature look is that clients keep coming back for?
Natasha: I think I have come to understand the use of bleach relatively well, though I consider myself a cautious bleach applicator. I understand how bleach can also damage hair, so I’ve paid a lot of attention to that. Will I take a client’s hair to pale yellow if the hair can go there? Yes. But will I also stop if I believe the hair is going to get damaged? Yes! Some hairdressers may take the bleach further because they’re a bit gutsier than I am, but I’m happy being a cautious bleach applicator. I’ve learned how and when to apply bleach, and how to remove it properly. That’s definitely something I enjoy doing. However, my forte is cutting hair. I love cutting hair.
Natasha, with sustainability being such a huge focus, how do you see it impacting hairstyle trends in 2025?
Natasha: I think a lot of product companies are making sustainable changes. Sustainability is such a big area, but in the salon world, it’s not the easiest to apply. I would be very glad if I could get my entire building to change their water system and make it recyclable, but we can’t do that sort of thing. You have to be practical. My mum is very particular about how the bowls and brushes are washed. We don’t run them under the tap – we soak our brushes and bowls in tubs of water, and then they get recycled from a dirty tub to a cleaner one. This is done several times. One thing I’m actually looking to get advice on is whether it’s better for the environment to use a dhobi (laundry service) to wash our towels and capes, or to use disposable towels and capes.
Natasha, you are a power stylist. How do you balance your personal and professional life?
Natasha: I was in Japan, and my sister used to go for acupuncture to this lady, who later ended up marrying a friend of ours from Mumbai. She is an exceptional woman, and in true Japanese form, she told me that she works a four-day week but gives clients only three days. I was shocked! How does she manage that? Her answer was simple: she trained her staff so that her team could fill in for her on the other days. This gave her time to give three days to clients, one day to managing everything else, and two days completely to herself. I found that sensible. As for me, Monday is my holiday. I don’t work on Tuesday mornings—I start around 1 or 2 p.m. and spend time with my COO to go over everything I need to. Wednesdays, I start around 1 or 2 p.m. and dedicate the day to my girls. Thursday to Saturday is for the salon. I can’t do exactly what the Japanese woman does, but I make sure to balance my professional and personal time. In fact, I tell my staff or my mom that when I go on holiday, unless the ceiling is falling down, they are not to call me.
You’ve accomplished so much in your career so far. Looking ahead, what are your personal goals for the next few years? Any dream projects or collaborations you want to explore?
Natasha: I haven’t looked that far into the future, really. I’m very much a “today’s person.” I do find that I’m changing as I grow. I don’t know exactly what direction I want my salon to go, but I’m clear about one thing: no expansion. I like the concept of an intimate, private salon where I can give my clients my best. That’s why the salon is so exclusive. I don’t want to spend my life number-crunching, and the bigger a business gets, the more number-crunching is involved. I don’t want that because it would make me very sad. I love the creative side of my job, so I’ve chosen to keep it intimate. As for the future, if one of my colleagues, someone who’s been with me for years and has the skills to maintain our quality, wanted to start a franchise, I’d love to set them up.
Natasha, early in your career, you collaborated with Wella Professionals. Do you plan to pursue more of these kinds of professional partnerships?
Natasha: I’m still one of the ambassadors for Wella. When people from abroad come as part of the ambassador team, if they need us to put on a collection, they usually bring a hairdresser from overseas. Sometimes that can be very inspirational, depending on who the hairdresser is. You take something away from every training session, no matter who it’s with. Every hairdresser has their own USP, their own strength, so you always learn something. These collaborations always come with some gain or benefit. We share knowledge or trends. Hairdressers I know from the industry – we pick up the phone, ask each other questions, and even offer guidance when necessary.
How would you describe yourself? Do you play it safe, or do you do your own thing?
Natasha: I’m not a “safe” hairdresser, nor a “cut-and-paste” hairdresser. You’ll rarely see me do the same thing over and over again. Go to my salon page, and you won’t see my cuts or colours looking like “cut-and-paste” jobs – they’re always different and unique.
Natasha, you’ve been part of some of the most iconic transformations in the industry. Who’s your dream client or celebrity?
Natasha: A.R. Rahman. I would love to do Rahman’s hair. But on principle, I wouldn’t want to, because Rahman goes to a very dear hairdresser- Nandini from Muah Salon – who I’m very fond of and still close to. That makes me happy that A R Rahman goes to her – Nandu, incidentally, has also worked with us.
Natasha, what legacy do you hope to leave in the hairstyling world? Nalini and Yasmin are legendary, but you’re also a big name. What’s the legacy you hope to leave behind?
Natasha: I think my legacy would be the growth I’ve seen in those who have come under my wing. I’ve watched them develop into talented, gifted stylists, and that makes me extremely happy. So if I were to leave a legacy, it would be strong, empowered, capable, intelligent hairdressers who are forging their own creative paths. It makes me very happy to see my colleagues doing great work.
Is there one hair mantra you really feel strongly about?
Natasha: I don’t mind you quoting me on this – I’ve never coloured my greys, and I’m very comfortable with them. That’s why I will never sit a client down and tell them they have grey hair and should start colouring it to feel younger. Many hairdressers advise women in their 60s to do a global colour, touch-up, and root touch-up. It’s money in the bank, especially since it needs to be done every six weeks. But I don’t endorse that. If a client is uncomfortable with their greys, I’ll colour it, but I do it in a way that makes sure they’re not forced into it.
