Deirdre Novella received her cosmetology license in 2000, and spent seven years in the New York City fashion industry. This consisted of hair styling for runway, advertising campaigns, fashion catalog, magazine editorial, and television. In 2005 she joined Guido Palau’s fashion week team and worked with him for six seasons; hair styling for New York’s top runway shows including Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Calvin Klein, and Ralph Lauren. This experience was vital in learning all aspects of styling; wigs, extensions, up-do’s, speed, and product knowledge. Wanting to get back into salon work, she moved to Los Angeles in 2008 and started an apprenticeship at Vidal Sassoon, learning precision cutting techniques. After Sassoon, she worked as a stylist at a trendy Barbershop in West Hollywood, where she mastered her barbering skills and men’s styles- fades, clipper cuts, and pompadours. Deirdre returned to New York in 2011 to open Badlands Salon & Barber in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Her goal was to create a venue to synthesize all her favorite aspects of hair styling; managing a team of fantastic stylists, building relationships with a local clientele, and drawing inspiration from current trends in fashion, art, interior design, and music.