Community Connex with True Daley: Caffery Van Horne
True Daley
By True Daley
Award-winning hairstylist Caffery Van Horne credits his humble beginnings in Kingston, Jamaica for his present-day success. The salon owner is also a wardrobe stylist and makeup artist with a flair for interior design. He credits his fashionably frugal mother for teaching the family how to live a high-end lifestyle on a tight budget.
“My mother prioritized different things. She didn’t want to limit our experiences growing up. We lived with our grandparents and it was comfortable. She supported them and they supported her, so it was mutually beneficial. I was the only kid in my school that flew on an airplane before the age of 10. This exposed us to culture and lifestyle. We were the best-dressed kids in school. She didn’t want our outward presentation to reflect a low-income situation.”
During his childhood, Van Horne says he and his siblings would be awarded with gifts for completing household chores and academic achievement. His mother fostered her son’s love of travel and high fashion by complying with his requests for GQ and Cosmopolitan magazines.
“When you live on an island where you don’t have access to all these products, you have access to it through the pages of magazines. I became a fashion magazine junkie at about 8 or 9 years old. As a little boy in Jamaica, I didn’t understand what it was, but I knew I wanted to do that. Hair is a part of that.”
CAFFERY VAN HORNE (R)
Immigrating to Canada as a teen, he set his goals high, and took advantage of the opportunities available to him. The young visionary knew he wanted to make an impact on the world and initially believed he would be “…the next Versace”. When the time came to pursue a post-secondary education, Van Horne applied and was accepted to various credible schools in North America. Knowing his mother’s income wouldn’t be enough to cover his tuition and living expenses, he opted for the best choice at the lowest cost. In 1995, he was the sole recipient of a full scholarship to Toronto’s International Academy of Merchandising and Design.
A strong believer of the ‘pay it forward’ philosophy, Van Horne is known to donate his time and experience to community events and social injustice. At the time of this interview, the Toronto-based stylist was preparing for a series of free lectures at a local beauty school.
“This summer I donated some time for women living in a crisis shelter. They had to flee their lives for extreme cases of abuse. I was hosting events for them and trying to raise awareness and money for women in need. You have to be a humanitarian in your business. You’re dealing with human beings and if you don’t have them, you don’t have anything. You don’t have a roof over your head. You don’t have an establishment.”
Van Horne is known to go above and beyond the call of duty by giving away haute couture items from his personal collection or offering insider tips on home décor. Clients consider him their trusted confidante and secret weapon when it comes to transforming their look and discovering their inner and outer beauty. As an entrepreneur in a highly unstable industry, the trailblazer says his interpersonal skills set him apart from many of his peers.
Hair, makeup and wardrobe by Caffery Van Horne
“I develop loyalties and sound relationships with my clients. I get involved in their lives. Some people go in and they get their hair done and it stops there. I consult with them on everything. People don’t abandon you if you are a part of them, if you are part of their whole world. If you’re just one section, then it’s easier to cut it out. I’m fair and I’m reasonable. I recognize when it’s okay to give a client a bit of a discount because they’ve gone back to school. Nothing can be set in stone. If you run a cold business then that’s how you’re going to get treated in return.”
With over 20 years of experience, Van Horne’s exemplary style was recently recognized at the 23rd annual Contessa Awards. The competition is considered the Oscars of the Canadian beauty industry and is attended by over a 1000 professionals each year.
Hair, makeup and wardrobe by Caffery Van Horne
The ‘Men’s Hairstylist Of The Year’, says the national recognition is the result of talent, ingenuity and hard work.
“I entered the men’s category because over the years the competition has heavily celebrated avant-garde categories. I wanted to do something where people still look like themselves, not just art for the sake of art. I think with men you can do that. I have a really strong understanding of men’s style, be it wardrobe, hair etc., and I got the category I went after. Again, it was a solo effort. It was just my photographer and myself. I did everything else, stayed true to form, and won.”
Without the support of a major salon or product line, the likelihood of an independent stylist beating out hundreds of well-funded competitors is slim. When asked to offer insight for Canadian hairstylists vying for the same award, Van Horne advises,“You just got to keep doing it and your time will come. Do it your way and if you did your best and you didn’t come out on top, that’s okay too. You tried. It’s important to try. I live by the mantra that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. So take shots.”
Visit www.cafferyvanhorne.com.
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