Camilo Vergara – From Business to Beauty: A Tale of Success in NYC
When he was younger, Camilo Vergara had no idea he would be a licensed cosmetologist. In fact, he came to the US with a degree in Business. It wasn’t until he stopped into his friend’s salon in Manhattan, that he realized he wanted to pursue a career in beauty.
“They were doing a photo shoot and I immediately started throwing out ideas on what they could do. My friend mentioned to me that I had a natural talent and I should look into going to Empire Beauty School to get my license.”
Camilo toured Empire Beauty School on West 34th street, met the educators, reviewed the curriculum, and signed up to start classes. It was the first step to a dream career in the beauty industry.
“I chose Empire over other schools because I felt the curriculum was so much better. You didn’t just learn one hair type, you learned them all, and received hands on experience with many hair types.”
One day, a staff member at Empire had an opportunity for him he couldn’t pass up.
“It was a huge break for me. Florence and the Machine needed someone to do body painting for their Saturday Night Live appearance. I was so nervous. I only had one week to get ready, but I researched what they wanted, practiced beforehand, and it was a success.”
From there, with the help of social media, Camilo’s name spread. He got a call from Telemundo, asking if he could work on the set of a Spanish language soap opera being filmed in NYC. It was a chain of events that opened with one opportunity.
“You just need one connection. They don’t have to give you a job, they just need to give you the connection.”
Today Camilo is paying it forward to future professionals at Empire Beauty School.
“I do a lot of editorial work and fashion shows. When I need assistants, I come here. I do castings for my shows, where I have students show me styles that fit the theme of the show.”
Camilo holds hours in a salon as well, but is thankful for a faithful clientele who work around his changing schedule.
And one of his favorite activities involves the volunteer work he does for young Latin-American girls.
He provides complimentary hair and makeup services to young girls vying for the title of Queen of the NYC Hispanic Day Parade.
“These girls would otherwise not be able to afford to enter. I’ve been volunteering for 7 years now, and I get more involved every year. It’s great that I can give back.”