As the founder of Michael Angelo’s Wonderland, Michael Angelo is one of the most talked about names in beauty today. Michael is in constant demand to shape the images of many of the world’s top models , and devotees that – in addition to the supermodels also includes prominent social and business leaders, pop divas, and stars of the large and small screens.
Michael is also gaining acclaim in the design world where his work has been featured in books and magazines such as Elle Décor (Hong Kong); Elle Decoration (U.K.); Spas by Loft Publications (Italy); and:guide New York – architecture & design by Fusion Publishing (USA). Michael’s most recent project, a collection of the world’s first scratch-n-sniff wallcoverings for Flavor Paper called “The Fruit Cocktail Collection“, benefited the Human Rights Campaign and has been included in the permanent collection of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.When not working on hair or design projects, Michael can be found behind the lens of a camera, indulging in his life-long passion for photography.

Why did you start Wonderland?

I felt that the industry was lacking a space where uptown quality met downtown cool and I needed a place where I could work on my art, keep up my work as a hairdresser and begin to develop new talent. It’s been a challenge throughout my career to maintain my work as a hairdresser while keeping my hands in makeup and photography. It’s an industry that likes to pigeonhole people…i guess I’m a bit of a renaissance man….i really feel most fulfilled with my fingers in lots of pies and at Wonderland I can.

Tell us about your passions
My passion for photography is something that I always kept to myself, fearing that if it became my work I would love it less…NOT SO! It has been the best way imaginable to merge art, beauty and design into 1 cohesive piece!
Human rights should be important to all of us. Every freedom that we enjoy is a blessing, and sometimes we forget how many men, women and children do not enjoy the luxuries that we benefit from daily in our culture, especially working in fashion/art/beauty in NYC. The Declaration of Human Rights says

“Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,”

I am “the common people”. Were it not for the human rights efforts of countless incredible people before me, I couldn’t be sitting here today, an openly gay man, able to do the things that give me the greatest joy in the world and the opportunity to lend a hand where I can by doing them.

Most stylish girls in NY ?

The independents…the girls who define themselves instead of being defined by what they are told by their industries. Sarah Jessica Parker is a girl who really embodies that on every level.

How does NY inspire you?

I hate to say it, but I’m not very inspired by New York lately….I keep finding myself in old world Italian food stores…I suppose I’m looking for the New York that existed before it was all owned by a handful of corporations. I hope that the recent economic upset will bring back some cool, creativity and independence.

Most exciting projects?

Two of the most exciting projects I’ve done thus far have been The Fruit Cocktail Collection of Scratch-n-Sniff wallpapers for Flavor Paper and the creation of Michael Angelo’s Wonderland Beauty Parlor. I suppose because both were designed to remind folks that there’s always more than meet the eye. And they were chances to dive deep into the memory banks of my childhood and bring some of my favorite playthings to life in a really modern grown-up way. And Lydia Hearst is a fan of both….she’s doing her kitchen in B-A-N-A-N-A-S. And the Cooper Hewitt Museum included Cherry Forever in their permanent collection….crazy,huh? Need I say more?

Favorite websites and why?
The New York Times, for it’s content, photography and the best multi-media
Facebook for how fun it is to stay in touch
Models.com to keep abreast
the Sartorialist so I know what to wear (and more importantly,what NOT to wear)
Somaly.org because it’s a great place to make a donation

Tell us about “Portrait of a Lipstick Queen”
I am working on a project to benefit the Somaly Mam Foundatiion which is tentatively titled “Portrait of a Lipstick Queen.”
It’s an endeavor inspired in part by Marianne Pearl’s description of her first glimpse of sexual slavery in a  Glamour “Global Diary” on Cambodia-
“I am standing outside a barrack built of sticks that seems on the verge of collapse, when a
door opens to reveal an unlikely young woman. Haggard from a drunken sleep, she is still wearing bright red lipstick from the night before and carries an odor of sweat, sperm and filth.”

Here and in many other contexts, red lipstick can be understood as a symbol of a person’s enslavement—to sex trafficking, to social demands, to gender stereotypes, and more. By contrast, in Portrait of a Lipstick Queen, red lipstick is used as a metaphor for the subject’s freedom and as a visual thread connecting the pictures. It’s a fascinating subject to me. A range of strong and independent people have already sat for portraits, including Susan Sarandon, Dita VonTeese, Alan Cumming, Abigail Disney, Veronica Varekova, Alexandra Richards….I hope to be done shooting by Spring of next year.

photo by Michael Angelo www.wonderlandbeautyparlor.com photos available for purchase

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