Sonya Dove: 40 Things You Don’t Know About Me

As Sonya Dove marks an incredible 40 years in the hairdressing industry, it's impossible not to marvel at her journey from a passionate stylist to a global icon. Sonya has been inspiring stylists worldwide with her innovative approach to cutting, coloring, and styling. This journey has seen her grace the stages of New York Fashion Week, work with celebrities, and contribute to film projects like “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

Her accolades are a testament to her impact on the industry. She's been honored as the Master Hairstylist of the Year (North American Hairstylist Association 2010), International Icon of the Year (National Cosmetology Association and Professional Beauty Association), and has received awards like the Leo Passage Award for Education Excellence (Intercoiffure 2018) and the Icons of Color Award (Intercoiffure 2014). These awards highlight her dedication to education, inspiration, and mentorship within the stylist community.

Sonya's roles are as varied as her skills. As the Intercoiffure Color Council Director for North America and a Wella Professionals Global Ambassador, she shares her extensive knowledge with professional hairdressers at all stages of their careers.

As she celebrates this remarkable milestone, Sonya Dove continues to be a beacon of creativity, inspiration, and educational excellence in the hairdressing world. Her story is one of passion, dedication, and an unwavering commitment to the art and craft of hairdressing, making her an enduring icon in the industry​​​​​​​​.

To celebrate Sonya Dove’s 40 incredible years in the industry, we asked her to share 40 things you might not know about her.

1. I was born in Manchester , England and my family moved to Torquay, Devonshire when I was very young. (Faulty Towers is in Torquay.)

2. I got into hair because I knew I wanted to work with people and Chris Dove's mother suggested to go to Beauty School. I actually wanted to be a Nutritionist at school but failed at the exams.

3. My favorite room in my house is my rooftop which is a terrace, with a great 360 view of the town, plants, jacuzzi and dining table with an outside fire . I love this place because it is outdoors.

4. After a hard day I pour myself a glass of red wine, then walk my dog Bella ,  eat dinner then check out my social media . I have started two hobbies since the age of 60, Yoga and dance class . I have only ever worked without any outside activities. So most evenings even after a hard days work , I love to go to my dancing class to learn Slas, Bachata or Cumbia.

5. My favorite moment in my career was when I did my first show on my own as Sonya Dove in New Orleans for the Behind the Chair Color show. I had only worked with Chris Dove before and we were known as The Doves. It was very scary and I put my heart and soul into it and now looking back I needed to do it for ME.

6. My biggest fuck up in my career was probably not coming out with a product of my own to sell.

7. I fell off a tall stage once when my spike heels got stuck into the floor.

8. I am a natural level 5 with 30% grey so I use Wella Koleston Perfect 7/34 and 6% or 20 volume.

9. Growing up my celebrity crush was Simon Le bon from Duran Duran.  And Robert Redford.

10. I'm dying to go see the Pyramids in Egypt . Uyuni, Bolivian salt flats. Namibia in Africa and go back to Bora Bora.

11. My favorite item in my wardrobe is my Burning Man outfits.

12. My biggest pet peeve is incompetence . Being tactless, bossy, impolite, unclear, agitated or not instilling in the people you work with are examples of incompetence at work owing to the lack of people skills. Also find people hard to understand if they beat around the bush , I get on better with direct people . Maybe its my English background.

13. The most awkward thing about me is not being familiar with acronyms so I had no idea what LOL was for ages and failing at English grammar at school I can only read simple books and do not like sentences with long complicated words in . They just go over my head.  I find the difference in England we just say things as they are directly to each other whereas in the States I have to think twice if this is ok to say especially nowadays.

14. My go-to karaoke song is “I will survive”.

15. To be honest I don't like to cook at all because I am not good at it. I make simple things like sandwhiches, veggie stir fry and eggs on toast. For fancy meals and more elaborate food , I love to eat out.

16. The health tip I swear by is doing a shot of fresh ginger, turmeric and lime in the morning. 

17. Maltesers, English chocolate malt balls and Crunchie with a honey comb centre are my guilty pleasure.

18. Antoinette Beenders, Angelo Seminara, Sharon Blain are 3 artists I would love to work with..

19. If could only use one Wella Product for eternity it would be Koleston Perfect Permanent hair color as I look awful with my natural ash brown color.

20. Global Trend Vision shows especially Frankfurt, Monaco, Barcelona were my favorite Wella events, ever.

21. If I could go back 40 years, I would advise myself to not worry and stress so much about my future because destiny has me handled and it is all going to just work out perfectly.

22. I am no good at anything to do with technology. For example working a TV remote, dropbox , internet stuff. I attended many Apple free courses to understand my phone and MacBook and it all sounded like Japanese to me!

23. My biggest heart ache was when Christopher left Wella. A few years before that we had separated as husband and wife, which ironically did not feel as bad as professionally. I realize this was due to my low self esteem. He resigned from Wella at Christmas time and I spent the whole Christmas trying to figure out what industry I could go to as I was so sure that I would not be a good hairdresser at all without the support. 

Wella kept convincing me to carry on with hair but I truly felt I have nothing to offer and that I was mediocre. I got asked to do my first solo show and with a LOT of persuasion from friends and work colleagues. A choreographer friend called Kevan Allen helped me. I got a huge standing ovation and so much love from the audience as everyone knew , even though I didn't know they did . I then thought to run away in another direction would be crazy and carried on educating myself on all the areas I was the weakest on. I realized that I am weaker on the outside and stronger on the inside. 

24. If I could have dinner with two celebrities it would be Madonna and Cher.  If I could squeeze in another person, it would be Iris Van Herpen the designer.

25 The support Wella has given me and visa versa has been incredible and for me the grass is not greener anywhere else. The people within the company are very important as I am a big believer people work for people not companies.

26 I used to perm my stick straight hair in the 80's and I had a big afro . Looking back it looked awful but at the time I thought I was the bees knees.

27 My spirit animal according to the zodiac sign is The Bull. I also am very stubborn but at the same time I am practical with two feet on the ground as I am an earth sign.

28 I built a holiday home in San Miguel de Allende a couple of years before Covid so when Covid hit I moved there as I had no work for ages except virtual work. I got introduced to San Miguel though Nicolas Troncin my partner . He sugested we went for a holiday there years ago as he had been there 34 years ago to do a photoshoot . When we went I absolutely fell in love with it and visited a lot and eventually brought a house there . Once work was back to normal I realised I could still work in the USA but live in Mexico as my business company is in the USA.

29 My mother was very fair and blonde like an English rose and my father was Pakistani , hence my darker skin.

30 AN album I listen to over and over is Love Actually. I also love… David Guetta "One love" with Estelle.

31  Nature inspires me the most. I am fascinated by how the night sky lights up with colors as in the Aurora Boreallis , how the colors of the rock landscapes in Utah go from every shade of brown to orange and red, The Cenotes in Mexico with turquoise water and the brightest green plants.  The patterns in vivid colors on butterfly wings , I love to watch jellyfish move and see their holographic colors through a transparent and fluid form.

32 The last book I read was, The Four Agreements.

33 I feel people learn differently and hold information differently whether it be Face to Face or on Social media. After Covid, we saw the pendulum slide towards social media a lot more but to be honest we need have both equally. They are both perfect ways of educating.

34 My favorite travel tip is don't be afraid of asking someone local to the event if you can borrow that basic tolls like hairdryer, irons etc so they save you your excess baggage weight charge.

35 When I first started I was in a small town in England and I just thought I would own a small salon and that's it . Never would I have thought my career would of been so incredible . To be honest, I am not a good personal visionary for myself . I always feel that others see me better than I do myself.

36 I do my own hair color always but for the cut I have Tanya Lange or Chris Rosario do it. They both worked at The Doves salon in Los Angeles.

37  There are actually two things I would change in my life if I could wave a magic wand. 1. I left school with zero qualifications as I failed every subject . I would loved to have passed one or two subjects. 2. The other is more personal and I so WISH that my personal life had been as good as my career life.

38 When I first moved to Arlington, a suburb of Dallas, I was traveling a lot . I always had to wear black and every week I left home with education suitcases and would return home with them. First off, all the neighbours thought it was very odd that I wore black so much , everyone else wore colors and then neighbours would constantly ask what was in the suitcases and to make things worse my garage was full of mannequin heads. So the locals were a bit dubious about my job.

39 In the beginning of my career, I worked alongside my husband, Christopher Dove, and he is a fabulously talented hairdresser . I learned a lot from him in the beginning as he was never afraid to try something.

40 I have never been a girly woman . I don't like flowery, frilly clothes and have always been very independent in my personal nature.

Keep up with Sonya’s day to day by following her on instagram @thesonyadove