Lucija Kaleb and Ivana Volarević, owners of the Mystic Hair Tech salon, have placed among the best at the prestigious One Shot Hair Awards competition in the Intricate Braids and Twists category.
Sisters Lucija Kaleb (27) and Ivana Volarević (24) from Metković have achieved remarkable international success. Their creative braiding work has been ranked in the Top 100 at the prestigious global competition One Shot Hair Awards, in the Intricate Braids and Twists category, as reported by 24sata.
The owners of the Mystic Hair Tech salon discovered their passion for hairdressing at a young age, experimenting with bold styles on each other. "Our love for hairdressing began when we were younger. We always loved different, somewhat bolder hairstyles and colors, and we often tried out various styles on each other," the sisters told 24sata.
Entering the competition was, as they say, a spontaneous decision driven by a desire to step beyond local boundaries. "The idea to apply came spontaneously, but also as a result of years of work and a desire to break out of the local scene. We wanted to test our work on an international level and see where we stand," they explained.
Their award-winning creation was a blend of precision and artistic expression. "Our work is based on precision, detail, and a creative approach to braiding. Through this creation, we wanted to show how far braids can go-not just as a hairstyle, but as an artistic statement," the sisters emphasized. The creation itself took six hours of continuous work, but preparations began days earlier, including sketches and detailed planning of every step.
"Honestly, we haven't fully processed it all yet-the euphoria is still ongoing. The moment we found out was full of emotion, excitement, and disbelief. We didn't expect such a result, but we hoped our work would be recognized," they said for 24sata.
The sisters described how braiding requires exceptional physical and mental endurance. A typical braiding session can last up to 12 hours, and their longest continuous session was 16 hours. "Sometimes we braid for up to 12 hours, and the longest we've worked was about 16 hours without a break. It's really like a marathon you have to endure," they shared. Describing the state, they added: "You enter a kind of 'trance' and just dance with your hands until you're done."
Their service prices range from 25 euros for simpler styles up to 460 euros for the most complex ones, depending on the hairstyle type and creation time. Although braids and extensions are their signature, the salon offers a full range of hairdressing services-from cuts and coloring to modern hair transformations.
They see this recognition as confirmation that all their hard work and sacrifices are worthwhile, and in the future, they want to dedicate even more time to the creative side of hairdressing. "In the future, we'd love to explore the creative side of hairdressing even more-working on fashion shows, photo shoots, sets, and similar projects is something that really appeals to us," they revealed. They also haven't ruled out participating in new competitions.
