Owner · Over 20 Years of Experience
Globally Recognized Hairdresser
Derek Piekarski built his career training artists for seven of the industry's top hair brands before founding Craft Collective Salon Group in Pittsburgh.
Career Highlights
2016
Named one of the Top Trainers in the World by Wella Professionals and awarded the Franz Stroher Global Education Master Trainer Award -- the highest honor in Wella's global education network.
Wella Professionals
Served on the North America Signature Artist Team for Wella Professionals. Currently resides on the Wella top artist team for North America, representing the brand at the highest level.
Aveda / Estée Lauder
Led technical education strategy for Aveda / Estée Lauder across North America, overseeing stylist training programs at the continental scale for one of the world's most recognized beauty brands.
Global Media
Featured in Vogue India, various technical education content, and print and media publications throughout the globe, recognizing Derek's work and influence in the international hair and beauty industry.
Education
Trained artists for seven top hair brands throughout his career. Also featured in online educational videos including the YouTube ElMI Cut Craft series and Hairbraned live events.
Global Stage
Has served celebrity clients across the globe and shared the stage with the industry's most respected icons at shows and events in the US, South America, Europe, India, and Canada.
Derek Piekarski is not a stylist who stayed local and got good. He went out into the world, competed at the highest levels of the global hair industry, won its most prestigious awards, trained thousands of artists, and then chose to bring all of it back to Pittsburgh.
That decision -- to build something here instead of in New York or Los Angeles -- is what Craft Collective Salon Group is built on. Derek's philosophy is that every guest deserves the same level of thoughtfulness, technique, and personalization that he brought to training educators across an entire continent.
Today, Derek leads a team of stylists who share his commitment to ongoing education, advanced technique, and guest experience. Every service at Craft Collective reflects the standards he built his career on.
Most of that career was spent traveling and teaching hair color theory and techniques, but Derek has always been an avid cutter — from short hair to long, from a blade to scissors. At Craft Collective he now takes cutting work only.
Available at our North Hills Pittsburgh location. Online booking open 24/7.
Book an AppointmentCraft Collective Salon Group Owner, Derek Piekarski is a globally renown hairdresser with the resume to prove it. A large part of his technical mastery as a hairdresser is owed to training artists for 7 top hair brands throughout his career.
Derek’s professional resume includes being on the North America Signature Artist Team for Wella Professionals as well as the North America Manager of Technical Capabilities for Aveda / Estée Lauder.
Currently Derek resides on the Wella top artist team
for North America.
In 2016, Derek was named one of the Top Trainers in the world for Wella Professionals and bestowed the "Franz Stroher Global Education Master Trainer Award".
Additionally, he has been featured in VOGUE INDIA and other various print and media throughout the globe.
Craft Collective Salon Group is a new way for Derek to carry on his ideas, offer his expertise to guests, and express his unique take on the salon industry.
He has been featured in online educational videos such as the YouTube ElMI Cut Craft video series, Hairbraned live events, and many current professional salon education videos with AVEDA. Aside from high profile education positions Derek has had the pleasure of offering many services to celebrities across the globe. He has also been fortunate to share the stage with some of the industries most respected icons at shows and events in US, South America, Europe, India, and Canada. Derek has also been the founder of a previously successful salon in the Pittsburgh area.
