About us
The story of Aldo Coppola is not only that of a great hairdresser: it is the narrative of a vision that forever changed the way hair, aesthetics, and beauty are conceived around the world.
Aldo Coppola was born in Milan on February 14th, 1940, the son of a hairdresser. From a very young age, he breathed in the art of hair as a language of personal and creative expression. At just 14 years old, he entered his father’s salon, combining hands-on work with studies in fashion and hairstyling history at the Unasas Academy. At 16, he earned the title of Master of Art and won the Italian Championship of Women’s Hairstyling, marking the beginning of a career destined to leave a profound imprint on the culture of hairstyling.
In an era when coiffure was still dominated by rigid structures, hair drying helmets, and static geometries, Aldo introduced a radically new approach: he imagined hair that was free, natural, and in motion. Revolutionary gestures and techniques were born, such as cutting hair dry, natural styling, and a new relationship between head shape and volume—innovations that would forever transform the work of hairdressers.
In 1961, he was called by the renowned designer Biki to create hairstyles for a fashion show at Palazzo Pitti in Florence. This was his official entrance into the world of fashion and high creativity. Shortly after, Aldo left his father’s salon, married, and in 1965 opened his first Atelier on Via Manzoni in Milan, in the heart of the Fashion District. That space soon became a meeting point for fashion, photography, and aesthetic research.
Over the following years, Aldo Coppola collaborated with some of the world’s greatest photographers—Oliviero Toscani, Fabrizio Ferri, Xavier Vallhonrat, Barry Lategan, Helmut Newton, Giampaolo Barbieri, Giovanni Gastel—shaping the hair of the most beautiful women in the world and signing the iconic images of the Aldo Coppola–L’Oréal Calendars and Art Books, now visible in the ART section of this website.
At the same time, Aldo became the protagonist of international stages: from Paris to Moscow, from Los Angeles to Tokyo, he performed in theaters welcoming more than 5,000 people, bringing hairstyling shows to an unprecedented level and transforming the hairdresser into a true artist, storyteller, and source of inspiration.
Not only shows, but also fashion runways and advertising campaigns: from Armani to Valentino, Gianfranco Ferré to Vivienne Westwood, Aldo Coppola and his team played a central role in all major national and international fashion events.
As the years passed, the project grew and became more structured. The company’s strategic and managerial vision was led by his son, Aldo Coppola Jr., who joined his father in 1985, focusing on organizational development, franchising, and brand expansion. Aldo Coppola Jr. introduced and consolidated the franchising model, founded The Agency—the first freelance agency of hairstylists and make-up artists for fashion, advertising, and events—and built a corporate system capable of supporting the brand’s international growth.
From his intuition also came AC Design, a furniture and interior project redefining the very concept of beauty salons. After the opening in 1991 of the iconic Corso Garibaldi salon designed by Philippe Starck, all Aldo Coppola salons began to feature AC Design furnishings, becoming true design spaces. Today, Aldo Coppola Jr. is recognized not only as a manager but also as a designer, capable of combining aesthetics, function, and brand identity.
In 1994, the Aldo Coppola Academy was founded, initially based at L’Oréal’s headquarters in Milan, and in 1996 opened its first center of excellence on Via Volturno 42, in Milan, dedicated to passing on the brand’s philosophy and techniques. In 1999, it grew into a 1,000-square-meter multifunctional space, in via Varese, 10.
Today, the Academy is located at Viale Sarca 336/F in Milan and welcomes over 1,200 students each year, training new generations of professionals.
The salon network continued to expand, reaching today 15 Ateliers and 45 Aldo Coppola BY franchised salons across Italy. In 2007, Go Coppola was launched, the group’s prêt-à -porter brand, managed exclusively through franchising, which today counts 30 salons.
The international vision brought the brand beyond national borders: in Russia, a Master Franchising network was established with 18 salons and an Academy, while new Ateliers opened in Kazakhstan, Qatar, Tashkent, and Dubai.
The Swiss headquarters in Lugano coordinates all foreign franchising activities and brings beauty to Switzerland through the hands of hairstylists working in the Lugano Atelier on Via Nassa.
In 2023, Shatush Franchising was launched, a new project dedicated to spreading Aldo Coppola’s Shatush technique into an increasing number of franchised salons, further strengthening the diffusion of this iconic method.
Across more than 50 years of career, Aldo Coppola also invented techniques such as Crochet, Torchon, Masai, and Dandy, completely redefining the geometries of the head and introducing new balances between volume, lines, and movement.
Equally important was his intuition to use henna to color white hair, later evolving into Infusion—a henna enriched with 14 herbs—turning hair color into a true wellness treatment for scalp and hair, allowing a natural and respectful approach.
Aldo Coppola worked with passion until 2013, the year of his passing. The artistic team he trained continues his legacy, keeping alive the values of research, innovation, and respect for natural beauty.
Today, the brand continues to look toward the future, embodying Aldo’s spirit through its salons, products, and the education of new generations.
The brand’s current Creative Director is Stefano Lorenzi, who—together with the managerial vision of Aldo Coppola Jr. and Federica Coppola, Aldo’s granddaughter and now CEO of Aldo Coppola Italia—continues to carry forward a timeless story of passion, art, and innovation.
