BY: Robert Jowaiszas, Community Editor/Reporter
In the spa area, Tanya, a senior aesthetics student, described the hands-on training.
“We bring our clients onto the bed and practice just like you would in a professional spa,” she said. “It prepares you for the real world.”
For Ethan, another senior aesthetics student, the path was personal.
“I struggled with acne and skin issues,” he said. “I started researching ingredients and products, and that led me here. I know I’m on the right path.”
The Revolution That Made Beauty a Profession
The modern beauty industry was shaped by pioneers who transformed hair and makeup from niche luxury into recognized professions.
Elizabeth Arden normalized makeup through education and skincare. Madame C. J. Walker built a groundbreaking beauty empire for Black women, linking hair care to entrepreneurship. Vidal Sassoon elevated haircutting into a disciplined craft through precision and geometry. Paul Mitchell tied professional products directly to education and salon culture.
In cosmetics, Estée Lauder revolutionized marketing through department store counters and free samples. More recently, Pat McGrath brought editorial artistry into the mainstream, while Fenty Beauty reshaped the industry through inclusivity.
From Revolution to Education: Capri’s History and Mission
Capri Cosmetology Learning Centers was founded in 1963 by Frank Molinari, a licensed cosmetologist and educator who believed beauty education should be disciplined, practical, and career focused.
Leadership later transitioned to Anthony Fiore, who joined Capri in 1990 and purchased the school in 2001. Under Fiore’s leadership, Capri expanded while maintaining its educational foundation. Today, Capri operates New York campuses in Nanuet and Newburgh, serving students from Rockland County and beyond.
Capri’s mission statement says:
“To improve our students’ quality of life through education… and prepare them for long-term careers in cosmetology, esthetics, and nail specialties.”
“At first, students are hesitant,” Heidi said. “Then you see the shift. The confidence builds. That’s when you know it’s clicking.”
Many well-known figures in entertainment began their careers with formal training in beauty and cosmetology, approaching it not as a shortcut to visibility but as a foundation. Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey, Kylie Jenner, Zendaya, Rihanna, and Victoria Beckham all studied aspects of hair, makeup, or beauty technique early on, gaining hands-on experience that later informed their creative choices and business instincts. Their paths underscore a recurring truth in cosmetology education: learning the craft builds confidence, discipline, and an understanding of how personal image connects to identity and opportunity — lessons that remain relevant long after the classroom lights are turned off.
A Growing Industry With a Future
The beauty industry now generates well over $100 billion annually and continues to grow. Once seen as a side path, cosmetology is now recognized as a serious pink-collar trade built on skill, adaptability, and entrepreneurship.
“Everything you do in this business is selling,” Joe said. “You’re selling yourself and your skills — but only if the client trusts you.”
Technology and social media shape trends, but instructors stress that nothing replaces human touch.
“AI can help with ideas,” Joe said. “But people still want a real person touching their face, their hair, and listening to them.”
Voices From Graduates — Online and Off
Much of Capri’s reputation spreads through word of mouth, increasingly online. Graduates and clients alike share reflections that echo the same themes heard on the clinic floor.
“Capri didn’t just teach me how to do hair,” one graduate wrote. “It taught me how to trust myself — especially when something didn’t go perfectly.”
Another alum reflected on how the clinic environment eased the transition into professional life.
“By the time I graduated, working with real clients didn’t feel intimidating,” another post read. “It felt familiar — like I’d already been doing this.”
Clients echoed those sentiments as well.
“You never feel rushed here,” one longtime client shared online. “People listen. That makes all the difference.”
Final Reflection
Longtime client Carol Corngold said that sense of connection is what keeps her coming back.
“It’s relaxing,” she said. “You talk. You decompress. There’s a bond. It’s not just hair — it’s human.” She said that bond is what makes the experience different from a traditional salon.
“You’re not just another appointment here,” Carol added. “The students remember you, they ask questions, and you feel like part of their learning. That makes you want to come back.”
Heidi said those relationships are one of the clearest signs that education is doing what it should.
“When clients come back asking for the same student,” she said, “that’s when you really see the bond form. They’re not just trusting the service — they’re trusting the person.