An innovative industry leader with a career that spanned over 60 years, John mentored thousands of hairdressers, who adored him and found inspiration in his approach: matching the hairstyle to the person. “Before you look at their hair, see the individual and decide what will make that person look and feel attractive.”

Alas, in the 1990s an astonishing amount of hair industry professionals were plagued by the AIDS virus. To help fight this crisis, John along with many of his colleagues and top local hairdressers, came together to create Beauty Cares/Hair Cares Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization that helped local AIDS-afflicted victims, bringing public AIDS awareness through well-publicized hair and fashion shows… like the always-to-be-remembered AIDS benefit held at the Palladium on July 15, 1996.

During John Dellaria’s reign as one of America’s top hairdressers, John served on numerous national and international hairdresser advisory boards, and his notoriety led him to serve as President of Intercoiffure Hairdresser Organization in North America and Canada, as Fashion Director for six consecutive years. His honors included “Intercoiffure Man of the Year” and Hall of Fame Inductee, “Owner International Award,” “Super Styler,” and “Salon of the Year.”

An international guest platform artist, Dellaria, and his stylists were regularly featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Coiffure de Paris, French Vogue, International Hairdresser, and New York magazine. In his signature all-black attire: jeans, T-shirt and ball cap, John was well-known in the restaurants where he gathered with friends. John, the photographer, uniquely captured fashion and life on the streets of New York, through eyes that deeply appreciated the beauty in all people and things.