Photographer Gabriel Harber
Working with Cari Borja again, reminded me of the love of creating beauty. .
Cari Borja Designs Photo Shoot
Tear sheets were laid out for me. Each of the three models, which included Cari, needed to look different from the other.
I set up at 9:00 am, and started on the task of styling hair and applying make-up on our first model, finishing at 1:00 pm.
Cari's Designs are feminine, fanciful, and flirtatious, so we played with the idea of keeping the hair simple, casual, and approachable.
Cari's ease, charm, and adept storytelling skill made me realize she has crafted her life into one that is creative, and full, and that she is doing none other than what she is meant to do. How fantastic to be a part of the endeavor.
Spring Green
After a year of letting my natural color show, I decided to color my hair. Mostly, themetamorphosis came about because of the count down to NAHA. We used powder lightener with 20 vol, and level 4 Luo color with 25Vol as a base, then toned with P01-P02, creating a bit more drama.
I thought, "Hm, I am going to be surrounded with my peers, and the idea of showing some creativity on my own head felt right. The extreme is always so invigorating. I tell myself, "Just as long as you work that out on your head, rather than in your life."
Sometimes I look at myself, and think it looks great. Or, "too dark against your aging skin." I'll say. Does it look to severe? My clients remarked, "You look less tired," as if my own questions lined my forehead.
Overall, I feel it is a nice change. Color feels like a fresh start. And this new be- ginning seems to be popping up in a lot of areas of my life, like the green of Spring emerging from the tilled soil.
And now, the maintenance begins. I already feel like I need a toner.
However, the expectations of women are at an all time high. More on that later.
NAHA Awards 2009
Just got back from Las Vegas. I attended the NAHA awards ceremony at Mandalay Bay. I saw beautiful images of hair by some of the greats in the industry, like Vivienne Mackinder, Lucie Doughty, and Maureen Anlauf.
I felt inspired by these hair artists who are driven to execute their work to the level at which they do, and who then want to pass on their knowledge to those who are hungry to know. I would love nothing more than to take a walk with a few of them, and hear about their creative process, see what they notice in their surroundings, what do their dreams reveal about their work.
I sat in the audience, sometimes sad that there were not a more enthusiastic applause for the hard work, and hours of combing, teasing, and polishing hair that these stylists have spent on their creations.
And yet, the number of students present left me remembering the early days of my career, and wanting to be at every hair show possible. They couldn't have chosen a more high caliber event on the West Coast.
Diana and I, the owner at Keter Hair Salon, shared in our mixed feelings of overwhelm, awe, and humility at the idea of even trying to compete next year.
Another Dee Conway Shoot
This time we shot with Trina. What a fun model...by the end of the evening, Trina was just warming up, she could have continued long past sundown. Dee, followed and calmly suggested her own ideas as well.
April 18th. Amtrak station in Berkeley, blocks from Keter Hair Salon. The chill left me hugging my jacket shut, in between holding up the reflector for Dee. Trina was playful, and able to accomodate Dee's gentle instructions of laying down on the tracks, sitting and standing on them, between trains.
A few onlookers stood around, but basically we had the place to ourselves. I think our shots worked. As usual, Dee is a complete pleasure to work with, and always so prompt in her delivery of images.
Make-up by Pheakdey Bun.
Inspiration at Sassoons
Okay, I'm breaking the mini-chronological order I had going.
I just found some photos, from November of last year. A few of us from Keter Salon went down to LA for Sassoon's 2009 Fall Collection Release.
Very Inspirational to say the least.
Like I said, masters of any trade, make it look effortless, but the actual skill level takes years to develop. I love the texture and the soft colors on some of the blonde models. Of course, the execution by this team is nothing less than phenomenal
The Up-Do Class that Re-Awakened Everything
Kiki, our manager at Keter Salon, taught an updo styling class back in April.I thought, "Fine, let's do it." I always look for the next inspiration to get my creativity fired up.
Kiki, who comes from a family of stylists, and worked as a platform artist, is not only a master at exectuting an idea, but in teaching the idea.
I'm whipping through, my hands moving way to fast, and there she is, smoothing, refining, slowly, precisely placing the hair in place.
I have not been able to stop since then. This driving force inside me to learn how to build hair is unrelenting. And now, I have it in my head to compete in the NAHA awards.
I have a lot to learn!
This is what I came up with that day. The beginning of using hair pieces.
Audacity of Change- An Inaugural Fashion Benefit
In order to celebrate the election of President Barack Obama, we thought what better waythan to express it through nonconformity in a fashion show.
Girl Talk Band set the tone for the evening, and gave generously by playing melodic blues, latin, world jazz. We were quite fortunate to have Angie Coiro MC our show, also giving her time for the cause. She added flare, fun, humor and a feeling of generosity. Denise Pate of Destiny Arts gave a brief introduction to the great work the organization offers in the Oakland schools. To find out more about the great work Destiny Arts offers, check out www.destinyarts.org.
Our sixteen models represented our coummunity; women of all ages, backgrounds, and body type. The show felt global as the first models walked to the chant from the Nicherin Daishonin Buddhism out of Japan, wearing masks that we had made, shedding them as they left the room. They then sashayed to Gypsy Jazz.
What I enjoyed most about this event was the gathering of creative people. In the salon that day, there was a feeling of excitement and love of our craft, not to mention pure creativity as the stylsits, and owner of Keter Salon came together to contribute to something larger than the everyday at the salon.
Our stepping out to the community was met with the community coming to us...130 people filled the space, standing room only. At the end of the day, we raised some money, Giselle Shepatin gave generously as well. She sold clothing before and after the event, and donated a percentage of her sales to the cause. She also offered beautiful, handmade scarves as gifts for the raffle.
I want to thank some of the Fourth Street merchants in Berkeley, CA, and the people listed for their donations: The Nail Lounge GirlTalkBand - www.girltalkband.com Angie Coiro Peet's Tea & Coffee Bette's Diner George's Bare Minerals The Vivarium Patrick Gilligan Lori Cheung - www.theportraitphotographer.com Marcia Walden Skin Care Dee Conway - Photography Earl Crabb - www.humbeadenterprises.com Cordelia DeVere - www.renegadeart.com Molly B Clothing Store Castle in the Air Scarlett Garcia Cafe M Another Planet Simma Leiberman Dana Argenzana Stacy Appel
Audacity of Change
This year has been all about the visual. I coordinated an Inaugural Fashion Benefit, called the Audacity of Change, for Destiny Arts in Oakland, California, Giselled Shepatin, and Keter Hair Salon. I had six weeks to plan an event I had dreamt of doing for years. Giselle Shepatin sat in my chair one night, and we talked about new ways for her to market herself, and so I suggested she come to the salon and have an event...before I knew it, I volunteered to create a benefit.
Thank you friends, loyal clients, and coworkers for all your support!
Chop Wood, Carry Water
I’ve been under a bit of unusual stress the last three weeks, I would have been better off taking time to assimilate life’s latest serving of chewy bits. But life goes on, and as a Buddhists have said, “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” Cutting hair, even though a family member may have been on her death bed, seemed odd.
And yet, my clients were there for me. At first, I did not think I could work. The salon environment, albeit quieter than usual that day felt too overwhelming. I had no intention of laying it out for everybody, nor did I need to become maudlin, or ignore my reality. At times, I felt as though I walked a tight rope. On one side was my life, on the other, my profession, and when I engaged in conversation about myself, I began to falter, and the net below swung in all directions.
At home I placed a platic bag on a hot burner, walked in three directions at once, not remembering what I was doing. At work, during a weave, I turned my clients hair a pale violet in a few packets. The flashing light inside strobed, sending a warning to refocus, and bring the conversation back to the client.
My family member felt better today, we all could sigh with relief. The road to healing is still long, and perhaps even questionable. Meanwhile, I am grateful for my life, and for my clients who continue to awe me in their respect, concern, and kind words.
The Hair Left Behind
I think of all the thousands of heads of hair I have cut in my career, and all the hair left behind, and the clients who, walk out the door with a bit more bounce in their step. I think of all the things I could do with the millions of strands that fall to the ground. I imagine how heavy that pile would it have accumulated into one massive hair ball, or creating walls, tunnels, out the door and onto the street. I could stand the piles up, side by side, the difference in textures, and colors would be as disparaging as the clients who have sat in my chair. Some piles would be 1/2 inch by 1'', some would me 5" deep, depending on the client.
If I could flatten out the piles, I could make squares, like a quilt, connecting their lives. I could create a time line with the squares from when I began, til' now, building a path laid out into infinity. If I could stack the flattened squares, I would stand on top and feel how tall these clients have helped to make me feel. If that quilt of hair could float, it would surely buoy me a long ways out on a turbulent ocean, and keep me safe. If these piles could tell the stories of the clients that leave the salon, carrying on in their day, and into their lives, as a new person, in their new look, it would be a very interesting story. If I could jumble the pile up, mixing, tossing, like a summer vegetable salad, I would have a very colorful, unique, wondrous, and very deep mix of personalities, experiences and preferences.
HairColor Maven in Once Again
Miss Cordelia DeVere, as generous as always, brought me a cappuccino before we began to the all-too-fun task of creating a new color for her. The window was open at my new station, the summer fog had lifted allowing the sun to light up the greenery out my window, the breeze a nice welcome in the heat of the afternoon. She exclaimed joy at my short hair, and congratulated me on my new spot in the salon. Inspiration percolated inside of me, as she spoke about wanting her hair richer, deeper in color to allow for the fadage. As I conjured up her color combination, level 4, with some red violet, with some accents no doubt. I applied slices of lightener with 9% developer. We talked about what other artists are sculpting, painting, and her staging. We talked about her thoughts on color.
She is still making her creative, fun, and extremely sassy Gissy Dolls too.
It's always a pleasure to create for Cordelia. The accent colors were candy apple with a couple of squirts of pimpin' purple, and some orange.
She called a couple of days later, and said, "I just wanted to let you know, I love my #@*#%& hair!"
Here are some other Cordelia works of art.
Will This Haircut Make Me Look Thin?
Yes. A client did ask this very question the other day, albeit, with humor in her voice. We laughed. The question made me pause. As a hairstylist, I am asked many things or am considered many things, some of which are spoken and not spoken. Sometimes I am seen as a magician, who performs daring acts of color combinations, or haircuts that make one take a second look. No, I don't pull rabbits out of hats, and I don't disappear in front of the mirror or make lines disappear on the face. But yes, I can make someone look thinner with a haircut. It's all about the shape of the head, and of the haircut. What type of hair, the texture, the condition, and the client’s willingness to let go of the concept "more hair is better", are all elements to consider before I cut. Different line designs accent different features or facial shapes, or they can completely drag them down.
In general, when someone has a broad, square shape face, I am going to go in and soften the face by cutting a nice, layered haircut, how short the layers depend on, again, how much hair a person has, or texture. I am not talking about bulky, fat layers, but square layers, more shaped around the face. The length can be mid-length, or shorter, again depending on hair type and texture. If a shorter length is desired, I would go in and do round layers quite short, leaving some hair in front of the ear, but shorter above the ear, leaving some hair on the neck. In front, I tend to cut asymmetrically. It works to offset a long, and or broad face.
If a client has a round face, I would tend to want to elongate their look and take hair away from their face, by creating an oval shape in the perimeter. Then graduate into round layers, and a bit more movement Again, this is very general.
If a client has a heart-shaped face, I would tend to do bobs, shorter, more dramatic looks, unless they prefer length, too long is too much of a drag on the face, but some women want it anyway.
Although I don't do facelifts or weight reduction, a great haircut can make a dramatic change in someone looking more alive, taller, chic, and definitely thinner.
Liberation
I'm convinced that cutting my hair off is not only allowing me a certain kind of freedom, but evokes a discomfort for some clients, and the hope of freedom for others. I knew when Savanna left, I would cut my hair. Something about her leaving the salon, and moving to the UK that set in motion a personal change within myself, an affirmation that when one person changes-everybody around them does as well. The minute some of my clients have entered the salon and they see me, they gasp, do a double take, blink a few times, the words tic-tac across their forehead, "No, you didn't, did you?", like clouds moving across the sky.
My change affects them, whether they like it or not. Their reality has shifted, and I see how they struggle 
to find the old me to relate to, searching for our connection, as if it lies in the hair. As if that weren't enough, my new cut reveals the grey hair I've been coloring for a long time for reasons of fun, beauty world infused ideas that grey hair just makes people look old, and I'm a hairdresser after all. Some clients inquire if I'm going to keep it grey, asking, "You want to show the grey?" As if to say, why would you want to. Some people jump into defending their color and why they do it, and my grey hair clients, say why fight it, let it be. There is plenty of conversation in the chair about why women should color their hair, why it's nice on some, but not everybody. So who decided when and if it is okay?
Frankly, as a hairdresser it is absurd to possibly turn away hundreds of dollars, if not, thousands, by setting the example of how a woman can grow their grey hair out. And, I am aware that to encourage clients to show their grey hair goes against most beauty industry professionals out there. But truth be known, after 26 years of doing hair, I can operate my buisness as I see fit. I want clients to see what they look like without color, at least once in their life. Why not? Then they can make a concious choice based on what they see and experience. Then color can take on a whole new meaning. Is it for fun, or is it stale?
I stopped coloring my hair because of the maintenance, and I felt ready to see the real me. What do I look like at 48, and as my acting coach use to say, warts and all? The freedom of cutting the dead, dark hair off, made me happy, and yet vulnerable. I wanted to see what I had underneath all the dark hair, and have my look on the outside mirror the change going on inside. I don't always love the way it looks, but I didn't the other way either.
Some clients look at my hair, and say, "Wow, I want to do that! Can I do that?" Their tired of being slaves to color for all sorts of reasons. They are terrified to see themselves without hair color. They say, "You're leading the way. " I don't know about that. What I can say is that I feel completely at home with it, and I love how bold it is, both energetically and visually. Although, I have never felt I needed hair to make me look feminine, shorter hair does move into the sterotype of the older and less feminine realm.
And yet, this shorter, new, grey look makes me feel better. I wish this feeling for every client, every person. Right, or wrong, fashionable, or unfashionable, I love it. Every woman needs to decide for themselves what is right for them, regardless of what others say. If your hairdresser is stuck on you coloring your hair, than I would find someone who is willing to take you through the process. Take the leap!
Photo: http://search.creativecommons.org/mag3737's photostream
http://search.creativecommons.org/Magic Lantern Shows' photostream
http://search.creativecommons.org/angusf's photostream
The $30,000 Pyramid
"So, what do you love about your hair? What don't you like about it? And when did you last get your haircut?" I asked to begin the consultation with Leslie, a new client. Through Squaw Valley Writer's Conference in "07, I met a group of women writer's from the Bay Area. Some of us have remained in contact, some have read at the readings I've held at the salon, and a few have even become clients. One of the writer's that I had become a client, referred her friend Leslie. Her curly hair was lovely, and way over due for a cut. The longest layer on top reached to about her chin, sagging her beautiful face down "I'm one of those annoying clients, who wants to keep some length, but feel it's too heavy up here," she replied, pulling at her hair on top. "I just got it cut six weeks ago. That isn't very long is it?"
"No, it isn't, not for curly hair."
"I feel like always leave with the same haircut."
"What attitude do you want your hair to have?"
"Ooh, that is a good question. I've never been asked that. Hmm. Well, what do you think I have?"
"Long hair."
"Yeah, I feel like I look like a hippie, but without the hippie."
"Do you want to move into something a little more edgy?"
"What does that mean?"
"Edgy means to me a stronger shape."
"What does that look like?"
"Okay well, let me get my hands in here. I think if you brought the length up to shoulder length, then took
this hair away from your face a bit, slightly off center, then layered out this top, we'd be getting somewhere. I want to round out it out, so that you don't have a pyramid shape, and I'll do some dry cutting."
"Sounds, good. Yeah, I've had the $30,000 pyramid quite often."
"You are funny."
"Well, you come up with all kinds of names when you've had this kind of hair for a long time."
She removed her glasses, which was as slight discomfort, because she could not say anything. And so we cut, and cut and cut. I asked at one point I asked if she would like to put the glasses back on. No, she said, she was enjoying not seeing. Then product instruction, then I twisted the hair and diffused. Her hair looked fabulous. Bouncy, full, sassy. 
I unwrapped her, she reached for her glasses, and as we spun the chair around, she exclaimed, "Oh wow. I love it." She remained in the chair a bit, wanting to take in her image a bit. We laughed about her looking for reflective surfaces to gaze in, on her way home. We agreed it was a transformation.
http://search.creativecommons.org/photogirl7
http://search.creativecommons.org/Neil Carey's photostream
Intuition or Practice
What part of coloring hair is intuitive, and what is years of practice? As I worked with a new assistant yesterday, she said she used to work with Logics hair color, and where she worked before, they couldn't look at a color chart. They learned by knowing the boxes of color, the color level, and the tone. As we talked, I realized I trained myself in hair color, and that has its pluses and minuses, right? Knowing levels and tones of hair color without a chart is a definite must because it is about training the eye to see color. Some stylists have this gift, this natural ability. Since I did train myself, and with practice, it is intuitive and knowing what level and tone is second nature. And, I still refer to a chart to get a visual strongly placed in my head, and it happens within minutes.
We are playing with Dia hair color now. I like it. The range of tones, flexibility, and shine is wonderful. The other day, I saw a new client for a weave and haircut. I liked her, she seemed to respond to my ideas, our communication felt on track and we articulated a plan. She had a natural level 5, and she was heavily highlighted. We decided to not go that light. So I highlighted her hair with slices of Blondor and 9%. Then I went back through with a thin slice of light brown, with a bit of copper, and a bit of gold. I like that you can add a squirt of this and a squirt of that. I thought after I shook the formula in the jar that maybe I needed to add more gold or natural to the formula, but I didn't. but I did at a toner for the blonde of Richesse 9.3, which undid the shine, I am sure. Next time, I would see what the Dia equivalent would be.
The color was beautiful, with definite coppery lowlights, but not brassy. The overall look had a zing to it. I loved it, and she was happy. The finesse of color formulating is to see what the gut says, and listen, or to follow through with what you worked up, and take a risk. To me being a great colorist is not a perfect formulation, but knowing how to get back when you've gone too far. Some of it is intuition and some of it is practice.
She's Still Letting Her Hair Grow
When Jeanne first walked into the salon for a haircut, wearing a gray work uniform and her hair in a Twistie. I told her I would be right with her. As I finished the short, sassy haircut on my last client of the day, I could see Jeanne's eyes peeking over the half-wall that separated my station from the waiting area. Then, within minutes she was purring, barking, and lusting after my client's short haircut that she witnessed.
After I grabbed my bag, we headed out into the sunlight, my sensory neurons on my skin waking up after a long day of being inside. We embraced, and I could feel the missing her right in the center of my chest. As we ordered tea and sat outside in front of Betty's Diner in Berkeley, CA, we immediately got to the hair topic. She is having a hard time with it. She is a short-haired woman. Long hair doesn't feel comfortable or like an expression of herself. Even more poignant of action then.
We talked about art and agreed we needed to keep the art going. But do we need to let the world know about our craft? She doesn't think so. It's like painting in the back of the cave. Paint because you have to, and for nobody else to see. Somebody else will paint over your work. It's about the process, not the result. Art for money? That's a whole other conversation. Sometimes we feel more private with our creativity, and others must let others into our process. We agreed we thought many more people would be functioning adults if they had had their voice come out through something they had created.
By the end of our conversation, Jeanne thought that maybe she just needed a slight trim to give it some shape as her hair continued to grow. I agreed. I said she wouldn't be defeating the process by getting her ends trimmed. Was it a plea for her hair or about our connection? She might be moving, and that would sadden me. Maybe it saddened her as well.
Unsolicited Hair Stories
I can pretty much guarantee you, the moment I let someone know I am a hairdresser, that I will inevitably hear a hair story. But the one I heard the other day, came unsolicited. I was at the hospital with my sister waiting long hours while she healed at an imperceptiblespeed. During the day, I had made runs out to the nurses station for various requests, i.e., water, cotton swabs for the mouth, robe change, etc. The last run out to the nurses station was complicated for me. I was looking for a sign that it was okay to leave, and that my sister would be in good hands if I left. The nurse Becky, upon seeing my awkward attempt at having her absolve my guilt, said, "No problem! We will take care of her. In fact, we will check on her more since you are leaving." I said, "Oh good. I have got a 5 year old I need to take care of at home."
"Oh, no. She doesn't need you." You know, when I was five, I cut my hair and stuffed it in my father's shoe, thinking he would never find it there."
"Really?" I asked. "Did you know I was a hairdresser?"
She went on to tell me her father found the hair, and they did cut the rest of her hair off. (I would have liked to have seen how that story played out)
It seems to be a theme. Because when I returned home, I slept most of the night, and although it was hard to get up in the morning, I was excited to spend the day with my family. We get to the park where a July 4th party is in full swing, put on by the city of El Cerrito, and I run into a friend, who's daughter I get to finally meet. The girl is beautiful, and her hair is cut as short as mine is now. My friend says, "She took the scissors to it yesterday," as she motioned at the front of her daughter's hair. "We cut the rest of it to match." Her daughter covered her head in embarassment.
I guess I better keep scissors out of hand's reach of my five year old.
Nobody is Brushing Their Hair
It came to me yesterday that as the world becomes more intense all the time, with people killing each other, starving in most of the world, and holed up in their homes craving touch, I had a solution to the ills of human nature. Brushing your hair. Nobody is brushing their hair anymore. When did it stop? The stress goes right to the scalp. In fact, I will start polling scalps and give you an update on how many people have tight scalps, and how many people brush. I can guarantee you this, most people do not brush their hair. I touch scalps all day long, and at least 75% are tight. So, now we have tight scalps, and more people do not brush their hair because of hair color, or hair products, and then we go to bed with unbrushed hair(yuck!), then we wake up and do it again. More product, more air pollution, more stress, and no brushing, then back to bed again. Then we do it all again. I wonder what goes on for our skin too, resting on that yucky pillowcase over and over.
The perfect anecdote is to BRUSH your hair! Not only does brushing feel good, it relaxes every part of you, but all the toxins, and tension gets brushed away. And as if that wasn't sweet enough, the oils get brushed out to the ends of the hair, which mostly are dry. The softness starts to permeate everywhere. You can't just use any brush...you have to check out the Mason Pearson brushes at www.masonpearson.com. These brushes feel so good, and last a lifetime they say. You will never need another brush, nor will you want one. These brushes get right down to the scalp, without digging in, and without little plastic, tips coming off.
While you are at it, brush right down over your body, with your clothes on. Brushing in downward strokes the arms, the sides of the body, your legs, your back, your legs, right down the feet. You've never felt anything like it.
When you brush away your stress, you are tuning into your own body, you can feel your own energy again, and you are tending to yourself. Isn't this where world peace begins? Maybe you will want to do it for someone else. We will have hair brushing parties...we will do it for our kids.
Hair Can Undo It All
Over a bottle of Chardonnay and a seafood platter at the Martini Oyster Bar in Sonoma, three of us couples talked about everything. We laughed so much that my cheeks hurt, and my eyes watered. One couples are a husband and wife team that are clients of mine. I commented on the fact that Joanie is a dream client. She is a client of Julie Schindler's as well, she knew exactly what I meant. Julie is a wonderful fashion designer and designs most of what Joanie wears. They have known each other for a long time now. And what we love about Joanie is her ability to trust in, and pull forth the best work of those who provide a service for her. She loves to turn it over. When I pull off the cutting cape and she goes to the dressing room to change, I wait to see the finished look. She walks out looking stunning every time. Why? Because she dresses, and her hair always looks good. There are people whom I have never seen dressed in their best, and yet they may wear great hair. But then, some dress well but never make changes to their hair. We all agreed that the hair can undo it all, the hair is the crown and glory. It must come down to fear. Fear of looking good, fear of not looking good, fear of change, fear of attention. I know women who can spend thousands of dollars on a wardrobe, per season, and who refuse to dress when they come into the salon. They wear sweatpants and Uggs. But not Joanie! She is confident in who she is, and she doesn't need approval from anybody... but she receives more positive feedback where ever she goes. When she walks into a room, people look, because everything is congruent.
Every designer I know works very hard and deals with quite a bit of stress, every designer needs to find what they love in what they do, and not waste time doing all the other stuff. Julie loves designing for Joanie because she is appreciated, and Joanie wears her clothes with ease.
Julie's designs are fabulous! Classic with a twist; beautiful fabrics, lined slacks, interesting shapes, detailed finishing. Julie has class, and provides quality fashion, for a modest price. She, unfortunately, doesn't have a website yet. The success of her business manifested through word of mouth.
I wished I would have brought my camera with me.