| Beauty Articles :: Stylist Profiles |
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| In the Hair Stylist's Chair: Continuing His Family's Hair Styling Legacy |
| by Ysolt Usigan |
What do ASHLEE SIMPSON, LUCY LIU, MARY J. BLIGE, and DEBRA MESSING have in common? Not only will you spot the said celebrities on the red carpet, you can also find them on Luke O'Connor's résumé under the category of clients he's styled. The owner of LuKaRo Salon in Beverly Hills, CA, and consultant/spokesperson for the ThermaSilk hair care line is a third-generation Hair Stylist maven. His grandfather was a barber, and eight out of 11 uncles also ended up in the hair stylist business.
Luke enrolled in Santa Monica Community College (Santa Monica, CA) to follow in his family's hair styling footsteps and study cosmetology. His destination upon graduation: Beverly Hills. "I wanted to build clients in a place I wanted to stay," he explains. "I also knew it would be a great place to build celebrity clientele."
His Big Break in Hair Styling
Luke had his doubts about the career's financial rewards, but when he read a headline in the newspaper about Vidal Sassoon being flown in from London to fix MIA FARROW's hair for $5,000, he knew he wanted to see what being a hair stylist had to offer.
Inspired, he joined renowned hair stylist and haircare mogul Vidal Sassoon at his first salon. He walked in to inquire about jobs and they gave him a shot. Luke trained as an assistant, working his way up to the floor. He then got a job at the Jon Peters Salon on Rodeo Drive. "At the time, all the celebs were going there," he recalls.
Soon after, Luke started producing and organizing fashion shows and fundraisers for charity, which involved recruiting models. He befriended a model who asked if he could give her boyfriend a haircut. The client turned out to be comedian GARRY SHANDLING of "The Larry Sanders Show."
From then on, Luke became a household name when it came to doing celebrity hair. "FARRAH FAWCETT helped me get 'in' with the film union," he says. "Actresses began to recognize my work and request me." Before he knew it, BROOKE SHIELDS was asking for his hair styling expertise. The stars have been shining brightly in his chair ever since.
All In a Day's Work
Luke usually spends four to five days a week in his salon seeing clients -- about 10 per day -- while also working backstage on TV shows like "Will & Grace."
"My true love is working behind the chair in the salon," he says. "It's incredibly gratifying to see instant results in an hour."
What Luke says is not so glamorous about his career: the 5 a.m. call times for hair styling.
Expert Advice
So it's not for everyone. But how can you tell if a beauty career is the right career path for you? Luke says, "Start beauty school. Within the first six weeks, you'll know if you love it or not."
But don't just pick any beauty school to obtain your cosmetology license, says Luke. "Look for a reputable Beauty School Program like Vidal Sassoon cosmetology school or Paul Mitchell, The School," he asserts. "Community colleges are also great if you've got a tighter budget."
Plus, just because beauty school ends doesn't mean you have to stop educating yourself. "Attend educational seminars constantly, and never stop learning," Luke advises.
About the author:
http://www.collegesurfing.com/blog
Dawn Papandrea is the Managing Editor of The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.
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