Ted Gibson – Hairstylist Extraordinaire

Ted Gibson is one of the most sought-after celebrity hairstylists in the beauty business today. His multi-faceted career as a fashion, runway, editorial and celebrity stylist continues to take him around the world where he finds great beauty in exploring different cultures. Previously exclusive to just A-list celebrity clientele such as Angelina Jolie, Renee Zellweger, Keira Knightly and Anne Hathaway; Ted took the time to chat with me and Emily Sandberg about his petition to get recognition for hairstylists at The Academy Awards, his craft and what he wants you to understand about the man behind the brand.

How has your definition of success defined you?

I have created a level of success that I’m comfortable with now and I am working towards more success in an effort to accomplish some of the goals I’ve laid out for myself in changing the industry.

The Academy Awards recognize achievements in makeup and costume, but not hair styling. How do you feel about this oversight and what would you like to see done about this?

It’s surprising to me that there isn’t a ballot for hair. It feels like hairdressers aren’t valuable. Social media is a way to reach a lot of people, for instance, it helped Betty White get on Saturday Night Live, and I’m still figuring it out how to use social media to raise awareness about this oversight and hopefully bring about a change. I know hairdressers have raised this issue in the past and brought it to light but nothing has happened yet. I’m putting a petition together to continue the effort to bring awareness to the Academy that it’s not OK that there isn’t a category for hair. There have been so many iconic hair styles that came to light through the medium of film, I’d like to see that celebrated and recognized.

At what stage was branding incorporated into your development and how do you further plan to develop the Ted Gibson brand?

I’ve always considered my work as the means for building my brand. Part of that is staying true to who I am and true to the industry I work in.

Now that you have your own salons, product lines and television shows, what other personal goals would you like to achieve?

The brand of Ted Gibson is not a household name yet. I’m opening new salons, one of which is being opened soon in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I plan on opening beauty schools to provide a level of service that is not available for many people like it is for celebrities. My brand is about attainable luxury. Although my haircut is one of the most expensive in the world at $950, I’m on What Not to Wear helping everyday people look their best. It’s a touching moment to watch people who consider luxury out of their reach see that it is indeed attainable with the right information and tools. I feel like I was put on this earth to inspire and create something special to inspire the next generation of hairdressers to think outside the box. I want to raise the level of the profession period.

What message do you want your clients, both current and prospective, to understand about you?

I think what is unique about the brand is that at my salons you have the affordable opportunity to get great hair and the service is five star. When you come to Ted Gibson you get obtainable luxury, something that is lacking with the divide of the wealthy and middle class widening. I created the space in the salons to be like the culture of New York city. You can be standing on the corner in New York listening to four different languages at the same time; standing next to a white person or a black person or a celebrity or dude and it’s very diverse. It’s not intimidating when you come into the space, it’s very inviting, and you know you’re going to get great service and a personalized hair cut; that’s what is different about the Ted Gibson brand. People think it’s uptown and if you come into the salon you’ll be in a snooty atmosphere but it’s not that at all.

How has social media informed the way you conduct business?

I call social media free marketing. What it can provide for a brand or even an individual is the ability to reach people that wouldn’t otherwise know anything about you and get closer to people that already are aware who you are and what you represent. I do all my own tweets and Facebook updates.

You work in a collaborative art form. How do you manage, prioritize and validate all the relationships you juggle in a day in the life?

I feel like I was put on this earth to do this and I don’t treat anyone any different than I would treat someone like Angelina Jolie. It’s the same response regardless of if you are a celebrity or not, and I am who I am regardless of who you are.

You have achieved and maintained relationships with celebrities, fashion houses and regular clients while remaining accessible and not diluting your image. What principals have you applied that have created this rare combination of image and personality?

It’s worked for me because I’m in charge of my image and I’m so hands on. As well, I maintain an attitude of service. For one, I know that as a celebrity hairdresser it’s important to continue work on new actresses and models, helping them find their best image. I keep myself fresh that way and it’s been the key.

As a hairdresser my main role the past ten years has been working with celebrities and when I got the celebrity to a certain place then that relationship was over to make room for a new girl. But I still maintain the relationships I invested in in the beginning and that effort has sustained my growth. My gift is to help women discover who they are and help them focus their image. Every girl I’ve worked with has been an enduring relationship.

Do you feel that celebrity has hijacked the creative industry?

I did not want to be a starving artist. There’s nothing worse than being a starving artist. Finding the balance between art and commerce is very important to me. The whole idea about celebrity when I started in the business about 10 years ago was different. Models were still on the covers of magazines. When they were on the covers it was dynamic but grew to a point where it was no longer interesting because we didn’t know who they were. I think that’s partially why it went to celebrities. People related to their stories, where they came from, what movie they were doing and there was so much more to it than being simply a model. We thought it wouldn’t last and models would come back on covers and here we are 10 years later and celebrities are still on covers. I miss my girls though.

The audience clearly loves you. Why did you want to do the show What Not To Wear and why do you feel the women responded to you so favorably?

I give the same treatment to everyone. It’s the same banter and philosophy. Every woman, famous or not, has insecurities and doesn’t necessarily like their hair and if I can help a woman discover how beautiful she is and how great she can feel about herself, I’ve done my job. The medium I work in is hair and importantly, can transform the way a woman feels about herself in an instant.

My publicist asked me to go into an audition for the show and I was surprised and unsure but I went. I remembered Vidal Sasson television and how everything changed for him when he became a household name. A lot of my growth has come from being on television. What Not to Wear is a great vehicle to showcase my work and myself and how effective a hairdresser can be. You can’t deny the power of television.

What influence do you think growing up overseas had on your development?

My dad was in the military. The constant travel helped me develop a wider palate for what beauty is and means. Moving every two years also taught me skills to easily adapt to different situations. My tagline is Beauty is Individual. You can be a size 24 or 2 and be beautiful. It’s about what I can do to help bring out a persons best self.

Can you talk about the power of positive thinking and the effect it’s had on your work?

I believe in the law of cause and effect. What you put out is what you receive in return. I have to know everything is for my good even when I don’t understand it. From that philosophy I’ve been able to roll with the punches. I have a morning practice whereby I mediate, write or read for 15 minutes. If I don’t have enough time I definitely meditate and read. I read from the Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes. I consider myself to be a spiritual person.

Change is stressful and scary for most people. You seem to have developed productive and effective skills when dealing with change. Can you tell us about a few of them?

I belonged to a church for a long time that focused on creating your own abundance. In your world you are responsible for what you create if that’s what you choose and desire. This question hits on exactly what the teaching was about a few days ago. I hadn’t been in several years and went the other day for the first time with friends. We sat through the class then had lunch. Her talk was on change and adapting to change and embracing it. Change is inevitable, it’s how you respond to it. I love that my career has taken me in many directions because I want to leave a teachable legacy so the next black kid that comes along will have it easier to create something for himself.

Did you envision the life you have today when you began this journey?

Yes and no. I remember when I was in barber school and said I wanted to work on celebrities. I always wanted to be famous but didn’t know what that meant. It was the late 80’s and I went through my training then moved to Austin and around the country then ended up in New York. I ran the Aveda salon for about eight months then left to enter the fashion business. The first time I met Angelina Jolie, we did the covers of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire in London and Patrick Demarchelier shot it. I didn’t know what working with her would do for my career but that’s when it shifted. I quickly realized fame was not what I had imagined it to be. But also, because of it, I was given an opportunity to do good.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking about taking a risk and doing something they love?

You have to go for it. There’s nothing worse than living in regret, it’s something you just can’t do. I don’t think there’s anything I’ve failed at. There have been mistakes that I consider stepping stones as they took me to the next thing.

Follow him at @tedgibson

Posted on October 19, 2011 by theculturalomnivore in Beauty, Fashion

New York Fashion Week – Eila Mell

Eila Mell is a journalist who has spent many years writing about fashion, theater, and film and interviewing some of the biggest names in the fashion and entertainment industries. She has been tapped for her expertise by nearly a hundred television and radio shows, including The Insider, Hollywood 411, Dailies and The Mark & Brian Show. Eila was gracious enough to grant Emily Sandberg and I access to her views on the fashion industry for the launch of her new book New York Fashion Week.

What inspired you to document almost two decades of NYC Fashion Week history?

I was invited to attend a few shows during Fashion Week while working on a project. When I casually mentioned it to friends (mostly people with no interest in fashion) everyone wanted to go with me! I quickly realized that people wanted to know what was going on in the tents.

What challenges did you experience during the process of writing the book?

Editing was the biggest challenge. There was so much information and so many photos it was hard to get the book down to 368 pages.

Fern Mallis is largely credited with creating NYC Fashion Week as we know it. What impact, if any, do you see on fashion week now Fern has stepped down?

Fern Mallis was the face and voice of Fashion Week. There is no one person now that represents the entire event. Since Fern’s departure the shows have moved from Bryant Park to Lincoln Center, marking the end of an era.

The cost of staging a runway show can easily run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In a Web 2.0 world, do you think the traditional staging of runway shows is still necessary and economically advantageous?

That’s a hard one. On one hand, an enormous amount of money could be saved if designers recorded shows and sent them to the people who need to see them. However, that will never compare to seeing a live runway show. There is a huge advantage to actually seeing the clothes move in person that a recording cannot replicate.

How do you see the internet and social media changing the way fashion is presented and delivered to the public.

Because of the internet and social media fashion is now open to everyone. In 1993 it didn’t seem possible that a 12 year old girl from Illinois could post her insights online and become part of the industry. Anyone can be a critic. Another major change is the speed at which fashion is presented to the public. It used to be that the few invited guests were getting a preview of what the world would see months later. Now the second a look comes down the runway it’s being tweeted. Things are very different.

What role, if any, do you think sponsorship has over what designers present?

Hopefully not much. I think it’s important that designers have creative freedom.

The vision of the four major fashion conglomorates; LVMH, Gucci Group, Richemont and Prada decide and set the tone of fashion for the majority of the world. Discuss.

It’s an interesting issue. The designers who work for these companies are some of the most talented in the industry, so perhaps it’s fitting. But there should always be room for the smaller labels and new designers who have their own vision.

Bloggers such as Tavi Gevinson have an increasing presence at runway shows. What role do you see bloggers having in the future?

Bloggers have huge followings, and that can’t be ignored. I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon. I think that blogging has the potential to rival magazines, as the number of people getting their fashion scoops online continues to grow.

How do you feel about the democratization of fashion?

For me, some of the most interesting looks have always been found in street fashion. People should embrace their individuality and not worry about rules!

How has writing affected your ability to communicate in the world?

Writing can be such a solitary endeavor. It’s an amazing thing when you finally share your work with the world. When someone really gets what you’ve written about, it’s priceless.

You have a distinct writing voice. Can you tell us how it was developed and what the process of finding that voice was like for you?

I just try to have a conversation with my readers. I tend to write the way I speak, which can be very direct. I write about what I love, and know that there are so many others with the same passion. How many people would love to go to New York Fashion Week? My goal is to give those people the lowdown on what it’s like to be there almost as if we were discussing it over coffee. It can be so much fun dishing with friends, and I try to bring that same quality to my work.

New York Fashion Week by Eila Mell is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon

Posted on October 19, 2011 by theculturalomnivore in Fashion

Emily Sandberg: A Conversation With Fashion Royalty

Born in Rochester, Minnesota, Emily Sandberg was an international fixture in the fashion industry featuring in advertising campaigns for Fendi, Versace, Sportmax, Armani, DKNY and more. In addition to modeling, she has appeared in The Devil Wears Prada and Employee of the Month. Now a mother, Emily chronicles her life on her blog.

What do you think about the current beauty model used by the fashion industry? Do you think it portrays an unattainable and/or unrealistic ideal?

I don’t think the images are unrealistic at all. All you need is a team of professionals 24/7, the perfectly clear skin of a 20-year-old and a Photoshop filter the world can view you through. What’s unrealistic about that?

Beauty suggests so many emotions, it’s difficult to capture all definitions of the word in one image. Currently, most of the beauty models look the same or they are celebrity actresses. When I see an ad for L’Oreal or Revlon or Maybelline, I can no longer differentiate the branding. To me, the images all look the same. As a whole they are indeed beautiful, if one considers beauty to be uniform.

Fashion is an industry that is very youth centric. The largest growing demographic with the most disposable income is people in their 50’s. Do you think older women are represented equitably by the industry?

I think designers are beginning to design with the older women in mind and thank goodness. These women deserve the love; They are fierce and they have earned it. As well, the financial bottom line demands it. How the clothing is marketed and advertised is a different story altogether. If I based my profiling on the advertisements for most designers, I would think that their core customer is a sexually mature girl in her early twenties, with an extremely high paying job and/or trust fund. I don’t know many 50-year-old women that either look or aspire to behave like the women I see in advertising. But I may be hanging with the wrong crowd of 50-year-olds.

Child stars such as Hailee Steinfeld, Chloe Moretz and Elle Fanning appear on the covers of LOVE’s autumn/winter issue in addition to appearing in campaigns for Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs. Thaylane Loubry, the ten-year-old French model who was styled in French Vogue’s January 2011 issue, is causing controversy over what is considered too young to model. How do you feel about the sexualisation of young girls in fashion and what is too young?

Certainly I think we can all agree that 10 is too young to be covering a child in makeup and placing her in suggestive positions. However, although most models are a few years older, they are still required to reflect and embody the sexuality of a mature, experienced woman. Most of these girls fake what they think sexuality is. We end up with a definition of sexuality as being something outside of ourselves that can be manufactured with fake breasts, liposuction, a red lip and higher heel. To me this is much less interesting than the inner life and energy the truly sexually awakened woman exudes. Having said that, when I see a Victoria’s Secret fashion show I do wonder if life would be a bit easier with a couple of grands worth of breast implants. I experience the impulsive desire to have it and that impulse is what sells clothes.

Celebrities have increasingly replaced models on the covers of magazine over the past ten years. Why do you think this is and what do you think about our society’s obsession with celebrity culture?

Trust me on this, people aren’t so obsessed with celebrities as much as they need to be in touch with themselves. People need stories to connect to themselves, to their communities and tribes. It was really a genius business move to capitalize on this years back. Now it has become a monstrous machine that is feeding upon itself and literally destroying the lives of those who get sucked into it. I would consider it abusive at this point to allow any new talent to get sucked into the Hollywood machine. Unless you have a very good understanding of what exactly this machine is and what your role in it is, step away. Be warned, there are not enough gifting suites and red carpets to give back the sanity of a soul at peace with itself.

A celebrity used to be a special personality or talent. Now it’s rare that you find a quality persona that is sustainable for any length of time. Mind you, fashion is experiencing that same predicament. It used to take years to develop a model to the point where she was ready for the world stage. Around the time I started modelling you knew within months whether or not you were going to make it in the business. Now models step off a plane and are signed to exclusive deals with Prada, Miu Miu and Jil Sander for a season and by the next season no one is interested.

Designers such as Prada and Burberry are streaming their ready to wear collections live. How do you see fashion and social media converging?

There are a few people in fashion that have completely embraced social media. Anna Dello Russo and Ted Gibson are two that have an innate understanding of what social media is and how to use it. A lot of what I see at the moment is fashion using social media as a way to self-promote. There are huge gaps in the conversation but I think we’ll see them filled. The convergence, for me, is very exciting seeing fashion reach the innards of our country. Growing up, I had never heard of Louis Vuitton or Versace or even Donna Karan.

Threadless is an online company built on one of the most powerful social media tools; crowdsourcing. A small T-shirt company started by a couple of college dropouts with $1000 is now a multimillion dollar company. The people and brands that will end up being paid attention to are the ones that have substance and a way to connect in real time with their communities and tribes. I don’t think we’ll be seeing vanity brands and projects that have been supported primarily by dollars lasting much longer.

How has the industry changed since you started your career in the late 90’s?

When I was modelling, people knew who the girls were and were excited to see them on the runway, in the magazines and on the street. They had worked with them for years showing them how to model, how to hold themselves. They were comfortable with the business and familiar with the players before the public ever caught onto them. Once the celebrity craze began and the turnover of new faces ramped up, model’s personalities became more ubiquitous. The models were everywhere but no one knew who they were anymore. The emotional connection to the specialness of a face and a personality in fashion was diluted. Then, the Eastern Europeans came and took over the entire scene for a few years. At that point, even the agents had a difficult time picking their own girls out of runway lineups. They all had the same hair length, skin tone and facial features. The model as muse ended and celebrity and designer pairings took hold.

I predict that we’ll be seeing stylists as the new emerging personalities of the fashion business. What they wear and their approach to fashion will become more and more visible and followed. Brilliant stylists like Brana Wolf, Katie Grand, Anna Dello Russo, Carine Roitfeld, Edward Enninful, Monica Dolfini and the like are going to be paid attention to like never before.

How do you feel about the creative process in the industry and do you think it is being diluted to make fashion more commercial?

Fashion had to become commercialized to keep up with the shifting celebrity dynamic and weakening world economy. Celebrity stories became the foothold to keep advertising money flowing. I do believe we’ve reached its final chapter and will see the celebrity obsession die down as the economy and people’s confidence in art and their own talents strengthen. I speak a lot about this phenomenon in my blog because the extent to which we allowed the celebrity crazy to take the fashion business hostage fascinates me. It will change though, that’s one thing that will always remain a constant in fashion; change.

Models such as Liu Wen and Jourdan Dunn represent such a small number of successful working models of ethnic diversity. Do you think it is a fair assessment to say the use of these girls is tokenism?

Oh no, not at all. These girls mentioned are great models and deserve every bit of success that they’ve achieved. I’d love to see more diversity on the runway but first and foremost, the model needs to a great model. You can’t throw away talent in the name of diversity. Perhaps a college university can or a large corporation, but not in fashion. Creative talent trumps equal employment opportunity. It’s still the wild west.

Vogue Italia recently put three ‘plus’ sized models on its cover. Do you think this was a publicity stunt or an authentic move to represent other body sizes in fashion?

I don’t think it was either. Steven Meisel and Italian Vogue have been the undeniable blue chip standard for forward thinking creativity in the fashion business for the past two decades. Neither have allowed themselves to be defined or swayed by advertisers or politics. The commitment to creative authenticity has kept Italian Vogue as the reigning magazine in the business and Steven the reigning photographer.

The Advertising Standards Authority in the UK recently banned ads for L’Oreal featuring Julia Roberts and Christy Turlington citing that both ads breached the advertising standards code for exaggeration and being misleading. How do you feel about the use of Photoshop in advertising?

Photoshop has gotten a bad rap the past few years. The problem with using Photoshop in beauty advertisements is that the overuse of it dilutes the reality of what the product is capable of. For instance, it would appear from most ads that the products are going to make me look like a Madame Tussauds’ statue. It would be great to give credit to the Photoshop artists. I think it would be a gentle reminder that these images are in fact images.

British Vogue’s June issue featured the headline ‘ The Arrival of the Asian Supermodel’ yet none of the editorials featured Asian models. If Vogue felt it was important enough to dedicate a cover line to this issue why do you think the contents of the magazine were seriously lacking in Asian models?

I didn’t see the issue so I can’t comment specifically on that issue, but to say that is hilarious and tells me somewhere in Vogue UK’s system of decision making there’s a big communication problem.

How has motherhood informed your life?

I now live a life of necessity. It is the rare occasion when I choose to do what I want to do. I only have the energy to do what is absolutely necessary. My child is my priority now. The laundry and the rest will just have to wait.

Follow her on Instagram

Posted on October 19, 2011 by theculturalomnivore in Female Models