Meet the Stylists: Satoshi-John (Senior Stylist / Store Manager)
Stylist: Satoshi-John
Main Branch: Plano Salon
Q: Tell us about yourself. Where are you from? What are some of your career highlights?
A: I was born in Osaka and thereafter, I’ve lived in different areas of Japan like Fukuoka, Shizuoka and Tokyo. I have 10 years of experience as a hairstylist, mostly in Tokyo. I’ve been blessed with many clients and stayed busy with my salon work. At the same time, I took classes and workshops to sharpen my skills and met up with other hairstylists to cultivate my inspiration. In retrospect, those 10 years were the most rewarding years I’ve ever experienced.
Q: What's your specialty?
A: A lot of times, hairstylists will focus on blow-drying,which is important too, but I think the haircut should be the foundation of hair design. I’m very particular about designing haircuts that are easy to manage for my clients. Blow-drying and styling comes afterwards to enhance the entire look.
Q: Why did you become a hairstylist?
A: My mother had one of the iconic Sassoon cuts which was the first time I became curious about hair. My curiosity grew further when I realized that I wasn’t fond of my hair nor the shape of my head. I wondered if growing out my hair longer would solve the problem.When I was in middle school, I had my first hair salon experience and that special experience captivated me and made me pursue hairstyling.
Q: What do you love about your job?
A: I love the one-on-one, face-to-face communication I have with my clients during the hair design process. I also appreciate that I can get my clients’ honest feedback. Although I’m constantly critical of my work in this kind of environment, I’m also overflowing with joy when my clients are truly satisfied with the outcome.
Q: Tell us about your aspirations.
A: I want Viange Hair to be the most trusted and in-demand hair salon in the nation. I’m determined to play a big part in this big dream by honing my skills I’ve developed from Japan and mixing that with what I learned in the U.S. I’m not interested in taking shortcuts. I just want to move forward one step at a time.
Q. Who’s your muse?
A: Takahiro Uemura of DADA CuBIC. He’s a legend known for taking his experience studying and teaching at Vidal Sassoon and applying it to Asian hair. When I was a student, I came across one of his books and was immediately drawn into the sensation and depth of his craft.
Q: What do you do on your free time?
A: I’m constantly studying and researching newhaircuts and hair colorswhenever I have free time. It may sound crazy, but I have this innate drive for personal growth and it all comes natural to me.
Q: What’s your favorite quote?
A: Small efforts build up to incredible success.
