Noelle Vandenberg, Senior Stylist at Edo Salon
BC: What got you into hair cutting and styling?
NV: When I was young. I was really into painting and sculpture, and collaging. As I got older my love for fashion grew more. I thought I wanted to become fashion designer. After taking a sewing class I realized hated it! That’s when I made the connection that doing hair was art and fashion combined.
BC: How do you feel SF and Hair Scene intersect?
NV: To me: San Francisco has alway had a feeling of free spirited bohemian vibes. The Summer of :ove may have came and left, but the energy is still here. And I think that translates really well into hair and all of the 70’s hair trends going on currently.
BC: What’s something about hair / styling & cutting that everyone should know?
NV: It’s alway best to go with your natural texture! The more you fight it the sadder your hair will become over the years. If you have curls, rock them; if your hair is wavy or frizzy, there are definitely products like Hair Story’s Hair Balm that allows you to air dry it with minimal effort. So put down that flat iron and curling iron—just go with it.
BC: Favorite moments thus far in your career?
NV: Doing a fashion show for Vogue was pretty fun. But honestly, working here at Edo Salon with in such a creative and beautiful environment has been pretty awesome.
BC: Future goals and other milestones you still want to hit?
NV: Eventually I would love to open a place of my own that incorporates all aspects of beauty and wellness. As I believe beauty and hair is a result of how we feel and take care of ourselves.
BC: Favorite cut and color to achieve?
NV: Shags and cute little French bobs are so it right now! I just love to do a hand-painted balayage for a melty sun kissed look that is a dream to grow out.
BC: If you could play with one person’s hair (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
NV: I would have to say Stevie Nicks, she has always had the best boho layers and shag—the ultimate cool girl hair.
BC: Last words or positive affirmations you would like to state?
NV: Hair has such a strong effect on how we feel about ourselves and to our self esteem. Put love and care into your hair, it’s the crown you can’t ever take off. If you want more tips of how to care for yours we here at Edo are here to show you.
// Follow Noelle here and make sure to follow Edo Salon as well.
Jonathan Ng, Assistant at Joseph Cozza Salon
BC: What got you into coloring and styling?
Assistant and tech Jonathan Ng
JN: For starters, I have colored my hair ever since I knew how to get my hands on box dye from Walgreens. But I’m going to be real and say the thought of doing hair as a career never really popped up until I was in college. It all started with drag. Drag forced me to learn how to do makeup and style wigs. I would also give my guy friends haircuts to make a few quick bucks. I was studying psychology at the time, but I realized it wasn’t something I was super passionate about. After talking to a few friends about my dilemma, the word cosmetology kept floating around. It made sense, right? Why don’t I just do hair and makeup professionally? I talked to my parents and convinced them to let me drop out and pursue a career in cosmetology. And who’s to say psychology doesn’t help in this profession.
BC: How do you feel SF and Hair Scene intersect?
JN: I think San Francisco is the best place for a creative stylist to thrive. Only in San Francisco can you have pink hair and work an office job, and no one would bat an eye. This is a unique opportunity for hairstylists. It’s the creative city, and the city’s inhabitants like to express themselves through creative cuts and colors.
BC: What’s something about coloring that everyone should know?
JN: Being blonde is a commitment unless it grows from your scalp blonde. Be prepared to continually come in for touch ups, lest you risk having a nasty orange band around your hair.
BC: Favorite moments thus far in your career?
JN: One of my favorite moments had to be from when I was in beauty school. I had a client come in who started a new medication regimen which made her start to lose her hair. She couldn’t even look at herself in the mirror. As I was consulting her, she would tell me how full her hair used to be and how much attention it would bring her. She asked me to make her hair look like it was fire. After three hours of hard work, I finished blow drying her and she finally looked up to see herself. She started crying, thanking me, saying she hasn’t been proud of her hair in months and now she could make a statement. She left with a smile on her face and a new found love for her hair. It makes me excited for my future in this career because all I want to do is bring people a little confidence and happiness.
BC: Future goals and other milestones you still want to hit?
JN: Well, as I am just starting my career, there are many things I’d like to achieve. I am currently assisting and training at Joseph Cozza Salon to be a color specialist. I take classes that go over color theory and practice on models (which I am always looking for). So for short term goal, I’d say I look forward to completing my training at Joseph Cozza and becoming a color specialist. I’ve also dreamed of being a part of New York Fashion Week, but who knows, I have all my life to look forward to.
BC: Favorite color to achieve?
JN: I think one of my favorite colors to achieve are blondes. There are so many different blondes that range from warm, to neutral, to cool. It takes a trained eye and a well adjusted colorist to match the perfect shade of blonde to someone. The end results can be phenomenal. I also love the trend of pastel hair colors, more so for the challenge that it brings, but it is cute in its own right. It keeps my job interesting and fun.
BC: If you could play with one persons hair (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
JN: One of my muses and someone I would love to have done is David Bowie. Not only do I love color, but as mentioned earlier, I basically got my start by doing men’s cuts. Bowie would give me a perfect medium. I could do some avant-garde men’s cuts paired up with some creative colors. I feel as though Bowie would be open to the weird and beautiful creations I would like to attempt on his hair.
BC: Last words or positive affirmations you would like to state?
JN: As Lady Gaga sang in her song Hair, “I’m the spirit of my hair, it’s all the glory that I bare… I’m as free as my hair.” Come in and see your local stylist—we’ll happily have you in our chair.
// Jonathan is always looking for his next model, DM here and make sure to follow.
Andromeda Quan, Freelance Hair Stylist
BC: What got you into hair cutting and styling?
Freelance Hair Stylist Andromeda Quan
AQ: Growing up my mom always took me to the fancy salons and I just love how they’d make me feel so glamorous at the salon. I like how artistic all the updos look and how intricate creating those 80’s tease curls with lots of volume was. I felt I wanted to do that and all started with my Barbie’s hair.
BC: How do you feel SF and Hair Scene intersect?
AQ: San Francisco is known for it’s rich jazz, punk, rock history; welcoming all types of genres and art to the city. I fell that it influences every style from shags to beach waves to mermaid hair to the latest barbering movement. We all want to express what type of art we like with our hair or beard, more so than any other city.
BC: What’s something about hair / styling & cutting that everyone should know?
AQ: Cut and styling are completely different things but go together so well. Why say this? I get tons of requests for certain popular looks. Some come to me with, “I want my hair like the picture (what they see is volume tussle curls)” so I start asking, “how do you wear your hair? Do you style before you go or just wash and go? Some say I just wash and go. People love the styling more than the cut itself.
BC: Favorite moments thus far in your career?
AQ: NAHA 2014. I got to meet a lot of master hairstylists at the time. When I went as an independent hairdresser (meaning I was my own boss) I was able to create art with my friends in different productions around the city. It makes me feel a part of the artistic scene in San Francisco.
BC: Future goals and other milestones you still want to hit?
AQ: I would like to start making wigs, mostly for fun, and I would love to open an all-organic full service salon in the future.
BC: Favorite cut and color to achieve?
AQ: I love shags and sun kissed balayages.
BC: If you could play with one persons hair (dead or alive) who would it be and why?
AQ: Cher, she has beautiful long hair and I would love to braid her hair or make a fun wig for her. She is a hair icon.
BC: Last words or positive affirmations you would like to state?
AQ: Be kind and let no one come to you without leaving happier.
// Follow Andromeda here and make sure to leave a comment on her work!
// Photography by Anthony Rogers.
