Using your hair to express yourself and showcase your social standing is nothing new, in fact, it's an age-old practice dating back to the Elizabethan era where impressing an audience in court was the highlight of the season. These days, it's all about going big (or bigger) with a kaleidoscope of pink stripes, blue streaks and platinum-blonde locks. The audience? Social media users mindlessly scrolling through reels, stories and feeds to find the latest trend or hair extraordinaire.
One of these go-to gurus is award-winning hairstylist Jesse Gallant who scissored his way to the top by recently winning SABC's reality TV show A Cut Above the Rest. When asked where his passion for hair comes from, he says that he was nudged into it by mommy dearest.
"Growing up I wasn't privileged enough to go to the barber frequently, we just couldn't afford it, so my mom came home with hair clippers one day and said I should start cutting my own hair. She gave me an ultimatum: Either I start doing my own hair, or she'll do it for me. A few months later I made use of the clippers and developed the skill to cut my hair, and later, my friends' hair too," he says. The Gqerberha-born stylist turned what started as a 'nudge' from mom, into an art form and hasn't looked back since.
He started as a student at Images 1 Hair Academy in Gqerberha and, in 2021, opened his salon called Stay Faded where he's serving up stellar looks for a loyal clientele.
He knew that starting a business while the world was still recovering from a pandemic was going to be tough, but it was about persevering and living his passion.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of ClubX.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of ClubX.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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