TETE-A-TETE with Jose

AS THE FAMOUS hairstylist was tending to tresses, D fashion writer Clarissa Tartar talked with Jose about his background, philosophy and work.



Q: How would you define the duties of a hairstylist ? How big a role should he or she play in determining one’s look?

A: The problem is that women don’t really know what looks good on them. They need help. And it’s up to us [hairstylists] to give them this help. So I want to come across to hairdressers-that’s the reason I wrote my book and did the videotape. I think that hair-dressers should pay more attention to their clients, talk to them, have a little bit more patience and see what’s going to look best on them. And constantly change. Changes are fun for a woman. A lot of times, women are stuck with one look for many, many years, and they don’t realize they could look totally different and as good with a different look. It’s up to the stylist, really, to constantly keep doing new things that are still going to suit their faces and personalities.

Q: Is it difficult not to impose your will on someone, even when the customer’s obvi ously reluctant?

A: I wouldn’t force [a hairstyle on] anybody because when you force somebody to have a certain look and they don’t feel good about it, they’re going to hate you and never come back, or just hate the way they look. Either way, it’s going to be terrible. So I don’t ever force a woman to do something, but encourage her, or tell her how much better she’s going to look with it. And I explain to her why. I really make them understand why they’re going to look better.

Q: Does hairstyling ever get boring or monotonous?

A: No. I’ve never come across two women with the same problem-sometimes they’re similar, but there’s always a little difference. That’s why I say there’s not ever one haircut that’s good for everybody. Never. You can have it similar, but you cannot expect exactly this or that haircut because nobody has exactly the same face.

Q: Do you think that the so-called “cookie-cutter” hairstyles are a problem today?

A: Well, a lot of hairstylists have this problem. They have two or three haircuts that they do really well, and they try to impose this on everybody. And that’s absolutely wrong. Every human being, man or woman, should be treated individually.

Q: So how do you handle women who see Princess Di ’s or Dorothy Hamill ’s hair and want those exact haircuts?

A: It’s up to me to say-if I agree that they would look good with this type of look- “Okay, we’re going to do our own version of it.” Sometimes a little bit longer, sometimes shorter, sometimes curlier, sometimes straighten That’s where creativity comes in-the artistic part of it. I think we’re designers, just like clothes designers. It’s something that has to come naturally. I don’t think haircutting should be just a cutting technique. That’s my point of view; not everyone would agree with me.

Q: Is there a certain age over which women shouldn’t wear long hair?

A: When women reach a certain age, they sometimes have problems with their hair. They’re very chic-looking with long hair when they pull it up, like in a chignon. So sometimes they even have to keep the length because they look more polished with their hair tied back. But then, it’s up to the woman. I don’t believe in age; I believe in how you feel about yourself. When I see a client, I would never ask her, “How old are you?” and then decide what I’m going to do to her. I just look at her face, look at how she’s dressed, talk to her, find out about her personality and so on. And sometimes they end up being 50, and they look like they’re 30 years old. Age should be completely forgotten.

Q: What do you do with hair as far as the fullness or curl is concerned? Do you go with what they have or try to change it?

A: Most of the time I try to go with what they have. I think it’s ridiculous to fight what you have. When you have very curly hair, don’t try to go to very straight hair. It doesn’t make sense. It’s better to start or to go with a nice curlier look. Women with straight hair are luckier because they can always add a permanent. [Women with curly hair ]are stuck with the curl unless they want to try to straighten it and it ruins their hair. . .But black [women’s] hair is totally different. A lot of times, black hair can handle more of the relaxers.

Q: How did you first become interested in hairstyling?

A: I found out that I wanted to do hair when I was playing with my mother’s and sister’s hair when I was 13.I really had the urge to do hair. When I turned 15, I became an apprentice-I really got into the business very young. Always, I’ve had this love of doing hair and working with women. And it was very easy for me the whole time; it never really felt like it was difficult.

Q: How long have you been in the United States? And what made you decide to leave Europe?

A: Eight and a half years ago I decided to move to America [from France]. It was kind of a childhood dream, coming to America. So I came here, and that’s the way it all started. So I’ve done hair now, officially, for 21 years.

Q: Why did you settle in Los Angeles rather than New York or somewhere else?

A: When I first came to America, I went everywhere-New York, San Francisco, LA-and I fell in love with LA. I don’t know-maybe it was the palm trees, maybe the sunshine. I also had this love for the friendliness of the people. And on top of that, the movie industry is in LA, and I knew it would be a great challenge to work there and maybe someday get the chance to do the hair of famous people. And exactly what I was hoping for happened.

Q: Is there much difference between American and European women, as far as hairstyling is concerned?

A: Not anymore. When I came to Los Angeles eight years ago, women were still way behind with their fashion, with their way of dressing, with their hair. And all of a sudden, the influence of Europe came so much to America-Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York. Now you have all of the European designers, Japanese designers; now everybody’s aware of what’s going on all over the world. So right now I think [American women] are very close to European women. I think that the women with style have style, wherever they are.

Q: How did you become such a hair expert?

A: [Hairstyling] is like doing a painting. It’s like with a painter or a composer-you have it or you don’t. I was lucky; I was born with a certain taste, and I know what is going to look good on a woman. My apprenticeship gave me what I needed to know on the background of hair-learning about colors, learning about permanents, learning about certain things. But creating hairstyles came naturally to me. When a woman sits in front of me, I know what I’m going to do to her the minute she sits down. You have to have an eye. You have to be able to look at this woman and instantly see, “Okay, her face is this way-it’s long, it’s round-okay, she’s going to need this, that . . .”

Q: So many people complain, “I only wanted an inch trimmed, and I got a whole new hairstyle instead!” How do you prevent that?

A: Communication is very important. I’m very good at communicating with people. I talked to every woman I did today. In a matter of three or four minutes, I found out about them, and then I knew what kind of look they would like to have. I can handle anybody! The Queen of Sheba would be happy with me. No, honestly. I deal with so many people, and I’m not frightened by anybody because I know how to handle them.

Q: Aren’t there some people, though, who are impossible to deal with-very patronizing to their hairdressers?

A: Yes, there are some clients who really try to give you a hard time. I refuse to deal with this. When I know that I’m doing my best and I’m doing exactly what I should be doing, and these people don’t appreciate it, then I have to say, “The problem is not with your hair. It’s with yourself.

Q: You’re in a position to turn people away, though; many hairdressers aren’t. How would you advise other hairdressers to deal with such people?

A: I would tell them to be patient with these people; they’re the ones who are responsible for what you’re going to be later on. Just be patient, because it’s going to pay off. Sometimes [you can make] even the most difficult woman happy.

Q: Besides technical skills, what qualities should a good hairstylist have?

A: Often, our profession is deeper than just hair. You have to talk to these people. These people sometimes have problems, and they have a tendency of telling us their problems. So we are almost like psychiatrists sometimes.

Q: Do women-or men, for that matter-know what they want? Do they know what looks good on them?

A: No. You have to understand that a woman, when she comes into a salon, is lost. She doesn’t know what she wants. She wishes she would know [but] she doesn’t. It’s a big decision. So be nice, be overly nice, be sensitive about it. That’s the key to becoming successful.

Q: Did you always know that you would make it?

A: Yes. I always knew I was going to be very successful because I’m a very hard worker, I have a lot of ambition, and I’m very patient and nice to clients. I’m not an angel-far from it. I can be very tough. But in my career, I was always very, very nice, always going out of my way to please the clients, and that’s what you have to do. And on top of it, you have to be good. And when you’re good and you’re nice and you have a great personality that people enjoy, then, of course; it’s a sure success.

Q: What do you think about the state of hairdressing around the country in general?

A: I wish that there would be a lot more Joses around the country because there is space for many more. I’m not able to do everything myself. Women are always asking me, “Oh, why aren’t you here and here and here?” I tell them, “I’m sure you’ll find the right-’ “No,” they say, “We don’t know where to go. There is nobody like you.” So I hope my success at least pushes others [to succeed]. I think it has, because a lot of hairdressers write and congratulate me; they want to be what I am now. And I encourage them, try to give them some tips. I would love to see a lot of hairdressers really be very, very successful.

Q: Tell me about your video.

A: I do 12 makeovers on the video, and I talk about what a woman has to look for when she wants to change [her hairstyle]. So I’m really teaching. It’s very helpful for the woman who really wants to change or who wants to learn to take care of her own hair at home.

Q: With all that you do, do you ever relax?

A: Of course I do. I work a lot, but I relax with myself. And I relax by having conversations. . . I work much more, though. My life is not all glamour, like people think. They all say, “Oh my darling, you only have dates with movie stars.” I don’t. I run a big salon in Beverly Hills with my partner, and I’m involved in a lot of other businesses. You have to do it while you’re young. I’m not going to do it when I’m an old man. I just have a lot of energy. I do it and I try to relax when I can. You can relax even when you work, when you enjoy it. The bottom line is to enjoy what you’re doing. I enjoy dealing with women, cutting their hair and making them beautiful.