I like to think I have a wide range of accomplishments under my belt:
Accidentally over-caffeinated myself conducting ethnographic research--check
Read 3+ books in a single day--check
Never (yet) pulled an all-nighter--check
Sung at Carnegie Hall--check
Published a poem--check
But now I can add a decidedly interesting item to that list:
Been a hair model in Japan--CHECK.
It's a bit of a long story.
It all starts with coffee, actually, like many of my adventures here in Japan do. I was checking out a coffee shop in the too, too cool area of Daikanyama (no, seriously, that entire neighborhood is just Too Cool for me, I don't even know why I was there). There I met stylist Yusuke, who asked if I wanted to appear in a PR photoshoot for the opening of his salon brand's newest branch, boy Tokyo, Harajuku. They're (wisely!) making a site to appeal to foreign clientele--it's a smart move because it's really hard to find a place that has stylists who truly are comfortable working with (for lack of a better word) Western hair. Someone who can cut Western hair is worth their weight in gold, and I have horror stories on a personal level to justify that claim.
Some scheduling back-and-forths later the date for the shoot was decided. I was told to show up in natural/no makeup, simple colors, and sneakers.
There are some "before" pictures taken from the salon chair. As you can see I had quite a bit of hair, given that the past few years I've been sporting a pixie cut and only somewhat recently decided to grow it back out. Feel free to laugh at what I thought was a "model expression" in the first photo.
Given my inexperience (read: I have NEVER modeled before) it was fortunate that being a haircut model didn't really involve anything but sitting there throughout the haircut, perhaps looking more obviously enthused than one might otherwise. As with most things the leadup took longer than the haircut itself: first there was deciding what the haircut would be (and I did have input on that front), then shooting a bunch of smiling photos, then working with lighting and angles and whatever else the photographer and website manager needed.
I will say, this salon was AWESOME. I had one of the best shampoos (read:head massage) of my life, followed by a stellar haircut, followed by ANOTHER head massage. They really know how to spoil a girl.
The final result is pretty cute, if I may say so myself. Here I am looking all cheeky with Yusuke. He did all sorts of fancy things with a hair straightener that I don't think I can replicate by myself but will try with hair gel and prayers. The photographer was kind enough to send me these photos expressly for this post, but I'm excited to see more of the shots once they go online.
So...can I go add "model" to my resume now?
If anyone else is interested, my schedule is open (might need to grow my hair back first, however).
boy Tokyo's website and relevant pricing can be found here.
Accidentally over-caffeinated myself conducting ethnographic research--check
Read 3+ books in a single day--check
Never (yet) pulled an all-nighter--check
Sung at Carnegie Hall--check
Published a poem--check
But now I can add a decidedly interesting item to that list:
Been a hair model in Japan--CHECK.
It's a bit of a long story.
It all starts with coffee, actually, like many of my adventures here in Japan do. I was checking out a coffee shop in the too, too cool area of Daikanyama (no, seriously, that entire neighborhood is just Too Cool for me, I don't even know why I was there). There I met stylist Yusuke, who asked if I wanted to appear in a PR photoshoot for the opening of his salon brand's newest branch, boy Tokyo, Harajuku. They're (wisely!) making a site to appeal to foreign clientele--it's a smart move because it's really hard to find a place that has stylists who truly are comfortable working with (for lack of a better word) Western hair. Someone who can cut Western hair is worth their weight in gold, and I have horror stories on a personal level to justify that claim.
Some scheduling back-and-forths later the date for the shoot was decided. I was told to show up in natural/no makeup, simple colors, and sneakers.
 |
| PC: Rachel Sloane, freelance writer and content creator based in Tokyo. |
 |
| PC: Rachel Sloane, freelance writer and content creator based in Tokyo. |
There are some "before" pictures taken from the salon chair. As you can see I had quite a bit of hair, given that the past few years I've been sporting a pixie cut and only somewhat recently decided to grow it back out. Feel free to laugh at what I thought was a "model expression" in the first photo.
Given my inexperience (read: I have NEVER modeled before) it was fortunate that being a haircut model didn't really involve anything but sitting there throughout the haircut, perhaps looking more obviously enthused than one might otherwise. As with most things the leadup took longer than the haircut itself: first there was deciding what the haircut would be (and I did have input on that front), then shooting a bunch of smiling photos, then working with lighting and angles and whatever else the photographer and website manager needed.
I will say, this salon was AWESOME. I had one of the best shampoos (read:head massage) of my life, followed by a stellar haircut, followed by ANOTHER head massage. They really know how to spoil a girl.
 |
| PC: Rachel Sloane, freelance writer and content creator based in Tokyo. |
The final result is pretty cute, if I may say so myself. Here I am looking all cheeky with Yusuke. He did all sorts of fancy things with a hair straightener that I don't think I can replicate by myself but will try with hair gel and prayers. The photographer was kind enough to send me these photos expressly for this post, but I'm excited to see more of the shots once they go online.
So...can I go add "model" to my resume now?
If anyone else is interested, my schedule is open (might need to grow my hair back first, however).
boy Tokyo's website and relevant pricing can be found here.
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