A young, creative hair artist, Jenni Gucci, is as fearless as she is talented. An independent thinker with an incredible drive to succeed, Gucci has already established a loyal clientele all on her own. After setting an interview date with the certified extension specialist, I was happy to discover that Gucci’s work space is just a couple blocks down from BANGSTYLE ‘s HQ—hence, we decided to meet at her downtown LA loft. The spacious single-chair “salon,” modern and chic by all accounts, boasts white minimalist interiors which Gucci keeps professional and spotless. You almost forget she lives there. Check out my interview with Gucci to learn more.
BANGSTYLE: Can you give me a little background info on yourself?
Jenni Gucci: I started doing hair when I was 17; I was still in high school. My mom kind of pushed me into it. I wanted to do something really creative and artistic, but I didn’t want to pursue graphic design or anything like that. I love doing hair—anything related to beauty. I went to beauty school while I was still in high school at night and started assisting on Saturdays at a salon right down the street from my house. It was a really cute salon.
BANGSTYLE: Where was it? Where did you grow up?
JG: I’m originally from Hawaii. I’ve lived in LA for almost 10 years.
BANGSTYLE: So when you were assisting, you were already in LA.
JG: Yeah. I started doing that and worked there for two years. I started having personal issues. I moved away for a year. I was still doing hair off and on, but I went away from the salon. After a year, I came back to LA, met my boyfriend, and started doing hair, working at a few different salons. I was at Salon Duck Duck in Torrance and Loft 207, but they actually closed. That was my last salon and last push for me to do something alone as far as working from home.
At the time, I lived with my boyfriend in a loft downtown, and I started doing hair there—models I knew or models who my boyfriend knew. I’d go on Craigslist to see if I could exchange hair services, like do extensions to have someone teach me how to do makeup. I just wanted private lessons—anything I could do to learn.
People always ask me if I’ll go back to working in a salon. But if I were to, I’d go to a salon downtown, and most salons downtown are in loft buildings turned into salons, so it’s like the same thing. Here, there’s no drama, I can make my own hours, and I’m my own boss.
BANGSTYLE: Do you specialize in extensions?
JG: It’s probably one of my favorite things to do, but I also do cut and color here, too.
BANGSTYLE: I noticed that you emphasize that you do extensions on your website.
JG: I love doing blonde hair too, but I love extensions; it’s my passion.
BANGSTYLE: Were you able to keep clients from salons that you worked at? Or did you have to start fresh and build a new clientele?
JG: I got my name out on my own. I took some clients from the Valley who I went to school with but none from working at any of the other salons. I do my own marketing—Instagram, Facebook, Twitter. I don’t really do Craigslist anymore. It’s my own responsibility—I like that control though.
BANGSTYLE: You have very affordable prices.
JG: Very affordable.
BANGSTYLE: That’s great. What made you want to do that?
JG: It’s just really competitive with salons downtown, and I don’t have to pay a weekly overhead [to rent the space].
BANGSTYLE: What made you want to become a hairstylist, and how did you get started in the industry?
JG: I guess doing hair was my creative outlet. Once I got certified to do extensions, I just fell in love with it. There’s something about having to be so meticulous with every single strand. I love doing it. It’s super tedious, but I love it. My favorite thing is being able to transform people—make-overs. I always do before and after pictures on my Instagram. I love that so much. If I had some kind of team here, I would just give people make-overs all day.
BANGSTYLE: What about your career are you most proud of?
JG: I like being my own boss and taking control. I never though I’d end up doing that. I always thought I’d be working at a salon. I never thought I’d be able to do what I love on my own terms. All my clients are awesome.
BANGSTYLE: What was so off-putting about working at a salon? Was it because the last experience wasn’t the best experience?
JG: Yeah, it was the last experience. I liked working at some of the other salons I was at. You do kind of have different personalities you have to work with [in every work environment], but the last experience kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. I decided that I was going to do it on my own and prove to myself that I could. I knew it was going to make me so much happier.
BANGSTYLE: Did you buy all your equipment on your own?
JG: Yeah, it was a building process. I’ve bought so much, especially product. I’m constantly thinking of new things I need to buy.
BANGSTYLE: It probably gets pretty pricey.
JG: It does… even the chair is a huge investment. Those things go for three grand, five grand.
BANGSTYLE: Who/what are you inspired by?
JG: There is this one hairstylist; you may have heard of him– Sam Villa. He has his own line of brushes. He grew up extremely shy and now teaches thousands of hairstylists all over the world how to do hair. I feel like he came so far. I kind of related to that because I was kind of shy, and when I first started out I was only 17, working with all older women. I always got asked if I was sure I wanted to do this because everyone thought I was too quiet. Communication is a huge part of this industry.
BANGSTYLE: What is your favorite part about being a hairstylist and why?
JG: When I get girls who come in with trashed hair and at the end they look so happy. They credit me for helping them boost their self esteem. That makes me happy.
BANGSTYLE: What do you think is next in hair?
JG: Maybe the perm will come back. I feel like everything just keeps coming back. Also, dip-dying bright colors. Everybody is going really bright now. Something always comes up that’s been done already; they just try to reinvent everything.
BANGSTYLE: What are some hair color, cut, and style trends that many of your clients have requested?
JG: My clients just want long hair. They want that long, thick, healthy-looking hair. Living in LA, everybody is drawn toward the beachy look. I get beachy waves a lot. They want that mermaid hair.
BANGSTYLE: What is an at-home hair tip—something you recommend to your clients?
JG: Use joboba oil for a deep-conditioning treatment. Apply the oil on dry hair, put a cap on, and sleep on it overnight. In the morning, rinse it out.
BANGSTYLE: How long have you been working in the hair industry?
JG: About five years
BANGSTYLE: What are your favorite hair color trends?
JG: Ombre. I get so many people who want ombre.
BANGSTYLE: How would you describe your ideal client?
JG: A client who can communicate what they want well and who has realistic views. Most of my clients are really down-to-earth and awesome. They know what they want, and they’re people I could totally hang out with.
BANGSTYLE: How do you stay ahead of trends?
JG: I’m constantly on the Internet, searching for up-and-coming trends. I subscribe to hair magazines, have apps on my phone, all that.
BANGSTYLE: Do you have any advice for new hair artists starting out in the industry?
JG: Find someone to assist that you can gain a lot of knowledge from, and that will allow you to do more as opposed to constantly blow-drying. Get in there and mix color, ask a lot of questions, and don’t give up.
BANGSTYLE: What are your future goals?
JG: I honestly just want to continue to grow and continue to educate myself. I will not give up doing what I’m doing. I’d love to have a full clientele, maybe not so much in my home—somewhere else.
BANGSTYLE: So would you consider opening your own salon?
JG: That would be awesome, just having all my friends who are hairstylists working in the same salon. I would want to have this but not in my home. I mean, this is really awesome. I’m super-blessed to have my station in my house, but sometimes it isn’t homey. I try to not make it homey because I don’t want my clients to feel awkward because my laundry is on the couch or something. I keep it very clean and separate.
BANGSTYLE: Words to live by—hair motto?
JG: I always tell myself, “If you don’t believe in yourself, no one will.” You just have to believe in yourself and not listen to other people’s opinions about how you’re “too shy” or “too quiet.” Believe in yourself.
20 Things: Jenni Gucci
1. Movie - Moonrise Kingdom
2. Song - “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cook
3. Fragrance - Burberry London
4. Food - Ramen
5. Hairstyle - Finger waves
6. Brand - Louis Vuitton
7. Product - Oil Potion by Schwarzkopf
8. Book - www.behindthechair.com magazine
9. Celebrity - Jason Momoa
10. Drink - Black coffee
11. Website - www.modernsalon.com
12. City - Hilo
13. Restaurant - Colori Kitchen
14. Bar - Seven Grand
15. Author - N/A
16. Shop - Little Tokyo
17. Pastime - Cross stitching; needlepoint
18. Memory - Childhood in Hawaii
19. Season - Winter
20. Want - Success
