Chakras Salon Fire 2010

This is the aftermath of a nearly tragic fire that would have consumed my salon under normal conditions. The bravery and quick selflessness of neighbors allowed for early detection of the fire. And their courageous actions to extinguish it protected the building and its surrounding residents.

Early Thursday morning, January 15, a homeless man was passing by our window when he noticed the distinctive warm glow of an electrical fire in its infancy. Next door, an artisan bakery was making it's daily bread and responding to the man's call to duty.

Two young bakers broke the salon window and directed their fire extinguisher inside to unsuccessfully control the fire. Coincidentally, two firefighters on a morning run heard the glass breaking and approached, thinking there was a crime in progress.

One firefighter climbed through our window and emptied a second extinguisher on the growing blaze. Upon exhausting that one, the group formed an old fashioned bucket brigade to continue their efforts until the Greensboro Fire Department was able to quickly respond and finish the job.

I am personally grateful to the actions of these men and have a new respect for the fragility of our world and the human condition. We can so quickly lose what we think is important and frequently take for granted our material belongings. Look around and appreciate what you have and the ones you love. It can all change so fast.

Splitting Hairs - Shedding Some Light on Density

You may not know this, but the average person may have up to as many 150,000 hairs on her head. Density will vary directly with the person's hair color as well. If blonde, there are roughly 140,000; if brown, maybe 109,000; with black hair possibly 108,000; and only 90,000 if the hair is red.

Each hair grows in cycles—it grows, rests, and then falls out. Usually, this cycle repeats approximately yearly. At any time, about ninety percent of a person's scalp hair is growing, a phase that lasts between two and six years. Ten percent of the scalp hair is in a resting phase that lasts between two and three months. At the end of its resting stage, the hair goes through a shedding phase. Sources register "normal" amounts of daily hair loss to be from thirty to two hundred hairs depending on where you look.

Knowing this can be reassuring if you think you are losing more hair than others, but it can also be a wakeup call for breakage. As a stylist I realize the importance of foundation products such as Tonic from Bumble and Bumble, or Damage Control from Aveda. Foundations allow for even distribution of styling products, equalize porosity, prevent product buildup and protect hair from thermal damage.  Your hair will have different needs in different seasons: winter is dryer and colder, and summer exposes more UV damage, chlorine, and humidity variations.

Consult your stylist on your individual needs based on color, scalp condition, environment and lifestyle. Always use the foundation product that is recommended when styling your hair to prevent damage and preserve health. Your mane will thank you.

Men's Collection Preview

Throughout the constant distractions of weather and holidays, it is imperative that I reassure myself of my vision. The rugged beauty of this new collection illustrates the need to look deeper than the surface to uncover unexpected textures, angles and tones. Sometimes inspiration rises from unexpected sources and that motivates me to keep an open eye and an open mind.

Winter collection for men... Coming soon!

It's been a cold and wet end of the year for 2009. And what better way to warm things up than to unveil a hot new collection for the digital portfolio? I have worked closely with my DP, Sarah Rauers and my photographer, Evan Brennan to arrange four new looks for the last quarter. These guys exhude an attitude of confidence and an air of lowbrow sophistication. The collection is masculine and approachable, while still very wearable at work or at play. Musicians, students, professionals and artisans will embrace the feel of the collection and I'm truly excited for its launch.

I had a great time working with the models shooting in the warehouse district of historic Greensboro, North Carolina. Evan truly captured the essence of the modern rugged archetype juxtapozed against the merging of metal and encroaching organic consumption. It's a mixture of broken and fixed, young and old, present and past. Thanks to Rob, Scott, Jasen and Zach for modeling the new male collection.