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Our NEW featured artist is Primpt Pro Paul Watts! Paul is the fab owner of Paul Watt's Hairdressing, one of the UK's best award winning style brands and beauty salons. Check out his incredible portfolio here, and follow him on Primpt @paulwattshair and Twitter @pauljmwatts!
This week Primpt is featuring one of the UK's TOP leading beauty brands, Electric Hairdressing. With salons in London, Brighton, Reading, Oxford, and Liverpool, Electric Hair is setting their magnificent take on high-end styling in motion. Incredible artists such as Ky Wilson, Patrick Wilson, Freya Clare, and the rest featured here have been inspiring the world-wide Primpt community since day one!
Look Back, Launch Forward
Primpt Featured Artist, and current Empire Beauty School student, Nicholas Dunton knows the power of his already prolific portfolio. "It is helpful to see my progression because it shows me what I've done, and accomplished, and you start to see your style and signature as well."
He's right, and beauty students and pros everywhere should pay attention.
These days the most valuable tool you need to really impact your budding beauty career, is not in your style-kit or salon station. It's in your pocket, and it can make all the difference. Think of your smart-phone's camera less as a recreational bonus, and instead as a window into your artistic and professional development. Documenting your progress from beauty school day 1, through all of your platform-artist aspirations, will serve not only you, but your entire industry community as well.
We know Nicholas Dunton as Primpt Artist @NicholasRyan, and he's been inspiring us with his pictures since our beginning. His beauty school experience at Empire has been progressive, and has clearly shaped the way he thinks about using technology and professional networking to advance his career.
"My educators strive to make sure you are properly prepared when you go on the floor. We will YouTube a demonstration idea for inspiration or further understanding on the subject. Also if anyone has heard of any new ideas or methods for doing something a certain way, we share it and learn it so we know more ways of accomplishing looks..."
We saw Nick's first finger-wave set. His first perm, roller-set and full foil. He's documented his first haircut, countless creative up-styles and other fantasy looks that have already impressed his Primpt community. As he grows and expands his skill-set, these early day pictures will serve him immensely. When asked about why he uses Primpt he shared this- "I use Primpt because I like to keep track of my work. Not only does it get my work out there for everyone to see, but I find myself on Primpt everyday getting inspired by others and that makes me want to do and try harder. I think Primpt allows you to expand your limits beyond anything you yourself could ever imagine."
Sharing ideas, constructive criticism, and encouragement is ubiquitous among beauty professionals, and with the advent of easy social image sharing, technology is expanding the conversation to reach vast, global connections. Now, industry artists are trading trends and techniques from great distances and demographics, and an eager student like Nick can get feedback from a stylist he admires, and has never even met in person.
As you consider beginning to document your steps and build your portfolio, think about where it ends up and how it is perceived. Are you presenting a professional image? Are your skills getting diluted by other non-related pictures of your cute dog, or drunk BFF? Social image sharing on FB and Instagram can be fun and entertaining, but think about this- would you put a link to your Instagram feed on your newly pressed business cards? On a resume? Job application?
If your serious about using technology to share your work, gain opportunities, and improve your skills, it is time to begin nurturing your professional image. Our number one goal at Primpt is to offer the industry a platform that is fun and inspiring, but focused and professional as well. Upon sign-up Artist users get their own personalized spot on the web, for portfolio building and sharing: m.primptapp.com/YOURUSERNAME will help you start documenting your art and development immediately.
To reflect, is to "think deeply, or carefully about". As you reflect on where you've been and where you'd like your career to go, we hope you have pictures to remind you just how far you've come already. May Primpt make looking back help launch you forward.
A Student's Journey, an Artist's beginning...
Primpt featured artist, Nicholas Dunton has been sharing his progress, determination, and journey one day, technique, and skill at a time. Many thanks and love to this inspiring fellow!
Grassroots Grown- Be a Primptnik
When we got started with Primpt- and by "got started" we mean, brainstormed, sticky-noted, and exhausted many ideas over the course of countless months- we always knew in the back of our minds that if we made something really neat, that industry stylists embraced, the word would spread organically. If you're not a beauty professional you might not know just how much these folks talk, share, and observe one another every day, all day. (If you ARE one, you know this well!) A tremendous amount of information is shared between artists, making salons a poignant epicenter for industry progress.
However,
There still remains a persistent kind of separation between certain factions of the industry. Depending on where a stylist goes to school, or lands a job, he or she may not be handed the newest, most righteous tool, or lead to the most progressive style-forward education class. Technology, social media, and our crazy 21st century global connections lend a huge helping hand here, making it possible to bridge all gaps between lower-end and higher-end, and small town to big city styling.
Primpt's central most important purpose is to ultimately lead in this effort. We want to be a platform that levels the playing field, and opens the door to greater inspiration, greater opportunity, and higher standards for every pro and salon that keeps this industry moving.
We're launching Primptniks because we believe in the inherently social nature of our community. And, we LOVE sending out swagg, fist-bumps, and big love thank yous. A community that is grown through grass-roots efforts, and a user-helping-user mentality is not only one that will survive the test of time, but is also one that inspires a sense of ownership and pride amongst it's users.
It's so easy- spread the word about your Primpt community and when new users join and enter YOUR username in the "referred by" field during sign-up, YOU earn Primpt points. By the end of the month you might just be the top, most awesome Primptnik, and all that's left to do is wait for your loot to arrive in the mail. Our current brand partners include Cloud Nine, T3, Denman, and Fine Featherheads! Not bad.
For details, and more information on how YOU can influence Primpt, and your industry at large, visit the Primptniks page. Help us level the playing field, share the best of the industry, and make new beauty connections all around the world.
"Imagination is Everything..."
This week Primpt is featuring an artist who's inspiration well is deep, and talent scope, wide. Marc Mapile, otherwise known as CutmarC on Primpt, currently hails from LA, Ca, and has much to offer in the ways of hipster style, red-carpet beauty, and how to find inspiration EVERYWHERE. You can find him making magic at Dej Salon in Sherman Oaks, Ca.
We thought we'd ask Marc about how he stays excited, thriving, and passionate about his incredible work.
Let's begin!
Q When did you begin finding your passion in hair design and styling?
A I grew up in a pretty straight laced family with traditional and religious values. This meant that I was quite limited to what I was allowed to do aside from school. In the early 90s I saw a surge of kids at my school spraying their hair with a product called "Sun In," which was supposed to give you sun-kissed hair color, so I took a chance and used some of my friend's on myself; from then on, I was hooked! Even though it turn my hair chili-cheese orange, coloring my hair was a creative outlet that I discovered that my parents couldn't take away from me. I continued experimenting with cutting and coloring my own hair till I graduated high school and went off to study Biology at a University. That lasted a year and I switched over to study Art History and of course my family did not support my decision. I put myself through school by picking up a couple jobs and I actually started doing hair at my dorm room with no formal training prior to it. I remember whenever I had my red light on at my balcony, people knew I was doing hair. I made a few bucks here and there, or sometimes people just brought me bottle of wine or two. It wasn't until I started doing a friend's hair at my dorm that she asked why I wasn't going to school for hair? I said because I didn't know that existed, I thought people do hair just because they can. So I looked into it and it was so pricey for me at the time, but my friend was amazing and offered to put me through school. Almost 10 years have passed since then and after paying her back, I still do her hair on me to thank her. If it wasn't for the knowledge and support she shared with me, I wouldn't be where I am. I definitely feel blessed.
Q From where and/or how did you obtain your training?
A I received my license at my local trade school West Valley. They really gave me the foundation that I needed to set me up for everything else. I actually had the opportunity to receive additional training when Christopher and Sonya Dove from Wella came to our school. I was picked to assist them at a few events and was able to establish a professional relationship with their manager for whom I have so much respect and who's helped inspire me along the way.
Q When was your first editorial opportunity?
A My first editorial opportunity came to me while I was still in beauty school. A classmate knew a photographer that needed a hairstylist for a test shoot and he wasn't available to do it, so I jumped to the chance! After the test shoot, the photographer called me up couple weeks later and invited me to work on an editorial for 944 magazine. It was awesome! I remember driving down Sunset Boulevard and I actually saw the cover displayed on a billboard, I was definitely on cloud nine at that moment in time.
Q What do you think of LA and how has it influenced your career?
A LA is such a melting pot of cultures that trends vary everywhere you go. Just walking the streets of LA, you can see all walks of life just depending on what part you are in. It's influenced me in my career to keep pushing myself to the limits and attempt new innovative looks. Whether I'm surrounded by the "hipsters" in downtown or working on the red carpet, Los Angeles definitely helped me to be a versatile hair artist.
Q Where do you find the most inspiration? What drives your designs the most?
A I find inspiration everywhere as cliche as that may sound. I usually gravitate towards architectural shapes, colors found in nature, art, fashion, music, anything really that catches my eye. My emotions and current obsessions definitely drive my designs the most- right now I'm totally obsessing over metallic materials, sleek, high shine wet looks, and dance-hall music. We'll see where those things take me this year :) I have also had the most amazing opportunity to work with world renowned company Sexy Hair for the past 6 years, who has provided me with the tools not just for I do, but for life. They have definitely helped kick my passion and inspirations to overdrive!
Q What is the primary reason you share your work on social media, and particularly on Primpt?
A Social media is an easy way to connect and be connected with my clients away from the chair. I offer ideas for their next session, product recommendations or even styles; my clients call me their "hairapist." As far as sharing my work, I love documenting my life behind the scenes whether I'm on set of a film, a photo-shoot or even on stage educating in front of people at a show. l believe that it is such a valuable tool for marketing ourselves in the industry to help promote our businesses, to gain prospective new clients and get to know other fellow artists. Primpt in particular gives us artists an opportunity to explore trends, to be inspired, and to offer something fresh beyond what we know in our own backyards- Primpt is a haven for hair artists to geek out with each other from around the globe!
'Till Death Do Us Part- An Interview with Jake Gravbrot About the Power of Pictures & the Industry He Loves
Primpting your looks is all about having pride in your work, and fun while you're doing it, and Primpt artist Jake Gravbrot of Seattle's Mars Hair has perfected the art.
We thought we'd chat him up about his career, what drives him, and of course, his rockin awesome in-salon photo booth.
If you're just starting to build your portfolio, wondering how to best take pictures of your clients, or just looking for some rad inspiration, start reading- Jake is FULL of rock-star tips you do not want to miss.
Let us begin!--
Q Where did the idea for the in-salon photo booth come from?
A It's kind of a funny story actually. I had been doing hair for a photo shoot for a band and the photographer was using a "ring light". Being into photography myself, I inquired about this, because I hadn't seen one used before. After viewing the shots, it gave such a beautiful look to the band members portraits being taken. I immediately started lusting after a ring light for my own use. Back at the salon, I had a bit of a space dilemma. We had a very tiny changing "booth" which was never utilized. It sat in the back of the salon and there was literally nothing else that I could convert it to... too small for another station, too tiny for shampoo bowl, too out of the way for back-bar, etc. Ironically, on the same day as this photo shoot previously mentioned, I had left mid-day to go meet a friend who was in town, for lunch. This buddy of mine was in town to promote his band's new CD "Night Shades" and was DJ'ing a local venue that night. Since I only get to see him on tour, it was important to meet up and spend at least a little quality time without the nonsense of a packed music venue & all that comes with it. A few days prior, his band (Cobra Starship) had released their new video for the lead single "You Make Me Feel" and I had yet to see it. I promised Gabe that I would go home and watch it soon and let him know what I thought. If anyone has seen the video, about 75% of it is filmed inside a tiny photo booth, where the band members and extras all hold up signs saying "You make me feel _____". The following day, something just clicked in my head. I realized I could convert the changing area in the salon into a photo booth, without any construction work. On that day, the photo booth was born. I documented the process multiple times on our blog, which (I've slacked on lately) I used quite a lot during our inception.
Q Were you/your team already documenting your work before the addition of the booth?
A Yes, I had been documenting work as much as I could, but I'm a stickler for the presentation of what we put out there to the general public. No offense to the typical "client in the chair after they've had their hair done" picture taken on a camera phone with terrible lighting, but it really does nothing for your portfolio or professionalism. I WANT our work to look absolutely amazing even if the hair we're doing is basic or ballsy. Good hair is good hair, regardless of how daring it is. The key though, is making sure you present it well, so throw out the pictures you took of someone in your kitchen, with a cape on, with too much back-lighting, etc. Take the time to find a good spot in the salon and document it that way.
Q How do you talk with your clients about taking a photo of their look?
A That's actually fairly easy. I can usually get a feel for if someone wants to get their photo taken or not, but at the end of the service, I ask one of two ways: "I love your hair so much. Can we take a photo of it to document it today?" Or, "for frame of reference for what we did this time on your hair, do you mind if I take a quick snapshot of your hair today?" This usually works just fine. Our clients are pretty engaged with us already via our website, Facebook & Twitter pages. They know what we do regarding photos and how we use it for marketing. If they don't want us using them, they'll tell us up front.
Q Do you have any tips on how to include taking a picture within the regular appointment process?
A That's something that I wish I actually had a person on staff solely to take pictures. When I get rolling with a day of 12 straight haircuts for 10 hours, at times the last thing I'm thinking about is the photo booth. I know the other stylists in the salon tend to forget to take pictures as well, but typically when we absolutely HAVE to document something, we don't forget. Some of our clients just naturally go to the booth after their service, it's almost like a ritual. It only takes a minute though, so it doesn't really slow you down and it also promotes the use of it within the salon, to other clients who are getting their hair done.
Q What are the advantages of utilizing the booth and documenting your work?
A Marketing. In this day & age, we use those photos for everything. Hair is such a visual art form so it should seem quite obvious why a professional look to your photos and continuous documentation is beneficial to the growth of our business. It has really helped to set us apart I believe, which is important, because there are a thousand salons competing for each head of hair out there. Besides doing great hair, we have one other thing that can help to make us memorable.
Q How do you perceive the benefits of utilizing Primpt as a social and new self-marketing platform?
A In my opinion, Primpt fills a necessary niche in the industry because it makes the sharing of a stylist's portfolio very simple. In this day & age, where there's quite literally an app for almost everything -- except getting your hair done -- it helps to have a way to promote yourself amidst a community of like-minded artists. One thing I love about photography is that idea sharing is the norm. If you're willing to ask a question, someone with knowledge is out there willing to give you an answer back. The hair industry has always seemed to be the same way, and Primpt helps to lessen the gap between stylists around the world, so that we can share information, ideas & knowledge both visually and with words.
OK, One more!
Q What is your favorite thing about being a stylist/hair-designer?
A Mostly everything. The art. The freedom. The hours. The feeling you get when you make someone's day. Being told that you're "my favorite person" by our clients. The opportunities it's given me throughout my career and the ability to cater my interests into a career. Besides photography, I don't know what else I'd be doing in this life. I started cutting hair at 12 years old and thankfully during my junior year of HS, my guidance counselor told me I should really make a career out of it. That was the best advice I've ever received. At the time, I just thought it was a way to make extra money on the side, cutting hair for teachers & friends, but it really was sound advice. I LOVED it then and I still LOVE it now, almost 20 years later. It's the longest relationship I've ever been able to keep and I probably should have written vows to this industry... "til death do us part...".
Our current featured artist is diverse, prolific, inspired and, INSPIRING. Primpt artist @HairbyRenee's work is both intricate and natural, beautiful and edgy, and thoughtful and free. What a talent, what a collection!
