| Getting To The Roots Of Hair Guru Ken Paves |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Date: 06/29/2006 |
Introduction
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Ken Paves |
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Courtesy of Ken
Paves -
All Rights Reserved |
From the first second that I laid eyes
on Ken Paves, until this moment, I have been mesmerized
by his life. I have also been fortunate to watch
his career literally explode into the stratospheres of
fabulous fame and fortune.
When I first met
Kenney in Dallas at a Seventeen magazine shot, he did
not have his namesake Pav Salon in Clinton Heights
Michigan. He also had not introduced his top
quality Paves Professional line of hair care products
designed with an eye to the needs of hair consumers on a
budget.
Ken had not yet
appeared on The Newlyweds MTV reality venue with Jessica
and Nick. He hadn't been splashed on the pages of
People, Life & Style Weekly, Star, Celebrity Living or
similar publications with his famous client, Jessica
Simpson. Ken was well known in the hair industry
but his celebrity status for consumers was still
building.
After spending four days in Dallas with
Ken, Jessica and her entourage, I secretly believed that
I would never hear from Ken Paves again. Yes, he
promised to call, email, IM and stay in touch to
continue our infinite hair chats. But this was a very
busy celebrity hairdresser.
I was amazed, flattered and thrilled
when he did stay in touch. While he literally
bounced from coast to coast like a virtual human ping
pong ball, courtesy of a wide variety of commercial and
private jets, he would always return my messages.
At times I literally stalked him when I wanted styling
details of his latest Jessica or other celebrity related
hair designs.
A perfect gentleman, he never complained
about my bursts of mini cell phone stalking, although he
did establish an endearing pattern of hanging up on me.
Even then, he did his best to warn me that the click
dial tone signal was imminent. The abrupt phone endings
actually became part of our history together, making me
laugh whenever it happened - as it still does.
I learned early on what Ken would or
would not talk about. While any topics involving
his hairstyling with any of his clients was usually
appropriate, I learned to never ask him any questions
about his celebrity clients that did not directly relate
to their hair.
My OJT in the world of celebrity
hairdressing also taught me that Ken is 1000% focused on
his clients when he is with them. Unlike some
celebrity hair and makeup gurus, Ken will not take or
make any calls on his cell when he is with his famous
clientele. Even if they are surrounded by an army
of cameras and crazed directors, he will not break his
total focus on his client for one minute. Ken even
forgoes bathroom breaks, whenever possible, to be
totally available for his clients. This man is
dedicated to the very core of his being to the celebrity
clients that he works with on a regular basis.
Of course he is brilliantly talented and
can whip up spectacular hair designs in mere minutes.
He also understand the politics of Hollywood and the
film industry. No easy culture to penetrate, this
man from middle America has not only survived in the
celebrity jungle, he has ascended as one of its beloved
leaders. Don't get me wrong. While he is polite,
kind and caring, he is also a hard working, focused
professional who understands that his business. He
is no pushover by any stretch of the imagination.
Speed Forward Four Years
From the time I met Ken our working
relationship has been limited solely to stolen cell
phone minutes, short bursty emails and IMs.
Although Ken graciously invited me to the New York
launch of his now-famous Paves Professional Hair Care
Line a few years ago, a serious illness in my immediate
family left me unable to financially cover the expenses
of the trip. Ken offered to send me a plane ticket
but I felt bad taking advantage of his unbelievable
generosity. I excused myself from attending
although I had major guilt pangs. Secretly I felt
that I had let him down by not being there to support
him. I vowed to make it up to him at some point.
As the years rolled by and my finances
were in better order, I was determined to find a way to
show up at some other Paves event to show my
appreciation for our ongoing collaborations. My
goals were easier said than done. Trying to intersect
with this man's insane schedule is like trying to catch
a ride on a comet. Impossible.
I finally discovered an inside scoop
that Ken would be spending several days in Beverly Hills
on a top secret photo shoot for one of his major
celebrity clients in April. I told him I wanted to
visit the shoot and 'be a fly on the wall". To my
surprise, he graciously agreed. Ultimately I
discovered that he went to a lot of trouble to get me
into the tightly closed and very confidential photo
shoot.
Even though we were in the same city,
literally a few miles apart, trying to actually
rendezvous was tricky since he is virtually on call 24/7
for his famous clients and friends. When we
finally met up I was amazed at how his spiraling fame
and success had not really changed him in any
perceptible way.
While he was definitely a bit thinner
with a more finely chiseled physique, and his
highlighted hair was perfectly tousled, he was the same
kind, considerate and thoughtful person I had originally
met. This man sincerely worries about not
deliberately hurting anyone's feelings.
Surviving in the Hollywood jungle means
balancing clear boundaries with the politics of the
entertainment czars. Kenney understand the rules
better than most. While he is the first to tell
you that what he does is rooted in business, he also
sincerely befriends his female-only celebrity clients.
Actress Brit Murphy was quoted in a recent Cosmopolitan
magazine interview about the fact that her hairdresser,
Kenney Paves, had introduced her to Eva Longoria and
that had become friendly as a result. She
mentioned how cute she thought it was that Kenney
introduced his clients so that they could establish new
friendships.
I wasn't surprised when I read that
quote. Ken has been "supporting his girls" as he
calls his celeb regulars, for years. And yes, he
introduces them to each other knowing that they often
don't have time to pursue new friendships with their
maddening schedules. For Ken, it is just extending
his close knit family circle. Which explains why
Jessica Simpson appeared at the mostly Latin ALMA
awards. Jessica has become friends with Eva
Longoria through a Ken Paves introduction.
Maybe other celebrity hairdressers
introduce their clients, but I doubt it. This
practice just says so much about Ken and how he is
constantly thinking of ways to support, nurture and help
his clients. He thinks of them as family and wants
everyone to be happy and to have a good support network.
Fiercely Loyal & Supportive
Ken has unbelievable endless stores of
energy. He is in constant motion and talks in a
rapid-fire manner. Constantly juggling an
unbelievable list of simultaneous tasks, Ken would
prefer to walk over hot coals rather than let any of his
clients down. His relentless schedule, constant
industry pressures and other demands explain the fact
that while he looked like he had just stepped out of the
pages of GQ, there was a faint tinge of fatigue around
his eyes.
In essence Ken Paves never really takes
time off. I was amazed when he picked up his
famous scissors after 12 nonstop hours on the photo
shoot and volunteered to fix the producer's ragtag
bulked up hairstyle. Doing a fabulous Edward
Scissorhands impression, his hands were awhirl with hair
was flying everywhere as he skillfully snipped into the
overgrown hairstyle of the weary producer.
Everyone watched mesmerized as he completely transformed
the former shaggy haired famous producer into a vision
framed by a sleek layered style that worked perfectly
with her face and body type. She was thrilled at
her new look which was stunning. No wonder people
pay thousands of dollars for his undivided time and
attention.
Walking Fine Lines
If someone offered me the opportunity to
trade my life with Ken's I would definitely decline.
His life is very intense and full of many daily
pressures. In a world full of crazed paparazzi,
Ken is often a target due to his close friendships and
working relationships with many of today's top
celebrities. While he is most famous for his work
with Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, his ongoing client
rooster includes Jessica and, Avril Lavigne.
If you were to review his celebrity
clients over the past ten years, the list would be
beyond mind boggling. Although I can't possibly
list all of his clients, he has talked to me about his
work with Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Victoria
Principle, Celine Dion, Paulina Rubio, Heather Locklear,
Marley Shelton, Christina Applegate, Kim Cattrall, Lucy
Liu, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lara Flynn Boyle, Kristen
Davis, Kirsten Dunst and many more.
Ironically this man who has created
world class hair looks for the rich and famous, still
gets nervous when he works with a brand new celebrity.
While I was visiting with him in LA he was preparing to
fly to New York to work with a new client who just
happened to be the wife of a well-known billionaire.
He was definitely nervous, which I found endearing.
A man like Ken who still gets performance nerves after
all these years definitely has his ego under control.
Has Hollywood, fame and fortune really
changed this hair guru? Not that I can honestly
see. In reality, this man works incredibly hard.
He is 1000% dedicated to his celebrity clients and
focused completely on his profession, his various
projects and his many charities. The commitment he
shows to his family as well as the many clients
(celebrity and non celebrity) who frequent his two hair
salons (Michigan & California) is beyond reproach.
This man is loyal, faithful and willing
to give someone in need the literal shirt off his back
or the hairdryer out of his suitcase. He lives to
help others and make a difference in this crazy mixed up
world. His achievements with Operation Smile and his
other charities are amazing considering his ongoing
career demands.
Summary
Is Ken Paves a hair saint? He is definitely
human and as such he is not perfect. He will be
the first to admit that he has a tendency to try and
bite off more than he can chew (only because he doesn't
ever want to disappoint anyone) and that he is
constantly racing clocks around the world. He also
succumbs at times to total exhaustion from his insane
and high pressure work schedules. When he is
exhausted he might even be a little cranky.
Is Ken Paves too good to be true? After
watching him closely for over four years, I would have
to answer with a resounding no. This man is a rare
gem which explains while his famous clients never let go
of him once they have experienced his hair magic
dispensed by a loyal, faithful and honorable friend.
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