From his early roots as a young London hairdresser, to his phenomenal success as both an artist and salon owner in Toronto, Canada where he currently lives, Jason Kearns has shared his passion, talent and creative genius with the beauty industry.
(Image to the left from Jason Kearn's Urban Gypsy Collection - Art Direction and Hair: Jason Kearns - Kearns/Davidson Salon, Wardrobe: Catherine Curist & Alexia Von Beck, Makeup: Hanoch and Photos: Richard Dubois - All Rights Reserved).
Jason has been a hairdresser for over 25 years, and has been involved in photography for most of his career. He currently co-owns the stylish, high-end Kearns-Davidson Hair & Skin Care salon in Toronto (on Yonge St.,) and is devoted to his thriving business, as well as fashion-forward photography.
Harold Leighton
Jason has lived and traveled all over the world. He has been quoted as saying:
"I am passionate about great hair not about the trends that surround my industry. My strong foundations shaped me, sixties London, the era, its sensibilities, the graphics, the enthusiasm, the freedom to create.
Evolution in hair is bigger then trends, the times we live in define a lot about hair, its continuous, ongoing and above all inspiring to me. I trained under the brilliant Harold Leighton an icon in the British hair industry - he pushed me and allowed me to be part of the creative process from the beginning"
Harold Leighton talks about Jason in his book Salon to Celebrity: The British Hairdressing Story. Publisher Seven Publications Paris France.
"Jason is one of my most successful juniors to make the grade and achieve international success, creating shows and photography like you've never seen before. How many of us can claim to have worked with David Bailey, Barry Lategan, Helmut Newton, Sarah Moon, David Montgomery, Bruno Dyan, Hans Feurer, Serge Barbeau, Bert Stern, Walter chin, Shin Sugino, Babar Kahn, Myron Zabol....."
Jason says: "Discipline stems from belief and passion, commitment to what I do. I would not have the salon I have now, the huge cross section of clientele or the body of artistic work to look back on without discipline.
My clients often inspire me, the salon is an extension of how I tend to see hair, modern, clean lines, evolving as my clients evolve. The process of doing what I do is about finding a balance that does not date with time. I try to do the same within the salon. I am not loud with my work, it is not done with the purpose to shock, only to please the eye."Hair Artist And Art Director
Equally comfortable in the salon and studio, Jason acts as both hair artist and art director to create stunning photographic works that mesmerize audiences throughout the world.
"Like fashion designers, I conceptualize a photo shoot based on how I want a woman to look...the way I see her mood ...how I read her emotions," Jason explains. "It's the same sort of approach that I take when doing hair in my salon.
When a new client first walks through the door, I observe how she carries herself, her height and size. I notice her dress and ask as many personal questions as I can without getting too personal. Balancing these internal and external factors helps me understand which direction I should explore with her hair, and how far I can push the envelope in terms of style."
Surrounded by talent and inspired by art, he also works with top international photographers (see photographic credits) to create haunting collections that begin with a simple idea or expression, and finish as a true work of art.
Stunning straightforward headshots, Jason creates compelling stories through objects, lighting, fashion and beauty.
No Flaunting Of Celebrity Cliente
Often touted as the beauty industry's best kept secret, Jason coifs the tresses of A-list celebrities, as well as media luminaries, ladies who lunch, and everyday clients who have high aspirations for their hair.
Jason made remarks to the Toronto Star regarding celebrity hair. Jason told reporter Rita Zekas that "doing a celeb's hair once doesn't make you their hairdresser."
Jason said ""I have a long celeb list at the salon but I won't use it." Jason noted "even if you do a lot of people at the Toronto International Film Festival, just because you do them once doesn't make you their hairdresser. He said "I don't consider them my clients, because they have their own hairdressers."
Jason's Philanthropic Works
Generous and passionate by nature, Jason's philanthropic works are legend. Some of the charities that are dear to his heart are: breast cancer research, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson disease and numerous local hospital fundraisers.
Jason's most recent collection is Urban Gypsy. Jason's creation of the Urban Gypsy Collection perfectly captures the mood and shape of the moment. "It's all about control," says Jason “I wanted to show that hairspray is not a product of generations past, but rather a powerful tool.”Please follow us on Twitter at: https://Twitter.com/HairBoutique. I look forward to meeting new people from all walks of Twitter and learning from their Tweets.