Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Tawa.
Jennifer, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My fascination and love of hair started at a very young age. I have very curly hair and I was amazed at how much I could change my appearance just by changing my hair’s texture. I have several hairstylists in my family and visiting them is when I discovered I loved the salon environment. When I was there, every one of my senses were at attention.
The sight of people chatting, the smell of the products, the feeling of almost falling as you laid all the way back to have your hair shampooed, the sound of laughter and of course the end result of this sensory rollercoaster, the feeling of being armed with a woman’s most powerful weapon, great hair! I started assisting at my aunt’s salon in the 10th grade and I had no doubt I was going to be attending hair school immediately following my graduation from Boston Latin Academy in 1995.
After a wonderful few years of working with my aunt before her retirement, I took another aunt’s suggestion and began working at Nelson Randall in Brookline Village.
That is where I met a group of people that would literally change my life forever. I was a haircutter at heart, but in 1997 thanks to a co-worker of mine Luiz Filho, I discovered my passion for styling and event hair, mainly for weddings. Another co-worker of mine at the time was due to open a salon nearby and I did not hesitate in any way to join her. In 2000, Susan Healey and a partner opened HC Studio which has now been my home for 18 years. Susan has provided me the opportunity of travelling all over Europe and the U.S. to learn with our industries most notorious stylists as well as servicing a group of outstanding and loyal clients at her beautiful salon. This year marks my 21st wedding season servicing brides in the Boston area and beyond. I am a member of Tearsheet and have worked with L’Oréal, Kerastase and Redken at NYFW and NYBFW, and have transitioned into an experienced editorial stylist as well. I have worked with many celebrities and currently have on-going projects in television and with New England sport teams. My favorite part of my work is that it never feels like work! I wake up every day and are faced with new and exciting projects that I can’t wait to tackle.
I have been happily married for 15 years to my husband Derek, that I met when I was 15 years old! We have two very athletic and musically talented boys Danny age 13, and Brian age 11. It has been a privilege to work in an industry where I feel like it is in perfect sync with my passion and my ability to be there for my family. I feel nothing but optimistic about what the future holds knowing every day is an opportunity to learn and share more of the tremendous experience of being a proud Boston hairstylist.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I strive to create confidence, comfortability, individuality, and style. A woman’s hair is her most powerful and important accessory and to be trusted with the health and appearance of a woman hair is a task I do not take lightly. When I meet someone for the first-time whether it is her wedding day or she is on camera or even just needs a trim, I never forget that our experience together is going to impact this person’s sense of self. If you take the power of hair as seriously as I do, THIS IS BIG.
In my consultation I like to talk about what they would like to achieve today as well as long term. We talk about what their past experiences have been and the outcome in terms of how it made them feel. It is so important for me to ask the right questions and truly listen to where they want to go with the information they chose to share. I imagine that I am in my chair, for me I would take the most comfort in knowing my stylist not only had technical ability but the desire to actually understand me and my needs.
Here is what I love about this… in some aspects of my job such as a wedding, TV, or a shoot, I thrive on the pressure. It’s my comfort zone, no excuses, just make it happen! In other aspects mostly present in the salon, we work together. We have goals, we may or may not achieve them right away but we enjoy the path with confidence we will get there. It is ALL very satisfying!
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
The biggest challenge is staying true to yourself and to your interpretation of what is current and what is coming next, as well as what is classic and timeless. We must never compare ourselves to each other so that we can express our unique perspective of the things that we cannot change. I believe true artists cannot help being inspired by what is around them. For me this would be almost impossible to do, but at the same time I think this has been the struggle for artists forever. The use of social media has made that task even harder and then at the same time has made the experience of influence accessible and enjoyable. In my opinion, it is a magnificent, modern day tool that should be used very cautiously.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be seen on my personal website- Jennifertawa.com and on the HC Studio website – HCstudioinc.com
My work is featured periodically in bridal magazines and on various Boston bridal vendors websites. I utilize social media sites such as Instagram – @jentawahairdesign and Facebook- Jennifer Tawa Hair Design
Contact Info:
- Address: Salon services- HC Studio 30 Station St. Brookline Village, MA 02445
- Website: HCStudioinc.com. Jennifertawa.com
- Phone: Salon (617)713-3636. Jennifer Tawa Hair Design – (617)605-5056
- Email: Jen@jennifertawa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jentawahairdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jennifer-Tawa-Hair-Design-142022122502744/
Image Credit:
Shannon Cronin Photography
Carly Michelle Photography
Kate McElwee Photography
Mark Davidson Photography
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