MORE ABOUT THE HAIR CUTTIN' MISS VOSPER

A few posts back, I told you a little bit about my hair cutter and Partner in Crazy Dreams Brainstormin', J Vosper. I asked J to fill me in a bit more on the details of her past, present, and future.

Here's what she shared:

When and how did you first get interested in hair and in being a hairdresser?

I first became interested in hairstyling when I was a little girl. I always had my hands in hair -- hot rollers, braids, bendees, curling irons. I cut my Barbie dolls’ [hair], my dog’s hair, my mom’s hair. Then it became a past-time at sleepover night, middle school dances, homecoming, and prom. Then, at 22, I met this stylist who transformed my boring long blonde hair into a short fun style and I was hooked. It wasn't until I graduated college that I felt confident enough to go in the direction of my dreams in NYC.

Tell me a little bit more about your idea for the Solar System Hair/Fashion Show.

The solar system idea emerged through Josie [J’s colleague] and I talking after we worked and incredible show for Intercoiffure. It was inspiring. I've always wanted to create a massive hair show with an ethereal, other-world feel and Josie said she thought creating the planets in hair would be awesome, too. So, at some point, melting a bit of the supernatural and and a bit of the scientific together would be incredible; it would be a perfect blend of romantic and grotesque. The background would be really creative to invent, and the hair pieces...off the charts! Some images that come to mind are astrological signs, Orion's Belt, the moon, bright colors with swirls and spheres, stars, comets, the blue sky meeting the universe.

Who are some of your mentors and sources of inspiration and creativity and why?

One of my inspirations is F.Scott Fitzgerald, who wrote a short story called "Bernice Bobs her Hair.” Also: Annie Humphries, Antoinette Benders, Malcolm Edwards, Vidal Sassoon, Lori Zabel, Jo-Blackwell Preston, Nancy Braun, and Jack Howard.

What do you think are a few of the connections of growing up in a farm setting and being a creative person?

Growing up on a farm kept my eyes peeled for new beginnings, color, and balance; additionally, it propelled me invent anything that was possible in my mind. I never stopped imagining. I see these as three of the essentials in being authentic as a creative person and stylist.

Are there any more big dreams and hopes that you have for yourself - say for the next 3-5 years?

At some point in my career, I am going to own a 2 chair salon/ tattoo parlor with music on the weekends. So I am continually building towards that. As a part of the education team for L’Oreal, I am going to be a portfolio artist and represent the company as a colorist in hair shows. As a stylist behind the chair, I will be continuing to master my skill as a balayage artist.

J'S TATTOOS

Jessica "J" Vosper is my haircutter. She has some great tattoos: a pair of scissors on her neck and a peacock across her back and shoulders.

J works at a hair salon called Dop Dop, which was the name of a popular children's shampoo in France in the fifties and sixties. The space which houses Dop Dop was "originally a tap dance studio where the likes of Cab Calloway and Gregory Hines let loose." I stumbled across the place one day while exploring SoHo with my blogger buddy Petra, and soon after booked an appointment there.

J is the kind of person who I find myself sharing my "crazy" ideas with. This is probably because she has a great imagination and has an open, accepting quality about her. Last time I went to get my hair cut, I said "Next time I come in, we can do something for spring - a bird's nest updo complete with malted speckled eggs and flowers. Wait a sec - maybe we can do something for Passover - like a seder plate perched on the updo. Lamb shank, parsley, everything." I was thinking about the massive wigs they assemble for the long-running San Fran show Beach Blanket Babylon (which, incidentally, Project Runway finalist Chris March used to design for).

Anyhow, back to J. She was raised, in part, in a farm environment. Which means that she is incredibly hard-working and also has the mind of an artist. I told J that a lot of women I know who were raised on farms are artists. We speculated about reasons why. Maybe it's because of the sense of open space and time that lets you connect to your imagination. Maybe it comes from having a relationship with nature, with the land. J and I agreed that this topic would make an interesting research project.

J shared one of her "crazy" (read: amazing) dreams, which is to create a fashion/hair show based on the solar system. She's been hatching this dream with her colleague, Josie. I love this idea. Go for it, J!