Hair stylist, Theodore Leaf, is taking the Los Angeles Fashion Industry by Storm

If you want to know how to make it in the fashion industry, Theodore Leaf’s story should inspire you. He’s 24 and he’s already accomplished so much in the 5 short years he’s been a hair stylist. After he trained at the Paul Mitchell Academy in Ohio, Theo took a job in Atlanta at the Paul Mitchell salon. While setting up the education department at the salon, he also assisted a colorist in Buckhead, Atlanta’s answer to Beverly Hills. One bad day at work, and the rest, as they say, is history! Theo called his mother and the two of them drove his 2 door Saturn from Atlanta to Los Angeles. He had $1,500 in his pocket and one phone number. He used that number and was immediately asked if he had experience working with wigs. He lied and said Yes! And then bought a book on wigs and read it cover to cover. The gig was for a musical in Noho (North Hollywood for those who aren’t familiar with LA). As luck would have it, one of the girls in the musical was Katharine McFee, who we all are familiar with winning American Idol. He was making $300.00 per week doing hair for the musical. His next job in LA was doing the Broadway tour of Annie. His salary jumped to $3,000.00 per week! After the tour, he dedicated himself to working with photographers, building his portfolio. He says that because he doesn’t do make up, make up artists felt comfortable calling him for testing gigs and he was able to make a lot of connections. He told me, “ I said YES to everything! It didn’t matter how much it paid or who was shooting it, I did everything that came along!” One example; he got a call on a Wednesday to key a fashion show on Friday. He had never done a fashion show before, and didn’t have that big of a roster to pull together a team. But he always said Yes to an opportunity. And of course, the show was a success!





Instead of working at Starbucks, he worked with photographers to supplement his income. He took any job, big or small, and waited the year it took to get his license. The first salon he worked at was Warren Tricomi in Los Angeles. He was an assistant to a colorist there, while also taking on the huge task of planning the PR event of “The Beauty Brunch”. The event was to announce the opening of the salon on Sundays. Soon after that he auditioned for the TV show “Shear Genius” and got on the show as the youngest ever competitor. He won the first challenge! Through the show he met Sally Herschberger, Frederic Fekkai and Garren. He didn’t want the PR from the show to go to another salon, so he promptly opened his own salon. He was featured in fashion magazines like Lucky and Allure, publicity he earned from being on Shear Genius. In one of the articles he was asked who his mentors were: Sally Herschberger and Chris McMillan. Job offers from both of them came within the year of the article, independent from them knowing he ever said it.




He now splits his time between Chris McMillan Salon in Beverly Hills and hair styling for fashion, celebrity and beauty campaigns and editorials. He also signed with his first agency, Solo Artists in Los Angeles. He does product representation for Nioxin and he is available for speaking engagements. What I want to know is how does he find the time to not only do all this but also be an incredible hair stylist and a genuinely fabulous person!

He has some advice for newcomers:

1. Always follow up. Keep in touch with everyone you work with.

2. Always send Thank you notes to the clients.

3. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. He claims to be a “stalker”, although I can tell you first hand he is not that scary!

4. Always have your kit ready. You never know when you’re going to get that call. And you never know when someone you are assisting for had a long night the previous evening and doesn’t show up! Be prepared!!

I believe Theodore Leaf has a long and highly successful road ahead of him and I am terribly pleased I will play witness to it. After all, we work together!

Theodore Leaf can be contacted through Solo Artists: 310-558-7656

His website is: www.theodoreleaf.com

Check out his brilliance and listen to his advice. You’ll go far too if you do!

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