Puts hair in a Starring role
The styling areas at the new Starring by Ted Gibson hair salon in Los Angeles were inspired by the pods in first-class airline cabins, and they are meant to offer some privacy to guests.
Opened last week, Starring is also billed as L.A.’s first “smart salon.” It’s equipped with Amazon’s Alexa technology, so that clients can get a look at their hair color in different lighting conditions.
“We can ask Alexa to show us several preset colors from sunrise to moonlight so clients no longer have to walk into the parking lot to see what their hair will look like in natural light,” said colorist Jason Backe, co-founder of Starring and Gibson’s husband.
The 1,100-square-foot, appointment-only salon — it’s the couple’s first venture in Los Angeles — features five stations that are 9 feet long and 13 feet high. Gibson described the spaces as being “cloudlike.”
“You feel like you’re sitting inside a beauty light box,” he said. “The aesthetic of the place itself is futuristic, light and airy.”
Clients can also stream shows on Hulu, Netflix or Amazon and shop on provided tablets at the salon by scanning QR codes on products in the retail section, including those from Starring’s own line.
The duo, who between them have tended to the tresses of Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain and Angelina Jolie, will have a team of four other stylists on hand to offer the full range of hair services. At the top tier, Gibson’s typical rate for a haircut is $2,000, and Backe charges $450 per 30 minutes of hair color services. The other stylists will charge rates commensurate with high-end salons.