The Tempest

Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Yosh Toya skillfully texturizes Julia Stensrud's hair during his visit to Solano College.

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Yosh Toya made his mission statement for client care. He feels this is what excelled his career, not his talents.

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Solano College Cosmetology class is held in rapt attention by Toya's teachings.

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Yosh Toya speaks about the importance of having good tools for balance and being ergonomically correct. You will stay in the salon business longer and healthier.

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Students learned how to enhance different facial shapes by the way they frame the hairstyle.

Media Credit: Dawn Bonner Yosh Toya has study manuals, book, and audio tapes for your learning library.

Watching internationally acclaimed hairdresser Yosh Toya work was hypnotic, relaxing. His movements are fluid, gentle, small movements that produce a lot, never a wasted movement.

He said he used to use small, 3-inch scissors; he would cut, cut, cut-really fast. He thought the speed made him look like a master.

He told his client one day he would have to get out of the business soon, due to tendinitis. His client said, of course, you treat your body badly. Those scissors are not ergonomic (she was an ergonomic specialist). He went to 7-inch scissors and now does more work in less time with fewer cuts.

Toya received a Life Time Achievement award from the North American Hairstyling Association for outstanding contributions to the hair and beauty industry. He also received the Aveda Master of the Art Award, The Award of Distinction from Logics University, Haircolor USA Arts & Sciences PEP Lifetime Achievement Award, to name a few of his accomplishments.

The industry legend is a successful owner of several salons and has served on the board of three community college cosmetology departments, was originally from Japan and now lives in the Bay Area. He is on a 100-college educational tour throughout the US and Japan; Solano College was fortunate to be one of those schools.

"You are our future, the future of the industry," Toya said to the cosmetology students. "You are my teachers; my clients are my teachers."

He then went on to entertain, educate, cut, blow-dry and personalize four of the students' hair. Toya stressed the importance of being customer friendly, which is what he attributes to his successful career and longevity in the industry.

"I'm just a hairdresser, no different than anyone; I just cared about my clients more," said Toya. "Every client is different in needs; it is up to you to be different. The client wants to know what you can do for me. What looks good on me? What is fashionable?"

Another tip: Always move the client to make it comfortable for you to cut. Don't bend back to get to the hair, it looks unprofessional and is hard on the back. You look more professional moving the clients to your scissors, he said.

He was brimming with knowledge and great tips for everyone, even if you are not in the beauty business; here are a few "Yoshisms:"

-Shake your bottle of water before drinking it. You will ingest more oxygen and gain more energy.

-He loves fads and trends but says they aren't for everybody. If they don't look good on you don't wear them. Go for the classics that look good on you.

-Smile every night before you go to bed, you will sleep better. If you have a hard time smiling, practice smiling in front of a mirror-but don't do it for more than five minutes at a time, or you will be stressed out, he joked.

-Learn how to learn.

-Don't go to a salon for the sake of higher commissions; go to a place for the opportunity to learn. Go for the knowledge, no matter what field you are in.

"People say, don't copy others. I say, copy other people, then you can learn to become a master," said Toya.

Van Gogh didn't use color until he went to Paris. Then he learned about color by copying other artists. He didn't stop there and they don't call him a copycat.

Cheryl McDonald, department head of SCC Cosmetology, was trembling with excitement about Toya being at SCC.

She said, "This was an opportunity of a lifetime for our students. We were so excited for Yosh to share his techniques and knowledge with the students. It was incredible. I thought he had a great connection with the students. He took their opinions into account when doing a couple of the models."

After speaking to the students about HOW he works and his ideas in working with hair, he showed the students by getting into action with four of the SCC cosmetology students as models. He created new looks for: Brooke Ruiz, Julia Stensrud, Cora Gore and Megan Solinger.

Toya cut the hair first, then had their hair dried and did a second cut on the dried hair; what he calls personalizing the style. The second cut with the dry hair is where he spends most of his time.

"See, Toya said, "anyone can cut hair, it is easy to see where you are going when the hair is dry. You can see what you don't need. Everyone has a magic touch, anyone can do this."

A few days after Toya's visit, when the student models had washed and styled their new do's, their reactions were the same. They all loved what he did to their hair.

Megan Stensrud said, "I like it[haircut] a lot. I haven't had my hair cut in seven months, so I was ready for something different. My hair falls in place after I wash it, and I can still pull it up in a pony tail for volleyball."

Toya's first cut took the class from being so quiet so they didn't miss a word from the master, to stunned exclamations. When Ruiz was ready for her hair to be dried, she left behind a lot of hair on the floor.

"I knew what I was getting into," Ruiz said, "it is easy and fast, soft and healthy. Everyone dropped their jaw when i walked into work. It was such a drastic change. I wanted a drastic change and he listened to me, for my ideas and my needs. I love the new style."

To see the transitions of Toya's models, watch the three slide shows.

For more Yosh: Toya has an audio tape for sale at www.mastersaudioclub.com, titled Yosh Toya/Bill Peplow for $5; and a book, "Yosh Toya Hairgraphy; Yosh Toya Forum 10th Anniversary. Cost is $30 at www.bolerium.com.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools