EP. 029 - TED

BEAUTY. STYLE. GRACE

TED GIBSON

'THE ALCHEMY OF BEAUTY'

Age: 53

Location: Los Angeles

Ted Gibson is a celebrity hairstylist and founder ofStarring, the world’s first smart salon. Coupling cutting-edge technology with empathic styling, Ted provides his clients with the experience of a lifetime.

I believe that I am a product of my parents. Both my mom and dad are/were very strong individuals. As a military kid, we traveled every three to four years. I was an only child and I would always have to leave and make new friends. There was a loneliness I felt but never had the opportunity to understand because my parents didn't have that level of openness. I was taught that as a child, I was meant to be seen but not heard. I was taught to listen to my elders no matter what they said.

I didn’t fully develop my voice until later in life. I still struggle with speaking up for myself at times.

I watched my parents fight. They'd have parties and get drunk and volatile. I would always have to come in and save my mother.

On the other end of her pain was an iconic sense of style that she inherited from her mother. My grandmother’s hats would match her shoes. Her shoes would match her jacket. And her jacket would match her skirt. Church was the cornerstone for our style. Sunday’s were an event, and I had to get dressed up in order to go. Casual was not an option. I didn't own a pair of jeans until I was 12 years old. When you see me now, I almost always have a jacket on. My love of beauty and style comes from the women who raised me.

I love women and the way we interact. I can relate so much to them because of how I talk to my mother and make her feel. I'm a calming and nurturing source and a guiding light for both her and my clients. My strongest work has been touching women's hearts and making them think of their lives and themselves differently through the alchemy of hair, beauty, and the experience they have with me.