Personally I hate going to the barber and the salon that I tend to let my hair grow out or keep it very short. I never had amazing experiences that made me want to go back constantly. The addition of my mother cutting my hair when I was young did not help the cause. You can say I have some haircutting trauma from sitting on the chair. I found ARROJO Studio by sheer luck. A few months ago a young lady came to the store looking to buy a pair of running shoes. It was a random comment that led me to discover that she is a hairstylist. My eyes lit up like Christmas Eve that night. My hair was growing crazy. Why not give the kid a try, I thought. Shawnee told me she is currently in training and cuts by her are $25. It was nice that I was able to speak to her outside of her job to get a comfort level. Frankly, you never know as some people could and will butcher your hair.
I did not feel I had substantial experience to write about this place after my first time. Today I went for my second visit. I will certainly share the details of my experiences.
ARROJO Studio is huge. This type of studio can be intimidating. There are about sixty seats for clients, a coffee shop, and there is a beauty school inside too. I am no fashionista. For me it is all too foreign. Shawnee briefed me up on who Nick Arrojo is. Normally the haircut prices range from $70-$500. The latter price will get you the man with the golden scissor, Nick Arrojo, himself to cut your hair. As with any distinguished studio, one would need to go to beauty school before coming on board. At ARROJO Studio that goes out the door. All new stylists go through their rigorous two-year training within ARROJO Studio to learn their specific technique and style of cutting. If the stylist is supremely talented like a LeBron James of hair cutting then I am sure they would be very happy to move them up the ranks quicker. The goal is to become a personal assistant to Nick Arrojo - the Robin to the Batman. The two years in training, the stylists are required to cut hair with models. It can be extremely difficult. At times they have to go out on the streets and find willing participants.
During the training period on certain days of the morning the students cut hair for $25. In the two times I’ve been there, I got cut by Shawnee and Tim. The only catch are that its 9:00 A.M for the cuts and its usually two hours in the chair as Nick and Lina Arrojo, along with other veterans overlook at the students work. Not the entire time of course. The two hour long session can be really good if you’re keen on picking up terminology and jargons as they talk. I take in a great appreciation for them having a wealthy of knowledge and a sharp hawk eye to see tiny mistakes as upper management overlooks upon the finished product. Having the big boss over the student’s shoulders will make them perform better or crumble under pressure. It is a pretty good deal if you have the time and the patience. And if the cut looks good I tip them as a nice gesture. I can’t afford the normal rates as my part-time job won’t justify the spending but for $25 this is a really good deal.
It’s not likely one will have the same stylist over and over but I am sure your hair will be in good hands. It’s a great way for me to start fresh and lose the fear of thinking my hair will be butchered. The cut by Shawnee and Tim were pretty cool. Shawnee layered it very well and Tim is meticulous with the scissor. I am young. I can experiment with new styles as much as I want. When I get older then I’ll keep it vanilla and boring.
3/6/2010 Update: I went for my third model hair cut after I returned from Brazil in February. My stylist this time was Martina. She is terrible. I had a feeling from the moment I laid eyes on her. She has been cutting hair for 15 years. That's what she said. Not at this studio. After chatting up with her a bit I got the feeling she doesn't really want to work there if she has to take all those haircutting exams. She sounded like she has her routine down and she isn't flexible to change it. I was right. When I told her to cut my hair a certain way, her reply was, "Are you a stylist now?" SMH. Overall I think she is not humble to start from the bottom. She didn't have the can-do attitude. She's couldn't layer or cut my hair like Shawnee or Tim. I hope she doesn't make it on to the floor. It would be a sad day for the person who is sitting in the chair.
5/7/2011 Update: I went for the fourth time. Tim cut my hair. At the end of this month he will be on the floor full time. That's great for him. Well deserved. A sad day for me if I want the student model price again from him. Shawnee also moved up to the advance track. I also filmed it for anyone interested in going to get the student model hair cut. Normal hair cuts are much shorter in time.
10/6/2011 Update: Shawnee told me she is a stylist now. Super fast for a 19 year old. If you want her to cut your hair for half off on Saturdays call the studio at 212-242-7786. It comes out to $40-ish after tax. Mobile is 740-680-1310. And video is back on. Had to wait awhile until Youtube gave me the green light for videos longer than 15 minutes.
3/6/2010 Update: I went for my third model hair cut after I returned from Brazil in February. My stylist this time was Martina. She is terrible. I had a feeling from the moment I laid eyes on her. She has been cutting hair for 15 years. That's what she said. Not at this studio. After chatting up with her a bit I got the feeling she doesn't really want to work there if she has to take all those haircutting exams. She sounded like she has her routine down and she isn't flexible to change it. I was right. When I told her to cut my hair a certain way, her reply was, "Are you a stylist now?" SMH. Overall I think she is not humble to start from the bottom. She didn't have the can-do attitude. She's couldn't layer or cut my hair like Shawnee or Tim. I hope she doesn't make it on to the floor. It would be a sad day for the person who is sitting in the chair.
5/7/2011 Update: I went for the fourth time. Tim cut my hair. At the end of this month he will be on the floor full time. That's great for him. Well deserved. A sad day for me if I want the student model price again from him. Shawnee also moved up to the advance track. I also filmed it for anyone interested in going to get the student model hair cut. Normal hair cuts are much shorter in time.
10/6/2011 Update: Shawnee told me she is a stylist now. Super fast for a 19 year old. If you want her to cut your hair for half off on Saturdays call the studio at 212-242-7786. It comes out to $40-ish after tax. Mobile is 740-680-1310. And video is back on. Had to wait awhile until Youtube gave me the green light for videos longer than 15 minutes.
Nick is awesome! I loved him on what not to wear and his wiseass comments for people who had terrible haircuts.
ReplyDeleteI am 31 and I refuse to have a boring haircut......actually here I see less boringness in the line of fashion and overall appearance. It's kinda cool to see young mothers who immediately work on their appearance instead of going everywhere in their Pjs and hair in a messy knot. Sexy.