MANILA, Philippines — From Madame Martin of King Louis XIV’s court, to Vidal Sassoon in the ‘60s, hairstylists have been part of shaping not only hair but also culture and history.
Unknown to many, behind Hollywood stars Eva Longoria and Oprah Winfrey’s gorgeous locks and Victoria and David Beckham’s sexy ‘dos is an American hairdresser very proud of his Filipino roots.
In an exclusive video interview with Philstar.com, half-Filipino American hairstylist Ken Paves shared how he rose from the ranks — from an impoverished son of a Filipina who had three jobs to support a family in America, to the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival with Victoria Beckham.
“I became a hairdresser because as a young boy in Detroit, Michigan, my Filipina mother worked three jobs. She worked in a factory, planted in a field, in a nursery, she had to clean houses,” Ken recalled.
Though busy, his mom still found time to dress up during special occasions, and Ken was fascinated at how his mom would transform herself by applying makeup and styling her hair.
“Her self-confidence led me to become a hairdresser,” he enthused. “I saw that me validating her look in the mirror (made me) quickly learn that I could do that and share to other people.”
He first started experimenting by cutting his nieces’ and nephews’ hair.
“Every time somebody is out there to recognize themselves, it heals a part of me that was insecure,” disclosed Ken, who grew up enjoying Filipino food like pancit and celebrating special occasions with Filipino communities in Detroit.
Ken never thought that from a humble hairdresser in Michigan, his reputation would travel far and wide, by word-of-mouth, to Hollywood.
“I never thought I was able to go out of Detroit, Michigan, where I would get a five-dollar, eight-dollar haircut, to where I am, but my dad always told me that I’m in the service industry and if I would do a really good job, it would matter to people.”
According to him, “One thing led to another and I got appreciated for that, so from Michigan, (I went) to Miami, and from Miami, to New York.”
From doing hairstyles for New York fashion shows, Hollywood stars would call him from Los Angeles to coif their hair for awarding ceremonies.
His clients also recommended him to award-winning actress and TV host Oprah Winfrey, for which he became a hairdresser for 40 episodes in a span of 12 years. He continued to do hairstyles for shows such as “Biggest Loser,” and for “super couple” Victoria and David Beckham.
Ken has been crafting Victoria’s Cannes Film Festival red carpet and Vogue magazine cover hairstyles.
“We’ve done many styles together. I’ve worked with them for 11 or 12 years now, and they like a variety of hairstyles,” he said of the former Spice-Girl-turned-fashion-designer and her football superstar husband.
Ken shared that after experimenting with a longer hairstyle, David now goes with a very short cut, while Victoria is now into mid-length that she likes to pull up into a scruffy bun.
Bright Faces
David and Victoria are among Ken's Hollywood friends, alongside singing legend Diana Ross and football superstar Tom Brady, who donated items to be auctioned for the benefit of Bright Faces, a US-registered charity working with local government units and volunteer doctors to give free surgeries for poor children and adults with cleft lip and/or palate.
RGPI Professional Beauty, the sole distributor of Wella Professionals in the Philippines, has recently helped bring Ken and Bright Faces in the country to create more awareness and provide free medical assistance to Filipinos with cleft lip and/or palate.
During the initiative's press launch in Taguig City, Ken emotionally shared how happy he was to have finally arrived for the first time in the Philippines, the homeland of his grandfather and mother.
"In anticipation of my Bright Faces Mission to the Philippines this month, I flashback Friday to my Grandfather, Simeon Fabbier Felarca who came to the United States from San Marcelino, Zambales, Philippines in 1926 after graduating from the National University of the Philippines in 1925. He attended the Detroit Institute of Technology where he received his Business Administration Degree and his Bachelor of Commercial Science Degree. I am so excited to go to the Philippines and learn so much more!" he said of his Filipino grandfather in an Instagram post.
Ken has been supporting charities like Bright Faces for over a decade in memory of a nephew.
“I have supported organizations like Bright Faces for over 15 years,” Ken shared. “Left untreated, one in 10 children with a cleft lip or palate will die before their first birthday. This cause is very close to my heart because my nephew Ryan was one of these children. He was born with Trisomy and other birth defects, which took his life at 15 months old. He is still my greatest role model and my inspiration to be of service to the world.”
After helping kids with cleft lip and/or palate in remote Philippine provinces like Cabanatuan, Ken plans to return to the Philippines in November to continue his mission of providing better smiles for Filipino youth.
For those who also want to make it to Hollywood while doing good, Ken has only one assurance: “If you do what you love and don’t do it for the recognition, you do the best job possible and for the right reasons, success will come.” — Video by Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo, editing by Erwin Cagadas Jr.