Our GLOSSYBOX team headed to Sally Hershberger's salon in NYC to meet the woman who created the iconic shag hairstyle and see firsthand how her new 24k haircare line works! 1. How did you get your start in the hair world?
"I was assisting a hair dresser who couldn't go on tour with Olivia Newton John on her Physical World Tour, back when she was like Madonna. So I went, and from that tour I met Herb Ritz who was shooting Olivia. He goes, "We should work together." Then i did the cover of Interview Magazine with Michelle Pfeiffer and him, and before i knew it i was doing Vogue. So Herb Ritz gave me my big break, and I was like 22 at the time."
2. So you were definitely at the right place at the right time. You've been in this industry for awhile and have had well-known hair care lines in the past, most recently releasing your new 24K line. How do you feel like this line is different?"I developed all of John Freida's hair care for 10 years, including the Sheer Blonde line and the first ever Beach Spray, way before Bumble. Then I came out with my own line for mass market and I realized there was a disconnect because i'm not a mass market person, I've always had high-end clientele. The first product I developed was the Texturizing Paste and I went on air with it and it sold out immediately. I told myself, there's something about this 24K line that's working. You know, there's gold in it, and it's a heat conductor among many other things. So I decided to discontinue the mass line because it wasn't me, and this is much more me."
3. Your 24k Supreme Stylist Voluminous Dry Shampoo was featured in our September box and as someone who uses this stuff all the time, when do you think is the best time to put dry shampoo in your hair? I've been told at night so that your roots can soak up the spray for second-day hair. Does it matter?"I mean, for me, the reason why my dry shampoo has a dry volumizer and a dry hairspray in it is because I like to have volume which hides the grease and it absorbs it. So I think whenever you want volume/life is when you should use it."
4. As I mentioned earlier, you've been in this industry for decades and the trends are constantly changing. Where do you continue to gain inspiration from?"I'm very current as far as trends. I always look at the shows, I hang out with a lot of young people, and i'm very involved with music and am friends with a lot of musicians. You know, I think the kind of hair that i'm into never goes out of fashion, which is very textured, sexy hair. It's always going to be fashionable, at the moment it happens to be the most popular style."
5. Having done some research on your past clientele, what or who has been your favorite look to create of all of these amazing people you've worked with in the past?"As I said earlier, I love textured hair. Whether i'm doing Hilary Clinton, when I did her for the cover of Vogue, or one of the many Italian Vogue covers with Steven Meisel, it's my thing. He and Annie Leibovitz really used me to be on set, thats what i'm known for, to give it that 'thing.' I don't care if the persons hair is long or short, i'm really about that magic moment on set. Just taking the hair, with the right product, and being very tactile with my hands, you know?"
6. Since we are a beauty company, I have to ask you what your favorite product is?My 24k Vanity Hair Shaping Balm. This I put in my hair if i'm at the beach, and the dry oil is really great because it's very lightweight and works for all hair types.
7. We have a massive following of beauty enthusiasts. It's not just people saying that they love makeup, but its also people who aspire to work in the beauty industry. What would you say to somebody that wanted to get involved in the hair world? Is it necessary to go to hair school or can you be self-taught?I'm very into helping people get into the business. I say go find the best salon in your state, if not, move to California or New York and work for the top hairdresser. I mean, I had to go to hair school. You learn a lot of technical things in school, so I think it's important. But at the same time, a lot of it is the eye. If you want to be in a salon, you'd better go to school to learn how to cut. I actually have education [for my stylists] here at the salon [Interim Salon, NYC] every Tuesday night with Mary Burnetti, who's my educational director, and is like the top in the hair world, so i'm very about education because it's a brand and people come here for something specific.
About Sally Hershberger: Known for her trendsetting vision and amazing skill, Sally Hershberger is one of the most influential and sought-after hairstylists across the globe. As the first female hairstylist whose talent and business acumen enabled her to reach celebrity status, Sally is a personal favorite of directors and celebrities alike and is equally in demand in the world of fashion. In addition to her work with top celebrities and photographers, Sally travels coast-to-coast to work with personal clients in her New York and Los Angeles Salons and created her self-titled hair care company, Sally Hershberger Professional Hair Care.
Sally realized her goal of offering every woman across the country the tools to recreate the aesthetic of her coveted styles with the launch of her Sally Hershberger 24K. The ultimate in luxury hair care without the price tag to match. All her products undergo testing by Sally herself at her eponymous New York City salon to ensure high-quality, high performance formulations at a price everyone can afford.
