David Evangelista Talks About New Clients

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Celebrity stylist David Evangelista

Let me start by saying I love my work. It is my life's passion, and opening up a salon with my name on the door was a dream come true. But with that comes the never-ending commitment to try and make every client happy (and loyal).

Meeting clients for the first time consistently challenges me in many ways to do the best job I can and to establish a lasting relationship that is one of style and substance. I recently had a new client book a cut with me. At first glance and from her bohemian head-to-toe style, I was not sure what to expect. She was to- the-point, blunt and as direct as a person can be about what she wanted and what she didn’t. I appreciate that. She said, “Do not cut much because I will never come back to you.†She went on to tell me that she frequented celebrity stylists, but she was never happy because she always walked out with her hair chopped off. Let me preface by saying her hair was straight, no layers, never colored and to her rear end. She looked as if she lived off the land, but not in a straggly, homeless kind of way. She was naturally attractive and I could tell she embraced simplicity.

Was I being set up for failure? Why come to a celeb stylist and pay for a style when you simply want nothing but a centimeter trimmed off? It turned out that by walking her through every last motion of the scissors, I took off more than she wanted, but with “pre-communication†(talk before doing!), it became a team effort. We put very minimal layers around her face, took off a few inches from the back (big step for her!) and gave her a blowout to die for! She loved it….then brought her two kids in the following week. Whew, I passed the test and secured a new client. The bottom line: Never judge a book by its cover and communication is key!

Hugs & hairspray,
David Evangelista

David Evangelista is one of the nation's leading hair, makeup and fashion experts and a respected television personality. He has been a contributor to The Early Show on CBS since 2002, bringing style, beauty, and makeover advice to millions of viewers each week. He also recently opened his salon David Evangelista at Cornelia (will be changing to Spa Chakra in May) in New York City. He works with high-profile personalities including Becki Newton, Julia Stiles, Eva Longoria Parker, Hillary Swank, Peyton Manning, Mandy Moore, Rita Wilson, Martha Stewart, Paula Deen, Steve Martin and Kevin Kline.