Spotlight | Hairstylist Owen Gould

This week TWG is profiling our talented hairstylist Owen Gould, who consistently works with many brands such as Joe Fresh, Jones NY, Coach and J Brand. He is regularly called upon to work with magazines like Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, Vanity Fair, Italian Amica, Lula and Oyster with photographers Steven Sebring, Francois Nars, David Armstrong and Benny Horne. Owen has also styled celebrity tresses such as Lake Bell, Ludvine Sagnier, & The Puppini Sisters.

In conjunction with this week’s spotlight, TWG is holding a #braidoff competition inspired by Owen! Try to recreate any of the looks you see in the collage above or create your best braid tagging @thewallgroup on Instagram or Twitter, using the hashtag #braidoff. Owen himself will choose the winner next week! The #Braidoff is on!

OG: Hair was always such an exciting medium for me. It’s the first thing I notice about a person and so often it can say so much about what that person is like. I’m thrilled that I get to transform people everyday just by manipulating what’s on their head.

OG: That’s an excellent question. I think I would tell myself to take 3 deep breaths and relax. I still have to tell myself that sometimes. I get nervous anytime I try something new, but it so crucial to push yourself outside of your comfort zone or you’ll never grow as an artist.

OG: Wow,  that’s a tough one. I would say moving to New York to pursue my dreams of becoming an editorial hairstylist. It was a pretty defining moment when I finally got up enough courage to take the leap. It’s funny how when its the right time regardless of the goal, the universe will open up all sorts of doors for you. The important part is to pay attention.

OG: I can’t think of one single achievement in particular but I’m pretty pleased with the relationships I have with my friends and family. At the end of the day that’s the most important thing.

OG: I recently have been into making wigs. I love how experimental you can be when you’re not working on hair attached to someone’s head. Sometimes I’ll buy just a plain blond wig and go to town coloring it as many colors as possible. Some of my favorite results have been happy accidents.

My dream project would be to create some amazing headpieces for a museum retrospective. The Alexander McQueen show last year at the MET really inspired me. That and to have the opportunity work on a movie where hair was really an essential part of who the character was- Marie Antoinette for example.

OG: Some of my favorite items right now are the:

• Volume Powder by Sachajuan. It gives excellent texture to all hair types
• Wonderwood by Comme des Garçons is my current scent. It’s got a pretty woodsy disposition.
• My Dodo Carrying case for my iPad. It folds up to look like a hardcover novel.
• My canvas backpack by MAKR. I take it pretty much everywhere.
• My Jade yoga mat. Keeps me from slipping all over the place.
• My Levis cut-offs. I’ve been wearing them for 3 weeks straight. They are the only thing getting me through this tropical heat wave.

OG: The best tip I can give is don’t compromise who you are. Try not to care so much about other people’s opinions, and most importantly, be nice. It goes a long way in this industry.

OG: I’m a Leo and  I have to say that fits me pretty well. Passionate, proud, protective but can also be sensitive to a fault.

OG: My spirit animal would probably be a dog. I’m always looking for some affection… That and to have my belly scratched.

Permalink Background Photography: Photographed by Michael Beauplet for The Wild Magazine. Hair: Owen Gould.