Adir Abergel has been crowned “The Hollywood Hitmaker of Hair” by many – a hefty testament to his covenant of passion for women’s hair. As a celebrity hairstylist and Creative Director for the Virtue luxury hair brand, Abergel is gilded in the glory and glamour of Hollywood. His onset into the business of beauty was one of being at the right place at the right time and manifesting a future of unlimited possibilities. Abergel’s well-known mentor was hair guru Arthur Johns, who groomed him on his way to a dream life of amazing encounters and star-studded success, from Jessica Biel and Anne Hathaway to Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Garner, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, and Reese Witherspoon. The celebrity stylist also worked with Britney Spears, TLC, Jewel, and Missy Elliott on music video sets in the ‘90s. And this is only a snippet – the marathon continues.
Abergel is entrenched in the worlds of fashion, art, and celebrity, stirring it all up in his own self-expression like a mix master with a cauldron and whisk in hand – and hair as his principal medium.
You had the pleasure of working with the hair icon Arthur Johns as a teen in Hollywood What was that experience like? And who did you have the pleasure of meeting at that time?
I heard that Arthur Johns was looking for an assistant. I get on the bus from hair school and make my way to his hair studio in Hollywood. Keep in mind, I knew nothing. I was 15! I somehow connected with this human being and at the end of the interview convinced him that he needed to be my mentor and that I was going to come and work for him. I was going to do an apprenticeship program with him and stop attending school! The plan was to get my cosmetology license through him and somehow, he believed in me enough for us to start working together. At this time, I had no idea that Arthur was probably the most prolific hairdresser on the west coast.His clients were everyone from Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, Olivia Newton John, Julie Christie, Diahann Carroll, Liza Minnelli, Betsy Bloomingdale, and Nancy Reagan. All these women became very important figures in my life and helped me grow into the man I am today. I never really understood their celebrity status and fame. These were real women who came into the salon and entrusted me with their hair maintenance. I would make them feel powerful – like I do with anyone in my life. That’s the power of hair! These women gave me so much! Arthur, whom I can never speak highly enough about, would take three hairs, and make a sculpture out of it! He taught me form and he taught me references. These amazing women who sat in those chairs had stories you would not believe, and I was exposed to all of it at a such young age. That entire environment truly, truly changed my life, and I was there assisting him for the next six years until the age of 21.
Dancing was your first love. What changed your trajectory from that art form to the beauty business?
It’s super-interesting the shift. I moved to the States when I was 7 years old, and I went to these incredible magnets and performing arts schools. Attending school saved my life because it was a major opportunity to express myself! I started immediately with all the dance and singing programs the schools had to offer. I remember Michael Jackson visiting my school and I had the honor to tour with him at the age of 10 for “We Are the World.” At 12, another amazing opportunity presented itself in junior high school and I performed with now- R&B sensation Brandy out and around LA, and in our neighborhood representing the magnet school we both attended. I was deep into dancing at this point in my life and when The American Ballet Theatre was performing, I would go and partake in the core dances with the company. I was immediately thrusted into this world, and thought this was my world until I injured my foot. Everything changed. My life shifted quickly, and I decided that my next probability would be hair.
Hindsight is 20/20, and looking back on my life now, I reflect on how I made extra money at the age of 10. My moms’ friends came by our house, and allowed me to apply color to their hair for a small fee. I never once realized that this was something I was passionate about, but obviously it was my calling. It found me. Hair re-found its way back to me. I am so passionate about hair. I truly believe that hair is one of your greatest accessories, and it can give you a certain power.”
Why is hair so important to fashion?
Fashion is fantasy and fantasy can be completed when all of the pieces are put together. It also creates individualism. There is nothing more powerful on this planet than you being your authentic self and not being afraid to shift to find your authentic self through time.
