Former students having success- Jessica Cook

I had a chance to sit down recently with former student
Jessica Cook, who is currently working at Ulysses Salon in Salt Lake City and
was busy finishing an entry for the North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA).
During Jessica’s time at Taylor Andrews she was a finalist for NAHA Student
Stylist of the Year.

Taylor Andrews: The
last time we saw you, you had just graduated after being announced as a runner
up for NAHA Student Stylist of the Year. What have you been doing for the past
couple of years?

Jessica: Right
after school I was fortunate to work for some of the finest stylists in Salt
Lake City including Fumi Eguchi and Twan Tran of  Studio H2O Salon.
I really enjoyed learning from these great artists but I wanted a little
more adventure and some new experiences so I moved to New York City and applied
for and was hired by the Oscar Bond Salon in SoHo.

TA: How was your
experience in New York?

Jessica: I
absolutely loved it. Oscar and Wendy Bond are incredible artists and great
people as well.  Oscar was known
for his trendy yet beautiful cuts and Wendy is a multi award-winning hair
colorist. Best of all, they were just really great people,  very encouraging, and fun to work
for.  The salon worked on a lot of
celebrities as well, which made it interesting. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
came to the salon and Claire Danes lived in our building. I also saw Jay Z and
Beyonce while I was there.

TA: Why did you
decide to come back to Salt Lake City?

Jessica: Oscar
and Wendy decided to sell the salon to Sam Brocato who was one of my hair
hero’s. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Sam but the environment of the
salon changed and after nearly a year in New York I felt that it was time to
come back to Salt Lake.

TA: Your new
collections for NAHA are amazing.
Any advice for students?

Jessica: I am
thankful for the all of the events we were part of at Taylor Andrews. It really
opened my eyes to what opportunities were out there. Get involved and do all
you can in school. Work with a great team and just keep practicing. You learn
so much by just jumping in and doing it. I love photo shoots and editorial work
and I have been fortunate to work with some great photographers this year
including Mitch Meyer and Justin Grant. It seems that with each session I get a
little better.

TA: You’ve done a
lot in your short career. What are your plans now?

Jessica: I am
seriously thinking of moving to Stockholm Sweden for the adventure. I just want
to get out and explore something new!

TA: Thank you,
Jessica , for taking time out from your schedule to talk with us.

Jessica’s Student NAHA entry from 2008.