Celebrity Hairstylists Jason Backe and Ted Gibson Make History by Publicly Reopening Their Hair Salon During COVID-19
Celebrity stylists Jason Backe and Ted Gibson re-opened STARRING by Ted Gibson, leading by example in solidarity with hair salons across the country.
On August 17, we virtually tuned-in while celebrity hairstylists Jason Backe and Ted Gibson reopened STARRING by Ted Gibson, their Los Angeles-based smart salon. After being shut down for the past five months due to government-mandated orders, which has negatively impacted salon and spa owners across the country—causing many to shut their doors permanently—Backe and Gibson decided to reopen the doors to their business as an act of solidarity with fellow salon owners everywhere.
Take a Tour of LA’s New Smart Salon, STARRING by Ted Gibson
“As an industry that is often overlooked, we will not be overlooked anymore,” says Gibson. “We are licensed in sanitation, anatomy, and physiology. We are opening STARRING by Ted Gibson because we will not let ours and others’ small businesses die.”
In addition to various media and supporters that attended the socially distanced reopening announcement, Backe’s and Gibson’s longtime client actress Jaime King showed up to show her support and receive a haircut. Also present at the event was renowned civil rights attorney and trial lawyer Mark Geragos, who is representing STARRING by Ted Gibson. Geragos’ notable clients have included Michael Jackson, Winona Ryder, Mike Tyson, Colin Kaepernick, and many others.
Civil rights attorney and trial lawyer Mark Geragos, who has represented celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Winona Ryder, spoke at the reopening in support of his clients, Backe and Gibson.
“As a civil rights attorney who has dedicated 37 years to protecting ‘the little guy and gal’ from unconstitutional and unfair treatment by much more powerful and abusive government agencies, my heart goes out to the beauty industry most of all,” says Geragos. “They are an industry built upon formal education and training and state licensure that assures consumer protection; yet the same state that has given them their license to service their clients have now prevented them from working for five months, while large multi-national corporate retailers and other so-called ‘essential businesses’ have not been locked down one single day.”
#BeautyBosses: Jason Backe and Ted Gibson, Co-Founders of STARRING by Ted Gibson
Fred Jones, Professional Beauty Federation of California (PBFC) Counsel, spoke at the event to show his support as well. Founded in 1999, the PBFC was formed to give a united voice to all state licensed hair/nails/skin professionals in California and to raise the professionalism of the barbering/beauty industry. The PBFC filed a federal lawsuit against Governor Newsom’s prolonged shut-down and continues to lead the efforts to help salons reopen safely.
“On March 26, Governor Newsom responded to legal and political pressure by opening up hair and barbershops, followed later by nail and skin services,” says Jones. “However, on July 13 the Governor reversed his position yet again. At the same time he offered what became largely an empty gesture of allowing some limited services to be done outside our shuttered salons, spas, and shops. Unfortunately, the result of these on-again, off-again, partial shut-downs have been a huge rise in bankruptcies and even larger percentages of underground services, which risk the financial security of our licensed professionals and health of our beloved clientele. The safest and most responsible salons are getting hit the worst by these prolonged shut-downs, since they are unwilling to do clandestine services in homes and cannot perform their high-level services outside under a tent. They prioritize safety and have remained in compliance with lockdown orders that have unfairly targeted our safe industry, which do not take into consideration our extensive training in cross-contamination, disinfection, and sanitation protocols.”
Gibson cuts the hair of his client, actress Jaime King.
STARRING by Ted Gibson is the world’s first smart salon powered by Amazon and Alexa that offers clients the ultimate socially distanced beauty experience. In addition to salon chairs that are more than eight feet apart within their own private and partitioned “clouds,” there is no front desk or salon assistants, and appointments must be booked in advance. The salon is also cashless and doesn’t have a retail section with products—any hair products can be purchased via Amazon and delivered conveniently to the client’s home. STARRING by Ted Gibson continues to follow all CDC guidelines while offering a safe and hygienic atmosphere where guests will feel comfortable and protected while having their beauty needs taken care of.
“Our state government has classified salons and hair dressers as dirty and dumb,” said Backe. “We are licensed professionals who are trained in sanitation protocol, and at STARRING by Ted Gibson we are taking a stand to make sure that our voices are heard to save our small business and hairdressing community.”
For more information and to book an appointment, visit starring.tedgibson.com or call 323-413-2244. Follow on Instagram: @starring
[Images courtesy of STARRING by Ted Gibson]
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk