Shannon King is a renowned artist/educator, whom you can find on stages across the country and around the world.
He travels nationally coaching educators, performing at hair shows, and developing curriculum for classes. We sat down with Shannon and we’re excited to share our inside personal interview with all of our readers! We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
What do you think 2014 has in store for you? “Excitement! 2014 holds a lot of new promising projects, partnerships, and adventures. A lot of which will be sharing information in classes nationally and internationally for Keune Haircosmetics as a member of the Studio Team. I’m also very excited to be named Education/Artistic Director for Ergo Research training the latest in professional hair tool technology and methods. I look forward to collaborating with a few national salon chains in developing and consulting within their educational departments. Personally, I look forward to deepening my martial arts training this year even more.”
What’s the craziest hair you’ve ever had to deal with? “My own! For many years, I had “Freestyle Dreadlocks” that were insane and a lot to handle. I’ve had some NYC Fashion Week models that have literally “run in” from another show with hair so thick, that you can’t see through it. Oh, and you have 5 minutes to get it ready for the runway! Holy Crap!”
What was the best day of your life? “The day my daughter Sydney was born. That was the day I understood unconditional love the second she came into the world. The first time she reached out her little hand and grabbed my pinky changed my life. I felt like I was the coolest superhero that was ten feet tall, bullet proof, and could do anything in the world; while at the same time, over-whelmed with humility feeling as small as she was.”
What current trend do you love and hate, and why? “I’m really enjoying the return of short hair on women! It’s strong, bold, confident, and really sexy. Couple the strength of a shorter design with beautiful rich color and subtle dimension, and I’m all about it. I’m also digging the very tailored and aggressive grooming on the men’s scene. These are some of the coolest looks I see on the streets in Brooklyn, NY and in my travels with perfect fades into graphic long disconnections. It’s hard to say; “I hate a trend”, but I’m very tired of the ombre’ color, and I’m sure I’m not alone on that one.”
What’s your greatest strength? “First of all, I love to have fun in everything I do. Because of my approach and ease of gaining new concepts I create a learning culture that brings people back for more and brings consistency in methods for those I train. I’m great at bringing out the best in people. I know how to tap into how they learn, make big concepts simple and make them feel bigger, confident and more successful not just in hair but also in life. [These are always such tough ones to answer, so I asked my wife for help. I couldn’t put everything she suggested in here though. LOL]”
What have you done to not get lost in the crowd? “I tried to lead the crowd.” Throughout my career I have worked hard to be one of a kind and blaze my own trail. In many roles I’ve had in the industry, I was the first to do things with many companies; whether a salon chain group, at a large company, behind the chair, or as an international educator. “Many people get lost following a crowd, so why not find out how great you are by setting your own pace, walking next to the crowd, or even creating your own.”
Who was the person who most influenced you, and how? “There are so many people that have influenced me personally and professionally. Professionally, I would have to say Anthony Mascolo, Kurt Kueffner, Sam Villa, Chris Baran, Kris Sorbie, Guido Palau, Allyson King, Nicholas French, and David Raccuglia. Personally, I would say my parents Frank and Roberta King, and my Aunt Rita Cutler. My Dad is a very strong and powerful man, who I watched build the house we grew up in outside of Baltimore, MD with his own hands. He and my mother are both hairdressers and helped me and my sister look into this amazing industry. My Mom and Aunt are the most caring, compassionate, and strong people you could ever meet. They are saints and will help anyone. In fact, I watched them save a man’s life when I was around 7 years old. They have all taught me strength, compassion, humor, and pride.”
If you could have dinner with 3 people dead or alive whom would they be and why? “Martin Luther King, because of his bravery and leadership. I would want to have dinner with all of my grandparents, because I only knew one of the four. Lastly, I would have dinner with my daughter Sydney from the future around age 35. “I would like to see how we did early, in case we have to make some adjustments.”
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? “Let’s find out?” “Just Do It!”
What celebrity would you love to style and why? “WOW, this is way too hard to pick one, so I won’t…
Eva Mendes: Simple, I have a crush! I think her hair can do many different styles from flirty and sexy to sophisticated and classic. BTW; she is Eva Mendes.
Halle Berry: Really? Do you have to ask? She is a classic beauty who’s a staple for sexy, beautiful women with short hair. Also, she is Halle Berry…
Leonardo DiCaprio: His look has a lot of range and he would be cool to try many different looks and designs.
Adam Levine: Home-groan, guy with an edge, so he can pull off new looks to inspire other dudes.
Justin Timberlake: He is just straight up “SWAG”. You can’t miss!”
