Mane Attraction

Slick, stylish and a keen eye for what's hot... Award-winning hair stylist and fashion guru Jesse Gallant talks the power of hair and how to own the creative space

- SAADIQAH SCHROEDER

Using your hair to express yourself and showcase your social standing is nothing new, in fact, it's an age-old practice dating back to the Elizabethan era where impressing an audience in court was the highlight of the season. These days, it's all about going big (or bigger) with a kaleidoscope of pink stripes, blue streaks and platinum-blonde locks. The audience? Social media users mindlessly scrolling through reels, stories and feeds to find the latest trend or hair extraordinaire.

One of these go-to gurus is award-winning hairstylist Jesse Gallant who scissored his way to the top by recently winning SABC's reality TV show A Cut Above the Rest. When asked where his passion for hair comes from, he says that he was nudged into it by mommy dearest.

"Growing up I wasn't privileged enough to go to the barber frequently, we just couldn't afford it, so my mom came home with hair clippers one day and said I should start cutting my own hair. She gave me an ultimatum: Either I start doing my own hair, or she'll do it for me. A few months later I made use of the clippers and developed the skill to cut my hair, and later, my friends' hair too," he says. The Gqerberha-born stylist turned what started as a 'nudge' from mom, into an art form and hasn't looked back since.

He started as a student at Images 1 Hair Academy in Gqerberha and, in 2021, opened his salon called Stay Faded where he's serving up stellar looks for a loyal clientele.

He knew that starting a business while the world was still recovering from a pandemic was going to be tough, but it was about persevering and living his passion.