Today we’d like to introduce you to Yuki Nakatani.
Yuki, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in a small island that is part of Japan. When I was a kid, my grandpa used to take me to a local barbershop, and I loved getting hair wash and haircut. Naturally, I became conscious about my hairstyle and taught myself how to cut and style.
In high school, my friends always complimented my hair and began to ask me to cut their hair. I enjoyed making their hair look cool. One day, a good friend of mine told me, “You should become a hairstylist.” I took his words seriously and I decided to go to a beauty school instead of college. My parents were not happy about my decision but eventually were convinced by my passion. But they told me that I had to become a topnotch stylist in the world if I were to enter the profession.
I started my career as an intern at a local salon in Japan, yet I wasn’t satisfied with what I was doing because I was looking out for more opportunities to work globally as a stylist. At age 20, I decided to leave Japan and move to the states to fulfill my desire. I came to LA knowing only a little bit of English and some money that was enough to survive for a few months. Still, I was somewhat confident that I could achieve my vision if I worked hard. So, I sought every possible connections and opportunities, and as a result, I was able to get the assistant position at the current salon, Gavert Atelier in Beverly Hills.
However, the reality was harsh. Every day, I was told something negative about myself and my skills by my boss and clients. I could not help but to feel that I was not suited for this job. But, whenever I felt like giving up, my family and friends encouraged me to persevere. Thanks to their support, I stick to my boss for three years to gain the necessary skills, and I managed to debut as a stylist. My turning point came when my salon owner, Stuart Gavert, unexpectedly passed away in June 2010. As I felt deep appreciation for his support, I determined not only to achieve my goal to become a top stylist but also to contribute myself to the development of the whole salon. I became as an education director and a top stylist out of 30 + stylists.
In 2015, I officially took over the business. After I became a business owner, I faced many hardships. But those hardships always forced me to grow. I always reminded myself to appreciate them as the opportunities because without the challenges I would not have been where I am today. Although it is not easy to thrive in Beverly Hills where there are a number of hair salons, our salon now has 35 talented stylists, and I myself have developed a large clientele including many celebrity clients. My ultimate vision is to make a person in front of me happy through my skills and help them realize their inner beauty.
Has it been a smooth road?
When I came to LA, I was super shy and felt extremely difficult to make new friends. At that time, there was no Wi-Fi or smartphone available, so I could not talk to my family as often as I wanted. I felt lonely and miserable and started to feel like I did not belong here. Now I have a few friends that I can truly trust and rely on, and I have also overcome my shyness to some extent so that I have extended my network.
Many people have told me that I have achieved success at such young age. But it hasn’t been a smooth road, and still, there are still many unseen struggles. Not everyone was supportive of me taking over the business in the beginning, and seven stylists chose to leave our salon at once. It resulted in creating huge damage to our management. From there, our finance grew more and more in trouble, and many times, I felt I just want to give up. But, my co-owner and I always took time to discuss issues and solidify our philosophy. Now I feel that we have a stronger foundation, and our business has been steadily growing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Gavert Atelier story. Tell us more about the business.
Gavert Atelier was established in 1998. 4000sqt. Located at the center of Beverly Hills 90210. Full-service salon. (Haircut, Color, Japanese Hair Straightening, Brazilian Blowout, Up-Do, Makeup, Nails, etc.)
I personally specialized in Dry Cut. When I dry cut, I really get to see the movement of the hair, where most of the weight is and how much really needs to be cut off.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Nowadays, hair salon service has been franchised, and more people seek quicker and cheaper service. But hairstylists are providing not only service but also art of beauty. I believe that this aspect of art should be respected, and even with the current trend, those stylists and salons that have unique style and solid philosophy will thrive in the future. In addition, the quality of service and refined skills will become more and more important.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9666 Brighton Way Beverly Hills CA 90210
- Website: www.gavertatelier.com
- Phone: 310-858-7898
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @yukistylist
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gavert-atelier-beverly-hills-5?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
