How has your relationship with hairstyling changed in the past year?

I had 5–6 stylists working with me before the pandemic but I worked by myself for a year or so because of capacity. I liked working with many people but I realized that I love minimal and simple things. Having other artists at work is very inspiring but there are many responsibilities as an owner, too. Now I have one stylist and one assistant. I think I found a good balance to be creative but also relax.

What are you looking forward to when the whole world opens back up?

We all learned a lot of things this year. Responsibility to others because of the pandemic, and learn and unlearn about racism. Getting back to normal is great but also I hope people don’t forget that there are many people who experience racism and feel unsafe every day.

What changes in the world do you hope to see as it does open back up?

I’m just thankful for being able to spend a simple day like today. I hope we all remember that in the future from the pandemic.

What creative pursuits do you have for this next stage?

I want to travel to different places for work. I was doing haircuts in LA and Tokyo mainly before the pandemic. I would like to go to London and Paris for work and meet different clientele and hairstylists to expand my creative brain.

Why do you use Squarespace?

I’ve loved building websites as a hobby since I was young. Squarespace is very easy and simple. Since my customers make appointments from my website, it's an entrance to my branding and style. Especially since everybody uses social media as their main marketing, I like having websites that express my style and design.

How can hairstyling change the world?

Still, a lot of hair salon and barbershop culture is very gender-based. I have many clients who got a haircut from me and finally feel themselves. Especially young trans kids, non-binary people are having a hard time getting hairstyles that don’t feel right because hairstylists give them very gender-based haircuts. But I have seen many people feel free and happy from a haircut. I think it’s so important. I don’t know if hairstyling can change the world, but it can change someone’s life a bit better.

Masami is a Japanese hairstylist based in New York. They are the owner of Vacancy Project, a gender-neutral hair studio where the focus is on feeling true to yourself rather than following styles or trends.

VISIT MASAMI'S WEBSITE