The Jet Set

I got a call from my pal Jie down the street. Jie works with a very, very exclusive clientele. He is a bit (a bit) eccentric but then genius often is. He had a client that had to see me and wanted to set it up so that I took good care of her, so he called me personally. She came to see me with one of Jie’s assistants. You could tell from 20 feet away that she was used to getting exactly what she wants. Which I like. Its easy when a client knows what she wants. Its when she does not know that can be the root of all problems.

Jie’s assistant, a stunningly tall and gorgeous blonde, walked past me like I was something unmentionable in her circle. And I guess I am. But the client was even more skeptical. She was going through a tough time with her hair loss due to some medications and she had a busy summer schedule coming up. She asked me to look at wigs. I studied her hair. “Why not look at a partial?” I suggested.

I brought out a postiche that I had as a sample. The colour was off but she and Jie’s assistant looked at it and their attitude immediately changed when I put it on her.

“It weighs NOTHING!”

“Jie could easily tone the colour for you.”

The conversation then turned to the technical. Photos were sent to Jie and a frantic text exchange between him and his assistant. It was like when I have lunch with my bond trader friends.

“Jie says this will be perfect.” she pronounces. She actually smiled!

So this lady will have her new hair ready for the weekend. When she was leaving she pulled me aside.

“Where have you been?”

“We’ve been here for 50 years. We’re not hiding.” I say.

“I was told,” she said, “to go to New York.”

“Oh, to see _____?”

“Yes. I was having a piece made for $3500.” (Gosh, I have GOT to raise my prices) “and it is NOTHING like this. It’s heavy and wiggy and I am going to call and see if I can cancel. I flew to New York just to do that, but this is what I want. In a month I’ll be back and you can make me one up custom. I am going to need two”

“I can do that.” I said.