“I began by playing with my cousins’ hair around the age of 7, before working for a local hairdresser in Istanbul.” says Agop Arnaud Ozharun. When he started working in 1964, the young Turkish man had one idea in mind: to go to Paris. A fashion aficionado, he came to the French capital shortly before the 1970s, at the age of 16.
In 1985, after an initial experience working in a small hair salon, “where we still heated up water using coal,” Arnaud shares that he rented his first salon in the suburb of Meudon, determined to succeed. This 25m2 space attracted a Parisian clientele. It rapidly became the trendy “go-to” spot, thanks to a new concept and new brand that had just transformed the European market: Sebastian.
At the end of the 1990s, Arnaud found a venue fully aligned with his ambitions in the Marais district of Paris. “It was a former candy-making factory and then it was a lithograph gallery. I immediately fell in love with it!” He says. “I asked an American friend of mine, who is a carpenter, to
design pieces of furniture on wheels. I then created a new concept, combining a hair salon and contemporary art gallery.”
The endeavor was a huge success! It rapidly became the “place to be,” with a growing team of twenty staff members and two makeup artists.
However, Arnaud dreamt of coming to America. As France became too small, his obsession with the American dream grew. In 2014, he sold his salon to Patrick Ahmed and Serge Janin. In 1987,
Arnaud’s American dream came true and as an ambassador for Sebastian, he set out on a new adventure to discover California.
When he arrived in Los Angeles, he got his first hands-on experience of the demanding American market.
An eternal Francophile, Arnaud continued to travel back and forth between Paris and Los Angeles. He would cut and style the hair of certain customers in Paris, whom he had known since the 1970s, while also building a stellar reputation with his American clientele. “Parisians prefer shorter hair, whereas Californians would rather keep their hair longer.” Arnaud notes.
His American customers were won over by his French style, which intertwines beauty and art. After opening immense salons (one inside a former cinema with a plant wall and spa), he returned to a more intimate atmosphere in a house with a yard and swimming pool, located near the LACMA museum.
Arnaud’s loyal customers followed… “They enjoy the subtle tones of my blond hair colors and highlights,” Arnaud explains. “I don’t propose hype styles. My clientele tends to prefer more timeless styles, created with French brands, such as Végétalement Provence.”
Come to Glamifornia and indulge in Arnaud’s beauty services which provide sustenance to your mind, body and soul ~ you will emerge feeling beautiful and confident!