Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerry Vo.
Kerry, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hello Everyone! My name is Kerry Vo. I’m born and raised in San Diego and I’ve been a bridal stylist for about five years. My first spark of interest in beauty started when I was 16. I remember picking up my mom’s mascara and wondering, “how the heck does this work?” I began searching up makeup tutorials and discovered Michelle Phan, along with many other artists, and was obsessed with learning about makeup up for the rest of High School. As a first-generation Asian-American & the eldest child, I was expected to go to college and pursue a medical/business career… which is what I did. Three years into studying at SDSU, I realized that I couldn’t put the same passion into studying as I did into makeup.
One thing led to another. Without telling my family, I took a leap of faith & enrolled at Bellus Academy where I studied full-time. It’s safe to say my family was not happy with my choice at first, but regardless, I knew that I was on the right path for myself. Studying at Bellus Academy, I was surrounded by artists like myself which made me feel like I was home. It was an amazing experience being able to learn alongside and share our love of beauty with each other. My life took a huge turn when I was recruited to work with a local company called Refined Beauty Inc. Refined Beauty Inc. is a team that specializes in bridal styling. I had always been used to just doing makeup, but I decided to get out of my comfort zone and learn hairstyling which made me fall even more in love with beauty. Since then, bridal styling has always been a passion of mine. I’ve never had an end goal and my drive was to just keep doing what I love and follow where it goes.
Today, I have the privilege of being my own boss, as well as working with teams full of talented and hardworking artists who I get to learn from every day. I get to meet women of all colors and backgrounds and am trusted to be a part of their special day. I feel extremely lucky to have this career in San Diego because we are a community filled with diversity, great personalities, and I get to build relationships with amazing people. I am so proud to be part of an industry that continues to evolve every day and is no longer categorized as “just a hobby”.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The path was definitely a bit rocky to start. Having to switch from a nursing track to a cosmetologist so suddenly was definitely a hard pill to swallow for my family. They always knew about my love for art and beauty, but they didn’t think it could be a career. It took a while for everyone to get on board. I decided the only way to show them that I would be okay was to keep moving forward. I consider that my biggest struggle, but now my family & their friends are always asking me to do their hair and makeup!
Aside from my personal struggles, as an artist in general, it’s hard to graduate and get a stable job right away. Especially if you’re self-employed. Getting consistent bookings was definitely tough in the beginning, but there’s a lot of support within the industry so you just have to be willing to work hard, collaborate with others, and keep pushing forward.
Please tell us more about your work. What do you do? What do you specialize in? What sets you apart from competition?
I’m the principal stylist at KVO Artistry as well as Refined Beauty Inc. I, along with our team, specialize in bridal hair and makeup. We work as a freelance team and are be available anywhere from San Diego to Los Angeles for all wedding needs. I think we are most recognized for our romantic hairstyles, soft & natural makeup tones, and for our ability to work with a diverse client base. I think a lot of our clients appreciate the fact that we are able to work with different eye shapes and facial features as well as catering to their comfort level when it comes to make up. A lot of our brides have never worn makeup before, and we enjoy being able to enhance their beauty to the perfect level where they can feel beautiful and confident, but still comfortable.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This has definitely got to be my first wedding gig. I was 19, in college, and was so excited to do it even though I had to be up at 3 am. I remember thinking to myself that this would be the perfect job. After that gig, I took anything booking I could get. Even if I had two bookings a year, I was still super excited about it. Fast forward six years & I can’t even tell you how many weddings I’ve done or how many brides I’ve worked with. I didn’t notice when my life changed, but thinking about it now, that was definitely my fondest moment.
Contact Info:
- Email: kvoartistry@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kvoartistry
Image Credit:
@carmenlopezphoto @sabrinakaye @agajones @aubreyoothoutphoto
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