Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann Degischer.
Ann, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I guess I’ve always been moving toward where I am today. For as long as I can remember I always enjoyed creating things with my hands. Drawing and painting when I was really young, then I started sewing when I was a teen, I started college as a fashion design major, but then quickly realized that I didn’t actually have any interest in the fashion industry, I just liked making things for myself. From there I pursued a natural interest-feminism and earned a degree in Women’s Studies. Later I went into cosmetology and have since fallen in love with hair color, styling, and makeup. At the root of my interest in aesthetics is a love of costumes and adornment. Nothing feels better to me than an elaborate aesthetic.
Another major part of life for me has been music. I took guitar lessons when I was a teen, and though my teacher became a great friend, and taught me SO much about music/music history, I never actually turned into a musician. I feel pretty sure I was meant to simply be a lover of music. I also grew up with a dad who worked in classic rock radio (101.5 KGB FM) for his entire career, this heavily influenced my taste in music, making me a forever fan of bands like Pink Floyd, The Who, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc. All those major ones. It also locked me in as a lover of rock n’ roll. I also had an older sister who loved the riot grrl bands of the 90s, so naturally, I did too.
These two elements in my life, ‘beauty’ and rock n roll music have been able to come together in some really cool ways. Through social networking, building a salon clientele, and going to lots of local shows I have been able to connect with local musicians and work with them for music videos, and photo shoots doing hair and makeup. Hexa, Strange Ages, Ariel Levine, Kata, and Warsaw to name a few.
Beauty and music have come together in another weird way for me…the weird world of celebrity impersonating is something that sort of just fell into my lap. In 2010 Lady Gaga had just gotten really famous, I had platinum blonde hair, and everyone seemed to think I looked just like her. Everywhere I went, people would stop me, stare at me and ask for photos. It was weird. Later that year, one of my teachers at Paul Mitchell the School San Diego (who happened to have been a very successful Barbara Streisand in years past) sent my photo to one of her old agents. From there things started happening slowly, an agent got in touch with me and hired me for a corporate gig without ever having seen or met me. I had no idea what to expect, I just did my hair and makeup and made myself a Gaga costume & showed up. I was like ‘this is a job? I’m getting paid to do this?’ I literally just walked around a party in a costume and took photos with people. Over the past eight years, it has sort of just snowballed. Through social networking, I connected with other agents and other lookalikes, and have gotten to do really cool things! I have been on a TV show, in a major magazine, and attended so many cool events, all because some famous girl has my face!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Of course, the road has not been smooth! There have been times when I’ve questioned whether I made the ‘right’ choice to choose the beauty industry over something more academic or progressive. The answer that I have settled on is that at the end of the day, I have to like my life, and I have to have fun! Working with my hands, and being around creative people are very basic necessities for keeping myself happy. I’m grateful that I have always known that about myself, it definitely has made some choices easier. For anyone out there starting their journey, I say learn from your mistakes and keep your standards high!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your work– what should we know?
I am a student advisor at Paul Mitchell the School San Deigo, and also a stylist at A Robert Cromeans Salon, both in downtown San Diego. At the school, I work to help keep the students on track to be the next generation of beauty industry professionals. In the salon, I specialize in long hairstyling, color, and texture. I also do hair and makeup for weddings and special events, photo shoots, music videos. What sets me apart is my experience and versatility. I think its really important not to be a ‘one trick pony.’ Trends come and go, but a true professional has style, skill, and versatility! I’m very proud to be a part of an education system as well as a salon team. They are all family to me.
Across the boards I would say people mostly know me for doing cool hair, being obsessed with classic rock and looking like Lady Gaga, haha!
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
Dignity is a very important quality everyone should have.
Contact Info:
- Address: A Robert Cromeans Salon
200 Harbor Drive suite 105
San Diego, CA 92101 - Website: www.robertcromeans.com
- Phone: 619.595.1120
- Email: anndegs@sandiego.paulmitchell.edu
- Instagram: @annthraxx (personal) @annteresa_arcs (hair/makeup)
- Facebook: Ann Teresa Degischer
Image Credit:
Emma Huneke Brown
Tony Kelly
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