Celebrity Hairstyles

Eva Longoria-Parker and Ken Paves.  Getty Images.

Early life

Born the youngest of three children to Helen and Gary Paves in New Baltimore, a suburb outside of Detroit, Michigan, Ken Pavés credits his mother Helen for his entry into the world of hair and fashion, saying that when she dressed up "she turned almost into a superhero." 

Career

After cosmetology school, Ken Paves pleaded to be the assistant star stylist Oribe in Miami — a job that paid $75 a week — and relocated there with longtime partner Fred Geiger. He would moonlight doing strippers' hair until 4 A.M. When these clients showed up in Oribe's shop during regular business hours, Oribe learned that Pavés could do "big, beautiful hair."

Pavés studied hair design at Vidal Sassoon Academy and Toni & Guy Institute. He traveled with other celebrity hair stylists during tours of Europe where Pavés created hairstyles in conjunction with couture collections for Versace, Valentino and others. However, he met his most-often client, Jessica Simpson, in 1998 when she hired him as the stylist for her imminent album cover.

In 2002, Pavés met Hairboutique.com founder Karen Marie Shelton at a Seventeen magazine shoot in Dallas, Texas for Jessica Simpson. Pavés and Shelton formed an ongoing collaboration where his celebrity hair advice was initially featured (with exclusive celebrity hair tips) on the Internet through the Hairboutique.com website. Also beginning in 2002, Pavés appeared regularly on The Oprah Winfrey Show creating a series of hair make-overs for Oprah Winfrey audiences. Pavés has appeared on several episodes of MTV’s reality show Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica starring Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey in addition to his appearances on MTV, VH-1 and similar entertainment shows, providing hair care tips.