Blow Out Host Preps a New Mane Event
Jonathan Antin, Blow Out
He's been in the styling business for over 20 years, but it is as a result of his own reality series, now entering its third season, that
Jonathan Antin's name is fast becoming synonymous with great hair. In Bravo's
Blow Out (premiering tonight at 9 pm/ET), the California-based stylist offers an inside look at what it's like maintaining his two successful Jonathan salons — in West Hollywood and Beverly Hills — allowing viewers to experience the ups and downs he faces while juggling business ventures, product-line expansions and, most recently, fatherhood.
In addition to showcasing the daily happenings at his salons, Antin allows cameras to document his therapy sessions, company meetings regarding his Jonathan product line and — in true reality-show fashion — his personal life. While viewers return each week to watch the drama unfold, Antin confesses that he rarely watches the episodes, if at all. However, he remains adamant that his on-camera persona closely mirrors that of his real life.
"I don't watch a whole lot of the show. Back in the day, I heard
Robert De Niro say he never watched any of his movies because it affected the way he was on camera, and I sort of went with that," the stylist says, adding that other than a "little creative editing," fans of this reality series get the real deal. "Twenty percent of viewers say, 'You look mean' and the other 80 percent tell me, 'You're so inspiring, we love it!'" he reports with a chuckle.
Blow Out's third season picks up where the last summer's episodes left off, with Antin focusing on his eight-month-old Jonathan Product line, currently available at Sephora. Upcoming episodes will also document Antin's two-hour promotional appearance on QVC. Antin tells TVGuide.com that on the heels of his successful Dirt texturing paste — the one product that saves even
him from a bad hair day! — will come a handful of additional styling products bearing his name.
"In this season, I develop my new aerosol sprays. One's called Finish Control, an aerosol for runway. When you're doing runway at Fashion Week, for example, you can't use a pump, you need an aerosol. You see me at Fashion Week just losing my mind because my aerosols aren't there yet, and the executives show up with them and you see what I can do with it," he hints, divulging details about upcoming plot points.
While it's all about great hair with Antin, he maintains that fans will continue to witness the fast-paced, tension-filled lifestyle he leads while working his magic on Hollywood starlets. The tears viewers have witnessed in the past, he says, act as his coping mechanism, and similar raw emotions will certainly not be in short supply this season. "I definitely lost a little control at Fashion Week, because I had all these people wanting to take pictures and ask me questions. I was like, 'Guys, I'm here to do hair. Leave me alone!'"
Antin won't have to cover those high-profile styling events alone any longer, as his core team of stylists is back on the clock and set to welcome a few new faces along the way. This season, the
Blow Out team will assist their boss at such events as the Sundance Film Festival and the aforementioned Fashion Week shows.
In addition to expanding the list of celebrity clients who seek him out when jonesing for a new 'do, Antin says he has also seen an increase in fan traffic to his salons, many of them eager to witness the behind-the-scenes happenings of their favorite reality show. "Some fans can, and some can't, afford to be there," says Antin, who charges in the $500 range for a signature cut. "But they, like me, try to make it happen. This show has definitely brought in a different demographic."
While
Kate Bosworth and
the Pussycat Dolls are just two of Jonathan Salon's devotees, there are still a handful of Hollywood's best and brightest whom Antin is eager to have hop in his salon chair. For example, an open invitation stands for any first lady — "I wouldn't mind
Mrs. Bush coming in," he says. But which famous mane would Antin love most to get his hands on? The king of the boardroom himself and a reality icon in his own right,
Donald Trump. "He's doing all right on his own — he likes his hair and that's all that matters — but I think I could help him out," Antin says, laughing.
