RA Beauty Core president Hyun Tae, a renowned hair designer and entrepreneur, is familiar to the fashion-savvy because of the versatile looks he has created for celebrities.
Hyun made his name known to the local beauty industry as a star designer around 1995. He has worked at Atform Cho Sung-ah and Lee Kyung-min Foret, respectively run by top make-up artists Cho and Lee, before establishing his own salon RA Beauty Core in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul, in 2003.
Thanks to his celebrity regulars -whose list includes actresses Kim Hye-soo and Han Ga-in, and actor Jo In-sung - as well as the salon's luxurious services, RA Beauty Core has now become a leading beauty salon brand, which runs nine local branches and one in Los Angeles.
As much as he is success-oriented, Hyun is also focused on making efforts to carry out his social responsibilities. In fact, Hyun has been leading diverse projects with his employees since founding RA Beauty Core.
He has regularly donated to charities and volunteered at welfare facilities, while hosting charity bazaars with items donated by him and his celebrity clients.
Yet recently, Hyun came up with a more novel way to help those in need.
Hyun, together with the Community Chest of Korea, organized a special event where he taught 25 low-income women hair-cutting, blow drying and make-up skills, and gave them image-making lectures.
The event was organized to enable underprivileged women - victims of domestic violence and those who are physically handicapped and often isolated from society -to support themselves while boosting their self-confidence, according to Hyun.
"The project was different from previous ones which mostly took the form of donations or volunteer work in that I taught the audiences actual beauty techniques and know-how. I think it was very well-received," he told The Korea Herald last week.
Hyun hoped that such projects will inspire women to get employed and even start their own businesses, saying that he plans to collaborate with Seoul City and provincial governments in the future to extend the project nationwide. The drive for Hyun's philanthropic deeds comes from his background as a self-made man who has undergone hardships on his way up to his present situation, he said.
Hyun said he grew up under conservative parents who were opposed to him becoming a hair designer and refused to fund his study of hairdressing after he graduated from high school.
"I benefited from programs organized by the government which fostered young hair designers when I first started this career. So I felt that I should give back to others by doing similar things," he said.
Another influence for such activities came from the impression he got when RA Beauty made its entry into the U.S. market in 2007.
"I was really impressed with the donation culture prevalent among Americans, even those who are not that well-off. It was as if they considered such activities natural," Hyun said.
RA Beauty has successfully launched its first U.S. salon in one of the hippest areas of Los Angeles near Beverly Hills. Although Hyun first went there with no affiliation, the salon has now secured a lot of customers including A-list Korean-American and local celebrities.
Such a result was possible partially thanks to the salon's alliance with cosmetics maker Aveda, Hyun said. RA Beauty is the first-ever native Korean salon brand to be named one of the Aveda concept salons in the United States.
"American customers are often surprised by the delicate and fast touches of Korean designers. I think this is probably why we have appealed to the U.S. market and Aveda," he said.
Alongside fast and high quality services, Hyun said the looks that RA Beauty create, which fuse oriental and Western styles, have found a niche in the U.S. market.
Hyun said he is planning to open a branch in Chicago soon. The original plan was to open one first in New York City, but he said he is detouring a little to study the eastern market further before advancing to New York City.
Following the United States, Hyun also plans on entering the Chinese market as a Korea-U.S. collaboration salon brand, he said.
Despite what he has accomplished so far as an entrepreneur, Hyun said he desires to remain a hands-on artist for as long as he can.
"First of all, there are a lot of people who look for me. And I still get most excited whenever I see a client sitting in front of a mirror. Styling clients is the most adventurous, thrilling and challenging experience for me," he said.
"Celebrities look good no matter how I do their hair. But it feels particularly like an achievement when ordinary customers are satisfied with the looks I've created for them. That feeling is almost addictive. I think it's what keeps me wanting to do this more," he said.
Hyun added that it is also important for him to remain a hands-on artist to maintain his senses in the field.
"I always tell my employees that even if I become no longer able to provide service to customers I will not let go of the scissors from my hands," he said.
Hyun ultimately aims to establish an academic foundation that runs a beauty college. He pointed out that beauty courses currently offered by colleges in Korea tend to be too commercial rather than practical.
"Through the college, I hope to nurture many talented next-generation hair designers who can compete with acclaimed foreign artists. I've already organized the curriculum with some 200 programs, although I plan to take a long view," he said.
