WOW Pinoy

Stylist to the stars Ken Paves is the man responsible for giving members of the Hollywood elite their trademark tresses, including Jessica Simpson, Eva Longoria and Jennifer Lopez. Through his best-selling line of hair extensions, he's given women around the world a chance to look like stars, too. Nate talks with Ken about his inspiration and how he defines beauty.

Growing up in Detroit, Michigan, Ken says his mother—a 4'1" woman of Portuguese/Filipino descent—was a great role model to him because she embraced her own unique beauty. With beautiful dark skin, a full nose and round face, Ken's mother "was not at all the homogeny of beauty that the industry represents," he says. "My mom was a great role model for that—for always loving herself."

As a stylist, Ken says his goal is to highlight each woman's unique beauty. He says he always instructs clients to focus on their best features, rather than any perceived flaws. The result he hopes to achieve is a woman who radiates confidence in her own skin. "It's amazing what happens to a woman when she really takes a moment and looks in the mirror and identifies with an element of 'self,'" Ken says.

Born the youngest of three children to Helen and Gary Paves in New Baltimore, a suburb outside of Detroit, Michigan, Ken (sometimes referred to as Kenney) credits his mother Helen for his entry into the world of hair and fashion. He was born female, but eventually made the transition to male at the age of 18. He also came out of the closet to his parents before going to school.[citation needed] He graduated in 1994 from a cosmetology school in St. Clair Shores.