Tabatha Coffey
Tabatha Coffey | |
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Born | [1] | 17 May 1969
Occupation |
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Known for | Shear Genius Tabatha Takes Over Relative Success with Tabatha |
Website | tabathacoffey |
Tabatha Coffey (born 17 May 1969) is an Australian hairstylist, salon owner, and television personality.[2] Her participation as a contestant on the television show Shear Genius led to her own fame in the US. She was given a television show, Tabatha Takes Over, which airs on the US cable television network Bravo.
Career[]
Coffey, whose mother and brother were hairstylists, got her start in her hometown of Surfers Paradise, Queensland, where she started as an assistant in a local shop at the age of 14. She has stated that her parents operated a strip club in Adelaide, which inspired her interest in hair styling.[3] At 15, she entered a four-year apprenticeship programme to learn more. Later, she moved to London to continue her training for the next three years.
Coffey opened her own salon, Industrie Hair Gurus, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She also styles clients at the Warren-Tricomi salon in West Hollywood. Her approach is transformative, creating a special look for each individual, unlike other stylists who specialize in a certain look. She also works as a platform artist for hair care product company, Joico International. She tours different countries 6–12 times a year doing hair shows for the company. "My favourite thing is to do work with other professionals and teaching," she said in an interview. "I love giving and getting back from other professionals."[4]
In line with her stated intent to work and teach with other professionals, Coffey sold her Ridgewood, New Jersey, salon in 2011.[5]
She has also been in beauty publications, as well as backstage in New York's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. She works regularly as an editorial stylist for top fashion and beauty publications, including Seventeen, Marie Claire, and Mademoiselle. She wrote It's Not Really About the Hair: The Honest Truth About Life, Love, and the Business of Beauty, published in 2011, and Own It, published in 2014.
Television[]
Coffey was first introduced to American audiences when she became a contestant in the Bravo reality show Shear Genius. Having auditioned out of curiosity, she quickly earned a reputation for her outspokenness and intensity. She was a front-runner in the competition, winning most of the challenges during her stay, but she was eliminated in the sixth episode, along with her teammate for the day, Tyson. She has made no secret of her objections to Tyson's methods, thinking his ego got in the way of his work. The judges eliminated them for their poor teamwork. Coffey later won $10,000 as the show's Fan Favorite.[6]
In 2008, Coffey was approached by Bravo to star in the reality series Tabatha's Salon Takeover in which she uses her hairdressing and business expertise to assist salons that are in danger of closing. The show was renamed Tabatha Takes Over for its fourth season where she used the same formulas to invigorate other types of businesses such as bars and restaurants. She has also appeared on Make Me a Supermodel Season 2, The Tyra Banks Show as a part of Banks's "Glam Squad," and The Biggest Loser along with Tim Gunn, giving makeovers to the show's contestants.
In 2011, Coffey was the host for the NAHA awards.[7]
In 2018, Coffey's new show, Relative Success with Tabatha, aired on Bravo. Coffey uses her business expertise to help struggling families come together not only to help the business but the family as well.
Personal life[]
Openly gay, Coffey has been in a relationship with her partner since 1997.[8][9] She lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Coffey, whose mother died of cancer in 2010, works with Hackensack University Medical Center cutting wigs for children with cancer. This commitment resulted in a partnership beginning in 2011 with St. Baldrick's Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises money for childhood cancer research by hosting worldwide head-shaving events.
References[]
- ^ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3094119/
- ^ "Tabatha Coffey". Tabatha Coffey. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ Weiss, Shira Hirschman (10 September 2017). "The Blunt Cut! An Interview with Tabatha Coffey: Hair Pro, Business Educator & Bravolebrity". Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
- ^ "Tabatha Coffey Biography". Buddytv.com. 17 May 1967. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "Yelp". Yelp. Retrieved 5 December 2013.
- ^ Dwyer, Michael (17 September 2009). "Aussie stylist delivers kindest cut". The Age. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
- ^ "Holly Madison and Tabatha Coffey for NAHA". Modern Salon. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
- ^ Anderson-Minshall, Diane (22 September 2008). "Tabatha's Taking Over". Curve. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
- ^ Voss, Brandon (1 July 2010). "Tabatha Lets Her Hair Down". The Advocate. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
External links[]
- 1967 births
- Australian expatriates in the United States
- Australian hairdressers
- Australian television personalities
- Women television personalities
- Lesbian entertainers
- LGBT businesspeople from Australia
- LGBT broadcasters from Australia
- Living people
- Participants in American reality television series
- People from the Gold Coast, Queensland
- People from Ridgewood, New Jersey