Howard Lee Regner

Howard Lee RegnerIn the late 1970s, Howard began a four-year hairdressing apprenticeship with one of Australia’s leading salon groups.There, he received intensive training under two British former Vidal Sassoon stylists, developing a strong foundation in precise, disciplined cutting techniques.A key focus of this training was the philosophy of “Wearability” and “Suitability.”Wearability means creating hairstyles that work with a person’s natural hair texture and movement, making them easy to manage in everyday life. Suitability means designing a style that complements the individual’s facial features, lifestyle and personality.This highly practical and disciplined approach to hairdressing, particularly cutting, became a strong foundation for the continued development of his technical skills.Howard still believes that the people you work with and learn from during the first few years of your career have a significant influence on the kind of hairdresser you become and how far you can develop.

Early 1980s
London & ParisIn the early 1980s, Howard moved to London, where he completed advanced training at Vidal Sassoon London and worked in a London salon.He later moved to Paris, where he continued his training at Jean Louis Deforges.After returning to Australia, he joined one of Sydney’s coolest salons at the time, known for its post-modern, avant-garde and punk influences.It was an environment that constantly stimulated his imagination and challenged both his technical ability and creative approach to hair.The salon attracted a diverse clientele, including creatives, artists, well-known figures from the entertainment industry, actors and prominent members of Sydney’s drag scene.During this period, Howard had the opportunity to style the hair of a young actor who was still working with a small theatre company at the time.That actor was Mel Gibson, who would later become one of the major international stars of the 1980s.

Fashion, Editorial & Film
Howard later moved to another salon with strong connections to the media and fashion industry, styling hair for a variety of Australian publications, including Australian Vogue.His work also expanded into film, where he developed a good working relationship with Jane Campion, then emerging as an exciting new talent in Australian cinema and later to become an Academy Award-winning director.Working to understand how a character should look and translating a director’s creative vision through hair was an exciting and highly stimulating experience, offering a very different perspective from traditional salon work.During this period, Howard also had the opportunity to work with many talented people from the worlds of film, music and theatre, including actress Nicole Kidman, actor Hugo Weaving, musician and actor Phil Collins, disco singer Thelma Houston, and members of the Australian stage production of Fame, The Musical.His work also included runway shows, wig styling for major fashion retailers, and session styling for editorial and photographic shoots.

Tokyo
In the late 1980s, Howard moved to Tokyo, where he spent approximately two years.During this time, he worked briefly in a salon while also focusing on editorial shoots and freelance hairstyling.In late 1990, he returned to Australia and opened his own salon in central Sydney, overlooking Hyde Park and adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel.The salon attracted a diverse clientele, including editors from fashion and design magazines, politicians, society figures and models, as well as everyday clients looking for exceptional cutting and colour in a relaxed, unpretentious environment.Over time, the salon developed into a successful business with a strong team and a broad, established clientele. Howard later sold the salon and decided to return to Tokyo in search of a new environment and a new chapter in his career.

Back to Tokyo
After returning to Tokyo, Howard spent more than four years as a Director at one of the city’s well-known international salons, working extensively with foreign and expatriate clients.The salon also attracted many musicians and actors visiting Japan.Among the clients Howard worked with was the late Brittany Murphy, while she was in Tokyo filming The Ramen Girl.He also became the personal hairstylist to internationally known magician and illusionist Cyril Takayama.

GOLD SALON TOKYO
Over time, Howard felt increasingly drawn to creating his own business again.Having developed a strong connection with life in Japan, establishing his own salon in Tokyo represented both an exciting challenge and an opportunity to build something of his own in the city.

In 2008, with the strong support of his partner Yoko Yamamoto, Howard established GOLD SALON TOKYO.GOLD has since developed into an international hair salon in Tokyo, specialising in English-language service and working with international clients and a wide variety of hair types.Throughout more than 30 years in the hairdressing industry, Howard has had the opportunity not only to work alongside highly skilled hairdressers from around the world, but also to earn the trust of clients from many different backgrounds who have placed their hair in his hands.He considers himself extremely fortunate to have chosen a career in hairdressing and remains genuinely humbled by the many remarkable people he has had the opportunity to meet and work with along the way.