At Control with Sean Gurn

© Pamela Wasabi / MFb

Sean Gurn, owner of the Wynwood salon Control, is a rebel with a vision. With scissors on hand and values written in stone, Gurn believes in Miami and will sacrifice sleep to make his own dreams of independence, expression and freedom come to fruition in the Magic City.

What are you wearing?

The shoes are from Famous Footwear – not even sure – jeans from Loehmanns – sucks! Black shirt from Target and the plaid shirt from some place at the beach.

Where does the passion for hair comes from?

I always had crazy haircuts, like checkers boards died onto my hair, or crazy colors. I like to rock that stuff. I grew up in Southern California and was surrounded of that punk rock surf/skate scene.

Did you have previous training for cutting hair?

I’ve just been very interested in it. I simply started to pay attention to it and I picked it up by observing. I like dealing with people and the whole cutting hair therapy.

Is cutting hair a need or a want?

Everyone needs a hair cut but it’s about accommodating people that like to express themselves with their hair – is a way of expressing yourself – Is the only thing in your body you can modify and constantly change other than your nail color.

Update you wardrobe, update your hair!

What’s a dude from California doing in Miami?

I used to live in West Palm Beach – in Delray. There is where I met my crew of friends, Rodney Mayo and what has become The Vagabond family today. Then I moved back to Santa Monica, I was cutting hair over there, after that I came back to Miami but to the beach this time. I worked with Vidal Sasson but I couldn’t take it. They cared more about selling products. There’s not much respect for the individual [when you're] doing that, you become a number not a human being and I couldn’t rationalized with that.

What’s the spin to your story, how did you end up being the owner of Control?

I went back to Delray. I was hanging at Dada and one day Rodney (the owner of Dada) came out to me and asked me what was going on. I told him that I just didn’t know what to do; I was bummed out trying to figure it out. He suggested opening my own business with his support and from there everything unfolds. I started to pursue that path – knowing anything about opening your own business.

What was essential in the process of opening your salon?

Finding the location. Rodney suggested Wynwood/Midtown. I came to this place (where Control is now) and it was a total crack house, a mess, but we believe in the growth and strength of the neighborhood. It’s also important to be unique, and do your own thing that you believe in.

Was it easy?

It took me over a year to get it down. I hit a lot of brick walls. The economic crash, the search for more investors, pitching the idea... It was rough. Especially coming from someone so inexperienced as myself. I had to engineer all this terminology I know nothing about.

I cut hair and talk to people. That doesn’t qualified me that much…

What’s so special about Wynwood/Midtown for you?

Is like the Lower East Side in New York. It’s Miami’s core – where the real artist are. The culture starts here. It’s a hub of art studios, vintage shops, and graffiti murals everywhere – that alone is key for me, not a lot of cities allow that. The people you deal with are real and genuine.

This part of the city is edgy; it’s alive and vibrant. Miami is also putting its money to it, they have faith it will succeed and I do too.

Tell me about what Control Salon is today.

The actual physical environment is rustic, there’s lot of steel, it can be very masculine but at the same time there’s a lot of balance, it’s a live art gallery. The energy is totally eclectic, each person that works at the salon has their own style and interests but we have the same core values. We want to treat our costumers as if there are in their own home. There are no fake “hellos” here. All my stylists are very talented and they fit the mold – we treat each other as family. That’s something that working with Rodney and Carmel (from The Vagabond) has taught me through out the years.

What’s your clientele like?

You can have any hairstyle and walking to Control you will find a stylist that suits you. It’s for anyone and everyone. But pretty much we deal with the service industry people. The owners of clubs, the DJ’s, the dancers, artists, the bartenders, the fashion conscious people. We accommodate to the fast life and night life style of the people that makes this city pound.

What’s your personal preference when it comes to cut hair?

Cutting hair is an art and I enjoy every aspect of it. The symmetry lines, working with your face, bone structures, hair lines, color. But personally I like to push the envelope. I much rather color your hair purple or give you some crazy mohawk.

I have been told many times that my bread and butter will be the blond, middle aged housewife, or the long hair but I’ve disagreed since day one. Not one of my friends looks like that and happily I can say that my demographic makes my bread and butter edgy and exciting.