Ever since she was a teenager growing up in New York, Bibby Garcia wanted to become a hairdresser.
“I first wanted to pursue a career in acting or something, but when I was 13, I started doing hair,” Garcia said. “Everyone told me at the time that I was so good at doing hair.”
When Garcia was just 20 years old, her mother, Rebeca Taveras, gave her the financial backing so Bibby could open her own salon in Miami.
“It was called Bibby’s Dominican Styles,” Garcia said. “I was living a dream.”
Garcia remained in Miami from 1996 through 2002, but then decided to head back north and settled with her mother, who had moved to North Bergen.
“Mom had retired and moved here, so I decided to come here as well,” Garcia said.
But it was hard for Garcia to find her niche as a hair stylist in her new hometown.
“I struggled when I first came here for a while,” Garcia said. “I worked at two different salons and that didn’t work out.”
However, the 31-year-old Garcia found a job at Jagged Edge on Bergenline Avenue in the northern section of town, and she quickly gathered a following.
“I liked it here because I lived real close, but the customers were very nice as well,” Garcia said.
‘Best blowout’
She also utilized a unique “blowout” routine when doing Dominican hairstyles. Some customers have called Garcia’s method as “the best blowout in the world” and she doesn’t even use a flat iron.
What’s the secret?
“I can’t tell,” she laughs. “Then it won’t be a secret anymore.”
A few months ago, Latina Magazine asked its readers to write in and nominate their hairdresser as the best Latina hairdresser in America. The readers were asked to describe why their Latina hairdresser was the best, and after they collected all the entries, they would send anonymous women to the different salons to determine if they really were the best.
One of the Jagged Edge clients wrote to Latina Magazine and told them about Garcia.
Garcia still doesn’t know who it was.
“I still have no idea at all who did it,” Garcia said. “But after a few months, Latina called me and said that I was one of the people under consideration to be one of the Top 10 Latina hairdressers in America. When I got the call, I thought it was a joke. I said, ‘OK, thanks for the call, take care.’ I didn’t think much of it.”
But the editor insisted that the whole contest was legit, and that Garcia was indeed under consideration for the award.
“They told me that they were going to send someone anonymously and try me out,” Garcia said. “They would come in and sit down like any other customer and not tell me who they were. I didn’t know when that client came in.”
Garcia said that she didn’t hear anything at all about the contest for another month.
“I didn’t think I made the cut,” Garcia said.
Making the ‘cut’
Two weeks ago, an editor from Latina Magazine contacted Garcia and told her the good news.
Not only was she selected among the top 10 Latina and Latino hairdressers, but she was picked as no. 1 in the entire country.
Out of more than 3,000 entries from all over the United States, Garcia was chosen as the best.
“When I got the call, I said, ‘What are you talking about?'” Garcia said. “I was totally bugging out. I couldn’t believe it. I was surprised to be picked in the top 10, but to be number 1? That was just unbelievable.”
Latina Magazine sent a photographer to the salon to take her picture. A nice little article accompanied the picture. This is how the article appeared:
“A list of the best Latino hairdressers could not possibly be complete without a Dominican known among her patrons to give “the best blowout in the world” – no flat iron needed! What’s 31-year-old Bibby’s secret? “Not telling,” she says, only hinting that is has nothing to do with products or tools. That, of course leaves us thinking it’s all in her personal technique, which she’s been honing since she was 13. So what’s the cost of a blowout at her salon these days? $28 and $43 for short and long hair, respectively. Cost of not having to worry that your hair will frizz a day later? Priceless.”
Hit on Monday
The article hit the newsstands last Monday, and Garcia was all excited about it that she had to run around to purchase as many copies as possible.
“I’ve been trying to buy it everywhere,” Garcia said. “I went to a CVS near my house and I bought six. I found another at a store on 41st Street. I have people looking for me all over the place, in New York, around here. I have about 10 copies right now. I’m just so happy to see my face in there. I never expected anything like this.”
Latina Magazine said that they would eventually present Garcia with a plaque.
“I’m also getting the article framed,” Garcia said.
She’s also had a lot of fun with the designation.
“My mom told me that I don’t have to work, because I’m no. 1 in the country,” Garcia said. “I wish I was that famous. Not yet. I still have bills to pay.”
Garcia said that she feels the pressure is on now.
“Oh, definitely, I feel like I can’t make one mistake now,” Garcia said. “How much pressure is this? How can I live with this?”
But she is ecstatic.
“Even if it leads to nothing, it’s a major accomplishment,” Garcia said. “I always wanted to get recognized. I always hoped something like this would happen and one day, it happened without me even noticing it. I’m so happy. My dream is coming true.” Jim Hague can be reached via e-mail at either OGSMAR@aol.com or jhague@hudsonreporter.com To see the article about Bibby Garcia as the No. 1 best Latina hairdresser in the country, log on to http://www.latina.com/latina/fandb/hair.jsp?name=besthairstylist.