Michele Latch is steeling herself for Hollywood’s biggest night.
The West Hollywood makeup studio she manages, Blushington, has bookings for about 200 women — and a few men — who’ll be getting glammed up on Sunday ahead of the Academy Awards.
That’s more than triple the number of customers on a typical Sunday and an increase of 22% from last year. The store is opening an hour early — at 9 a.m. — and expects the onslaught to last through the day.
“It’s exhausting,” said Latch, standing next to a tidy workstation arrayed with makeup that’ll be applied to clients’ faces as part of treatments such as the $65 “red carpet ready” service. “But this is what we look forward to — this is like our Super Bowl.”
The Academy Awards are important not only for the stars and studios but also for the legions of small businesses like Blushington that are key cogs in Los Angeles’ multimillion-dollar Oscar economy. Salons, florists, chauffeur services, caterers and celebrity home tour companies all say they see a spike in sales during Hollywood’s two-month-long mutual appreciation marathon that culminates in the Oscars. For some vendors, awards season can make or break their year.
The West Hollywood Drybar typically sees 100 to 150 customers a day but is prepared for nearly 200 customers on Sunday, stocking up on the essentials and staffing extra workers.
(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
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“There is a significant opportunity for these different service firms that exists around this time of year,” said Kevin Klowden, executive director of the California Center at the Milken Institute, a Santa Monica-based economic think tank. “It should impact thousands of businesses directly or indirectly over the course of awards season.”
Setting aside revenue generated by the telecast of awards shows, Klowden said that the season is likely to generate local economic activity in the range of tens of millions of dollars. Hollywood movie studios, for example, can spend several million dollars on promoting their Oscar contenders by, among other things, hosting lavish parties that are the bread and butter for many in the service industry.
“You are dealing with millions of dollars of wages that are created during this period,” Klowden said.
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Scenic artist Rick Roberts touches up the Oscar statue props that are slated for placement on the red carpet and at the Dolby Theatre amid preparations for Sunday’s Academy Awards in Hollywood.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Scenic artist Virginia Belloni puts the finishing touches on Oscar statues that will be placed on the red carpet and at the Dolby Theatre for Sunday’s Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Arrivals team Frank Roach, right, hoists an Oscar statue while Kevin Crowley spots him during preparations for Sunday’s Oscars in Hollywood.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Scenic artist Dena D’ Angelo, right, and Virginia Belloni touch up a giant Oscar statue on the Oscars red carpet in Hollywood on Tuesday.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Pedestrians walk past crews working on the Oscars red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Dolby Theatre.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Scenic artist Derek Medevic gets one of the many Oscar statue props in top condition ahead of Sunday’s Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Scenic artist Dena D’ Angelo, right, and Virginia Belloni work on a giant Oscar statue at the entrance to the Dolby Theatre amid preparations for Sunday’s Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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The Dolby Theatre is the site of the 88th Academy Awards coming up Sunday.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Workers install signs in preparation for the Oscars in Hollywood.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Workers set up the red carpet along Hollywood Boulevard in preparation for the Oscars in Hollywood.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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The Oscars red carpet is rolled out Wednesday morning in Hollywood as preparations continue for the 88th Academy Awards on Sunday.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Businesspeople can attest to that.
Florist Mark Held, owner of Mark’s Garden in Sherman Oaks, is handling the floral arrangements for the Governors Ball and said that the awards season provides “a bump” of extra business. For Held, it’s the culmination of several weeks of Oscars-related business, including roughly 10 smaller parties for which Mark’s Garden provided the flowers over the last week.
“We are busy with it,” said Held, whose company has handled the Governors Ball flowers for more than 20 years. “A luncheon here, a dinner there — when people celebrate in Hollywood they will very often include flowers.”
On a recent afternoon, Frankie Fronk, manager of Prime Time Hollywood Tours, watched as an employee hawked two-hour sightseeing expeditions to tourists strolling along Hollywood Boulevard. Frond said that the Academy Awards helps during what is typically a slow season.
“On Oscars day, it is nonstop until about 3 p.m., when people go to the fence [surrounding the red carpet] to try to see the stars,” said Fronk, adding that the day ranks among the busiest of the year alongside the New Year’s holiday. “It is something we look forward to.”
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Writer-actor Sylvester Stallone, star of the Oscar-winning film “Rocky,” congratulates Peter Finch’s widow, Eletha, center, after Finch was posthumously awarded the lead actor award at the 1977 Academy Awards. Faye Dunaway, right, won for lead actress. (Robert Lachman / Los Angeles Times)
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Jack Palance uses molar power to pull Oscar onstage at the 65th Academy Awards, as Billy Crystal enjoys the ride. (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
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Oscar winners Tom Hanks and Jessica Lange at the Governors Ball in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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David Letterman with Oscar dog in 1995. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
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Susan Sarandon accepts her lead actress Oscar for “Dead Man Walking” in 1996. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Björk on the red carpet at the 73rd Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Julia Roberts wins lead actress for “Erin Brockovich,” at the 73rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Adrien Brody surprises presenter Halle Berry with a kiss after he wins lead actor for “The Pianist” at the 75th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Charlize Theron wins lead actress for “Monster,” at the 76th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Foxx hugs Halle Berry as daughter Corinne looks on, after winning lead actor for “Ray,” during the 77th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Julia Roberts wipes her lipstick kiss off Clint Eastwood’s face as he accepts his Oscar for director for “Million Dollar Baby,” during the 77th Academy Awards.
(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
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Jamie Foxx, who won lead actor for “Ray,” is congratulated by Charlize Theron onstage at the 77th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller reads the winner of the visual effects award during the 78th Academy Awards show at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Will Ferrell, left and Steve Carell present the Oscar for makeup during the 78th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Reese Witherspoon kisses her then-husband, Ryan Phillippe, after hearing her name announced as the lead actress winner for “Walk the Line,” during the 78th Academy Awards.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Steven Spielberg snaps a photo of Ellen DeGeneres and Clint Eastwood while Beyoncé looks on during the 79th Academy Awards.
(Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Leonardo DiCaprio congratulates Helen Mirren at the 79th Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Javier Bardem is embraced by his mother, Pilar, after winning supporting actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenter Helen Mirren and Daniel Day-Lewis onstage after he won lead actor at the 80th Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Forest Whitaker escorts Marion Cotillard off the stage after presenting her the Oscar for lead actress at the 80th Academy Awards.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Hugh Jackman opens the show at the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Ben Stiller and Natalie Portman present at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Phillipe Petit balances the Oscar after winning for documentary feature for “Man on Wire” as James Marsh looks on at the 81st Academy Awards. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
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Seal, left, and Mickey Rourke during the 81st Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Ben Stiller, as an Avatar blue man, backstage before an award presentation at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Kathryn Bigelow backstage at the 82nd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Mauro Flore is congratualated for winning for cinematography for “Avatar” at the 82nd Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Jeremy Renner, from left, Brian Geraghty and Anthony Mackie of “The Hurt Locker” rejoice after the film in which they co-starred won best picture at the 82nd Academy Awards. Screenwriter Mark Boal is at lower right. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Natalie Portman after winning lead actress for “Black Swan” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Colin Firth and his wife, Livia Giuggioli, react after Tom Hooper wins best director for “The King’s Speech,” at the 83rd Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Jean Dujardin, after winning lead actor for “The Artist,” walks off the stage with Uggie the dog at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Muppet characters Kermit and Miss Piggy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Presenters Rose Byrne, left, and Melissa McCarthy at the 84th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Sandra Bullock at the 84th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Sacha Baron Cohen and entourage on the red carpet at the 84th Academy Awards. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Jennifer Lawrence slips on the stairs when going up to the stage to receive her lead actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Channing Tatum dances with actress Charlize Theron as host Seth MacFarlane looks on during the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Anne Hathaway watches as her Oscar for supporting actress is engraved at the 85th Academy Awards the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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The cast and crew of best picture “Argo” at the 85th Academy Awards. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Legendary actor Sidney Poitier and actress Angelina Jolie chat backstage. Jolie was the recipient of the 2014 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Actors Liam Neeson and J.K. Simmons, right, chat backstage at the 87th Academy Awards after Simmons won a supporting actor prize for “Whiplash” in 2015.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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With “Star Wars” reintroduced to a new generation by “The Force Awakens” film, it seemed only fitting to have droids R2D2 and C3PO grace the Academy Awards stage once again.
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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Brie Larson is ecstatic as she walks off the stage with the lead actress Oscar for her role in “Room.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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In a “Titanic” meetup, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet kiss backstage at the Oscars. DiCaprio won the lead actor Oscar for his role in “The Revenant.”
(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
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He isn’t alone. Jeff Rezvani, owner of Los Angeles Limousine Service Co., said February is otherwise a “very slow month.”
“It is wintertime, and people stay at home all over the country because of the cold and snow,” said Rezvani. “But these events are a spike in the business.”
Alec Levenson, an economist with the Center for Effective Organizations at the USC Marshall School of Business, said it is a “happy economic coincidence” that the awards season occurs during a slow period for the local tourism industry.
“It is timed perfectly, because it is timed to when people aren’t traveling,” he said.
The Blushington makeup studio on Sunset Boulevard does brisk business not only on Oscar Sunday, but throughout the entertainment industry’s awards season. It is next door to hair styling salon Drybar (think: blowouts), another hot spot for the Hollywood crowd.
1/20
Hollywood’s top players are usually flawless on screen, but at the Academy Awards, they’re bound to say or do the unexpected. We’ve compiled a list of squirm-in-your-seat uncomfortable moments from past Oscar ceremonies. (From left: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times; Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images; Sebastian Artz / Getty Images; Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
2/20
When Sean Penn opened the envelope to announce the best picture at the 87th Academy Awards, he asked, “Who gave this son of a ... his green card?” before revealing “Birdman” as the winner. In a year when the Oscars were being scrutinized for the lack of diversity among the nominees in the top categories, some felt Penn’s joke about director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s nationality fell flat.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
3/20
After hosting the Emmys and the Tonys, jack-of-all-trades Neil Patrick Harris took over Oscar duties in 2015 with mixed results. In addition to butchering actors’ names and making an ill-advised joke about Edward Snowden’s absence, Harris strained the patience of even the most faithful viewers with a running gag involving a magic box holding his winners predictions.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
4/20
During a red carpet interview actress Melanie Griffith admitted she had not yet seen daughter Dakota Johnson’s performance in “Fifty Shades of Grey,” implying she was uncomfortable with some of the scenes she would see. When Griffith continued to refuse even the possibility of watching the film, a flustered Johnson responded “All right! You don’t have to see it!”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
5/20
John Travolta was tasked with introducing Idina Menzel to perform the Oscar-nominated (and later Oscar-winning) song “Let It Go” from “Frozen” at the 86th Academy Awards. Unfortunately, he ended up introducing “Adele Dazeem” in what would become the flub of the night. Ever the professional, Menzel still nailed her performance.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
6/20
Host Ellen DeGeneres rounded up high-profile celebs for a selfie that set records for retweets. What fans missed was Minnelli joining from behind, too short to be seen. Later, Minnelli tried to hug winner Lupita Nyong’o before some of Nyong’o’s cast members could. (Jason Merritt / Getty Images)
7/20
The academy took a gamble by having Seth MacFarlane host the 85th awards. Some people thought the many moments that MacFarlane relied on jokes about race or women were inappropriate for the occasion, including his cringe-worthy opening number, “We Saw Your Boobs.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
8/20
Jennifer Lawrence proved she is just as human as the rest of us when she tripped on the stairs on the way to accept her best actress Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. After making it to the stage to a standing ovation, she confronted the situation head-on by saying, “You guys are just standing up because you feel bad that I fell and that’s really embarrassing, but thank you.”
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
9/20
Sacha Baron Cohen walked the red carpet of the 84th Academy Awards in character as General Aladeen from his film “The Dictator.” He also carried a gold urn he claimed contained the ashes of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, which he dumped over Ryan Seacrest. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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The 84th Academy Awards hit a hurdle when producer Brett Ratner resigned and his planned host, Eddie Murphy, stepped down too. Billy Crystal seemed like a safe choice to host. But Crystal fell back on an old bit impersonating Sammy Davis Jr. and later made racially charged joke. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
11/20
James Franco and Anne Hathaway were paired to host the 83rd Academy Awards. Unfortunately, most people agreed the show was a bust. Hathaway gave an honest effort, and even looked like she was trying to overcompensate for Franco, who at best could be described as not mentally present. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston ended their five-year marriage in 2005 amid reports that linked Pitt romantically to Angelina Jolie. The 81st Academy Awards was the first time all three were publicly present in the same room. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
13/20
When Glenn Hansard and Markéta Irglová won the award for original song for “Falling Slowly” at the 80th Academy Awards, both were overcome with emotions. Hansard took the mike first. When Irglová leaned in to give her own thanks, the show cut her off. Host Jon Stewart later called her back. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
14/20
Ryan Seacrest wanted to interview Laura Linney and Jennifer Garner, but Gary Busey was not having it. Busey first called out to Seacrest, delaying the start of the interview. Later, Busey surprised Garner with a hug and a kiss on the neck. (Stan Honda / AFP / Getty Images)
15/20
The 77th Academy Awards assigned stand-up comedian Chris Rock to the hosting post, foreshadowing a night of ruder-than-usual digs at celebrities for laughs. Take this for example: “Who is Jude Law?” Perhaps actor Sean Penn thought that Law forgot his armor, stepping onstage to defend his peer. (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
16/20
Apparently, when overcome with happiness, actor Adrien Brody’s primal instinct tells him to latch his lips onto the pretty lady who gave him the news. Brody took everyone by surprise (especially Berry) when he kissed her after winning a lead actor Oscar for “The Pianist.” (Brian vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)
17/20
Most winners don’t even have time to finish their thank-yous before the cut-off music switches on, but filmmaker Michael Moore managed to squeeze in a whole political rant after snagging a best documentary win for “Bowling for Columbine.” The boos and cheers were very, very audible. (Lee Celano / AFP / Getty Images)
18/20
Gwyneth Paltrow’s skimpy 2002 Oscar outfit seemed to be missing some vital components. (Was she not cold? Look at how bundled up everyone else is outside the Vanity Fair after-party.) In later years, the actress admitted that she wished her bits were covered better, citing the mistake as one of her worst red carpet looks. (Sebastian Artz / Getty Images)
19/20
That Oscar trophy wasn’t the only one smooched by Angelina Jolie’s famous lips at the 72nd Academy Awards. The actress planted a kiss on older brother James Haven with a force that set rumor-mongers atwitter with word of an incestuous relationship. It didn’t help that the excited Jolie launched into her acceptance speech for lead role in “Girl, Interrupted” with an ode to the sibling: “I’m in shock, and I’m so in love with my brother right now,” she giggled. “He just held me and said he loved me and I know he’s so happy for me.” (Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times)
20/20
To open the 1989 Academy Awards, an off-key Rob Lowe sang a duet with actress Eileen Bowmanas Snow White as part of an elaborately hokey musical medley that lasted more than 10 minutes and left seated stars such as Dustin Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr. and Sigourney Weaver scratching their heads in confusion. How bad was it? Disney filed a lawsuit against the academy for unauthorized use of its character.
(Randy Leffingwell / Los Angeles Times)
The two beauty shops are swarmed on the day of the Academy Awards by publicists, journalists, assistants and others whose jobs involve the awards show put on at the Dolby Theatre a few miles away.
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“In Hollywood, nominees have the glam squads, and everyone who works around them has Drybar and Blushington,” said Andrea Mandell, West Coast entertainment editor of USA Today, who has appointments at both venues on Sunday. “It’s just jammed. You see pretty much every publicist and journalist friend barefaced, getting their makeup done, holding a cup of coffee and madly emailing.”
Natasha Cornstein, president of the L.A.-based Blushington chain, said that on a typical Sunday, a store will see 25 to 30 clients who on average spend $75 each. (Blushington’s standard “full face” makeup application costs $45; there are also add-ons, including $20 faux eyelashes.)
But on Sunday, the influx of customers at the West Hollywood shop could generate an estimated $10,000 or more in additional revenue. “[It’s] the biggest day of the year — it is only rivaled by New Year’s,” Cornstein said.
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Nominated for: lead actor Oscar in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” 2007 | lead actor Oscar for “Ali,” 2002 (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
2/16
Nominated for: supporting actress for “Junebug,” 2006 | supporting actress for “Doubt,” 2009 | supporting actress for “The Fighter,” 2011 | supporting actress for “The Master,” 2013 | lead actress for “American Hustle,” 2014 (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
3/16
Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” 2008 | lead actor Oscar for “Finding Neverland,” 2005 | lead actor Oscar for “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” 2004 (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times)
4/16
Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Gorillas in the Mist,” 1989 | supporting actress Oscar for “Working Girl,” 1989 | lead actress Oscar for “Aliens,” 1987 (Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)
5/16
Nominated for: Supporting actor Oscar for “Magnolia,” 2000 | lead actor Oscar for “Jerry Maguire,” 1997 | lead actor Oscar for “Born on the Fourth of July,” 1990 (Shown center with “Valkyrie” director Bryan Singer and writer Chris McQuarrie.) (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
6/16
Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “Tropic Thunder,” 2009 | lead actor Oscar for “Chaplin,” 1993. (Shown here at left with “Iron Man 3” director Shane Black.) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
7/16
Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Love Field,” 1993 | lead actress Oscar for “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” 1990 | supporting actress Oscar for “Dangerous Liaisons,” 1989 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
8/16
Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2002 | lead actor Oscar for “Gods and Monsters,” 1999 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
9/16
Nominated for: best picture Oscar for “The Fighter,” 2011 (shared with David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman) | supporting actor Oscar for “The Departed,” 2007 (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
10/16
Nominated for: lead actress Oscar for “Albert Nobbs,” 2011 | lead actress Oscar for “Dangerous Liaisons,” 1989 | lead actress Oscar for “Fatal Attraction,” 1988 | supporting actress Oscar for “The Natural,” 1985 | supporting actress Oscar for “The Big Chill,” 1984 | supporting actress Oscar for “The World According to Garp,” 1983 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
11/16
Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Witness,” 1986 (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
12/16
Nominated for: supporting actor Oscar for “Pulp Fiction,” 1995 (Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)
13/16
Nominated for: lead actor Oscar for “Pulp Fiction,” 1995 | lead actor Oscar for “Saturday Night Fever,” 1978 (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
14/16
Nominated for: supporting actress for “The Wings of the Dove,” 1998 | lead actress Oscar for “The King’s Speech,” 2011 (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
15/16
Nominated for: Lead actress Oscar for “The Help,” 2012 (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
16/16
Nominated for: lead actor for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” 2012 (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)
The West Hollywood store, one of three Blushington locations in Southern California, prepares for the onslaught by adding “pop-up stations” that can accommodate the additional customers, she said, adding: “It’s all hands on deck in West Hollywood.”
All of Drybar’s 10 salon chairs were filled with clients on Monday morning, the women ranging from sharply dressed executives to twentysomethings in designer sweatpants. They stared at the screens of their mobile phones or leafed through magazines while their stylists hovered over them, the roar of the Buttercup Blow Dryers nearly unending. (The dryer, which is bright yellow and looks like a ray gun from an old sci-fi film, can be purchased at the store for $195.)
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The stylists’ stations — which are oriented a U-shaped bar clad in gray marble — feature an array of Drybar-branded hair products that have cheeky, cocktail-themed names such as “sake bomb,” “Texas tea” and “the chaser.”
Alli Webb, who co-founded Drybar with her brother and husband in 2010, said that clients book their Oscar Sunday visits at the West Hollywood store as much as six weeks in advance. The shop typically sees 100 to 150 customers a day but is prepared for nearly 200 customers on Sunday, she said, stocking up on the essentials and staffing extra workers.
“The stylists know what to expect,” said Webb, whose Irvine-based company has 55 stores nationwide. “We have a lot of up-dos — we are prepared for that. So things like having extra bobby pins [is necessary]. … It’s a really big day for us in L.A.”
(At L.A.-area stores, an up-do will set you back $80, but a standard blowout costs $40.)
In an only-in-Hollywood twist, the Drybar story is being developed into a feature film at movie studio Universal Pictures, which last year acquired the life rights of Webb and her brother, Michael Landau.
Even if the stakes will be high on Sunday, Blushington and Drybar work to put their stressed-out customers at ease. At both establishments, upbeat pop wafts from unseen speakers, the walls are painted in muted colors, customers are plied with champagne, and affirmative declarations are plastered on the walls (at Blushington, mirrors are emblazoned with pink signs reading “#FINDYOURPRETTYEVERYDAY”).
Touches such as these help to calm pre-awards show jitters, generating “good energy,” said publicist Heidi Schaeffer, who over the years has visited both shops in the Sunset Plaza shopping center on the day of the Golden Globe Awards and Emmy Awards.
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“I’m always a little anxious on those days, but the place is buzzing, said Schaeffer, a vice president in the talent department of PMK-BNC. “Usually everybody in the place is going to the awards — I always see somebody I know.”
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‘The Oscars’
Where: ABC
When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday
Rating: TV-14-DLV (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 with advisories for suggestive dialogue, coarse language and violence)
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Daniel Miller is an enterprise reporter for the Los Angeles Times, working on investigations and features. An L.A. native and UCLA graduate, he joined the staff in 2013.
