Meet Personal Stylist and Organizer Johnny Hagan
Fun Facts:
What are you binge watching these days?
Right now I am making my way through The Haunting of Bly Manor. My friend and I want to watch it together though so it’s hard to NOT watch it while he isn’t here. But besides that, the new season of The Great British Bake Off is filling my soul to the brim.
What is your favorite movie?
My favorite movie would have to be Easy A. Looking back now, it’s a bit problematic. But I am such a sucker for witty humor, I love that movie so much. Inside Out is a close second. I mean come on. Really? COME ON. I remember after I first saw it in theaters, I found a bootleg and watched that crappy bootleg 5 times in 2 days. No regrets.
Who is your hero?
Oat Milk. A mean what an up-and-coming versatile piece of non-diary royalty. But if we’re talking people, I would have to say Lady Gaga. She has been through it ALL and yet she has stayed true to herself, worked through it all and has managed to stay more than relevant for over a decade. She pushes the boundaries of art, what art can mean, while also pushing herself to grow and do better. It’s completely admirable to me. She also helped me realize that I don’t have to categorize myself in terms of my career. I don’t just have to be an actor. I can be a singing, styling, entrepreneuring, dancing, writing, traveling, creating, art-making, roundabout sexy gorgeous human being! I’ve always tried to label myself; put myself in boxes to make myself make sense. But that’s not sustainable and it only limits my potential. Lady Gaga helped me realize this and so for that, I am eternally grateful. But I won’t forget you Oat Milk xoxo.
How did you get into personal styling!?
It’s actually a funny story because it was kind of by accident. I’ve always liked going shopping with friends and helping them find things, but I never thought of that as a viable career??? Until, one day through a weird series of events I ended up driving Daniel Franzese (Damian from Mean Girls) around Los Angeles to run some errands. We became good friends and a month later he said he has another job for me if I was interested and that job was organizing his closet. I went to his place September 2019, helped him organize his closet and realized I was REALLY good at it! I’ve done it for him a few more times, but even still, my blinders were on and I didn’t come up with the idea for Hummingbird until we were deep in quarantine. I took a seminar called “Designing Your Dream Day Job” with Sara Falaro (Queen) and through her seminar ALL the dots stared connecting. I love fashion, I love helping people, I love shopping with and for people, I am inherently organized, AND I’ve already done these things for a celebrity no less and then was paid for it!! Why is this not a business right now!?!? So after many conversations and a few mental breakdowns I decided to make it official! So here we are!
-
What’s your favorite part of helping someone design their dream closet?
I think it’s seeing the culmination of the project come together, in my client’s eyes, is what’s really it. Realizing they had this versatile space that can function so well FOR THEM and seeing it all clean, neat and functional. It feels like a breath of fresh air for me, so for them? I can only imagine!
Then styling wise, I LOVE gently pushing people out of their comfort zones. I’m not gonna throw a male-presenting human in a dress our first meeting. But I might throw you in a floral print if that scares you, or make you try on a jacket that’s from the gendered section you usually don’t shop in. And when people trust me and they trybit on. Their eyes LIGHT UP and that’s it. That is some life-giving energy right there. You can see the confidence building behind their eyes. Something that’s always been there, but needed a tiny push to be brought into the light. Knowing I gave that to them, it makes me feel like I’m doing something that’s actually changing people’s lives for the better. It’s what makes it all worth it.
-
Your business just recently launched, what do you see yourself and your business this time next year!?
Wowwy wow wow. I truly do not know. I feel proud of what little progress I’ve made in these past few weeks. So a whole year!? I really feel like the world is my oyster right now. I could see me working this business as my ~only~ day job, making my own hours, helping people not only in LA, but across the country! I could even see myself having my own office space where I can meet clients for fittings and consultations! I feel really good about Hummingbird and the directions I think I could take it in.
