Sharon Dorram – Colorist for the Stars

Not every path to success is a straight one. Celebrity hair colorist Sharon Dorram can definitely attest to that notion. These days you can find Sharon working with clients at her exclusive salon on East 71^st St in New York City, or in Westport, Connecticut. For decades she has worked as one of the top hair colorists in the country. Sharon’s talents are in constant demand, and she has provided unparalleled hair coloring and styling for some of the world’s biggest celebrities including Barbara Streisand, Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. Through hard work and an unflinching belief in her own talents, Sharon has developed a successful career doing what she loves.

“I love what I do so it never feels like work. I love the clients, they are so loyal and I feel equally loyal in return,” states Dorram. “For me work is not a 4 letter word and if it is it is P L A Y. I love what I do, I love my staff and most of all I love my clients. I live by the words “Hard work pays off”, and I owe a lot of my success to that motto.”

Sharon spent her early years studying to be an artist. Her educational path began in fabric design and weaving textiles. Early on in her career however, Dorram realized how much of an uphill climb she was facing living as an artist in NYC. Fortunately, she was convinced by a friend that her weaving skills and textile expertise would help her become a great hair colorist. That advice certainly put her on the right career path. Within a few years, Sharon had earned a job training under her first mentor in the hairdressing industry, Louis Licari. His influence on her early career has been a big part of why Sharon is so dedicated to her clients and her craft. By the early 1990s, Sharon was already doing hair color for some of the world’s most well-known celebrities, such as Barbara Streisand, from whom she learned just how high the bar for perfection happened to be. Working with high profile clients like Ms. Streisand was just the beginning, however. As her career continued its upward trajectory, Dorram would soon partner with celebrity hairstylist, Sally Hershberger.

“Having been the exclusive colorist and stylists to stars such as Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan, a mutual friend thought it would be a good idea if I joined forces with another stylist, Sally Hershberger. One evening, after a busy day of work at the salon, I came home to a message on my answering machine that went like this: “Hello, this is Sally Hershberger. You need to do Julia Roberts’ hair color. Call this number…click.” “At first I thought it was just a prank call,” recalls Dorram, “but after I phoned the number Sally gave me, I was connected with a production company for a movie Julia Roberts was filming alongside Nick Nolte. Eventually, Sally and I merged our clients and opened our exclusive salon space on the gold strip of East 71^st St.”

After starting SDSH on East 71^st in Manhattan, Sharon and Sally would go on to become the exclusive stylists/colorists for such clients as Meg Ryan, Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise to name a few. As the years have gone by, Sharon’s client list has continued to grow, though her high standards remain an industry standard to this day. Her role as a leader in the hair color industry has also gained plenty of notoriety. Dorram is regularly featured in such publications as Allure’s annual “Best of the Best” issue, and she has also been a spokesperson for major industry brands such as Matrix, Nexxus and John Frieda. Collaboration like this is a major part of why Sharon Dorram is a success in her industry. While some stylists and colorists often compete with one another for clients and notoriety, Sharon has found more success keeping up good mutual relationships with her competitors and colleagues alike.

“I really love to see my business pull together and not compete against each other. I’ve always had great relations w/my competitors: John Sahag, Oribe; Frederick Fekkai; John Barett. I am always so disappointed to hear hairdressers backstabbing each other, bad mouthing each other and trying to poach each other’s business. I live by the law of abundance….there is always more and enough for everyone.”

Given the recent difficulties the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the style and color industry, particularly in New York City, Sharon remains optimistic things will soon get back to (close to) normal at SDSH. While many in her industry are struggling, Sharon remains true to her values and the lessons she learned from people like Louis Licari and Trish McEvoy. Her dedication to hard work and the positivity, loyalty and generosity she shows to clients and colleagues has brought Sharon plenty of success. Even in these uncertain times, Sharon feels excited and hopeful for the future at SDSH.

“I am so determined to bring the business back to NYC. I love working in Ct. as it is close to home but SDSH is my family, my baby, my home in business. The clients are everything! They are so supportive and loyal. We are getting ready w/PPE precautions. Like 9/11 we will bring it back!”