Khiet started as a barber after being introduced by his brother. They opened up a barber shop together and focused on men’s hair. He found his passion for women’s hair after a classmate asked him to cut her hair and showed him a photo of what she wanted. “It’s like a live art thing. You’re sculpting, the cool thing is it’s almost like a painting but it’s live, everyone can see it,” says Khiet.
With over 15 years of experience in the industry Khiet has worked at some of the top salons in Honolulu including, Marsha Nadalin Salon at Kahala Mall, the W Salon at Ala Moana and Kissa Salon before opening SalonKit. At Marsha Nadalin he studied the Toni and Guy method of cutting which is geared toward texture and movement and at the W Salon he focused the Vidal Sassoon method which emphasizes on precise, clean cuts. Knowledge is power so education important to Khiet and something he continues to focus on.
After looking for just the right space, Khiet was able to find and build out his brand new salon, SalonKit, in the 808 Center on Sheridan Street in September of 2015. One of the main reasons Khiet wanted to have a space of his own was to help build stylist. “While renting a chair there was no movement for my assistants to continue to grow. With SalonKit, I’m able to offer classes and as my assistants' progress they have a place to build their clients and continue to grow their own style.”
SalonKit aims to be an all-inclusive, comfortable atmosphere where expertise and creativity mesh. “We are unprofessional, professionals,” says Khiet, “When people come in they like the vibe, the vibe is fun and chill.” Whether someone is looking for a straight up Barber, beautiful color or something more extravagant and trendy like @theunicorntribe or extensions, the team at SalonKit works tirelessly to make each client feel unique and beautiful (handsome).
