About
James Sartain was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Surrounded by its breathtaking landscapes and the multi-cultural influence of its people, James quickly cultivated a unique eye for exotic beauty. This innate “Aloha Spirit” has enabled him to view and embrace his creative talents through a colorful kaleidoscope for high-end fashion, television and movie production.
As a child, James was first drawn to the arts by watching old Hollywood movies. As a teenager, James gathered inspiration from fashion magazines and early “MTV”, “Dynasty”, and “American Bandstand” television shows. By the time James left high school, he was staging photo shoots for his friends – personally stylizing each wardrobe, make-up, hairstyle and photographic image to help perfect his craft.
Through this experience, James was able to acquire a coveted position as a make-up artist and hairstylist at Honolulu’s busiest photo studio. For several years, he worked alongside an eclectic array of international artists, all of whom shared knowledge and inspiration to help James excel as a true Artisan.
After helping stylize hundreds of photo shoots and events for both men and women, James was able to build a strong portfolio of work; earning him a reputation as one of Hawaii’s leading make-up and hairstylists in the industry. His expertise continued with top model and advertising agencies, helping to seamlessly stylize campaigns in the commercial world for clients such as Vanity Fair, Details, Nordstrom, Liz Claiborne, AT&T and Target.
With a strong desire to expand his craft and return to his childhood love for Hollywood movies, James began to work on-set for television and feature films. James is a proud member of both locals 665 in Hawaii and 706 in Los Angeles. His credits include working for highly acclaimed Film and Television projects such as Pearl Harbor, 50 First Dates, Blue Crush and Lost. His assignments have taken him around the world, where he has enjoyed the incredible opportunity to travel to Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto, Los Angeles, NYC, and back to the Hawaiian Islands.
James immensely enjoys cultivating lasting relationships with inspiring artists. He is often requested to lend his creative talents and uplifting spirit to press and red carpet events. His accolades include working on numerous press junkets, talk shows and award shows – some of which include The Emmy’s, Golden Globes, AFI, Teen Choice Awards, Grammy and Academy Awards.
Along with his studio work experience, James has an “Associates in Science” Degree in Cosmetology, and is a licensed Cosmetologist in the states of Hawaii and California.
James has accrued twenty years of experience working as a make-up artist and hairstylist in the fashion, advertising, theater, opera, music video, commercial, press, red carpet, television and feature film industry. He remains as passionate as ever about his craft and believes that true beauty comes from within one’s soul. He has mastered the ability to construct powerful and charismatic imagery for his eclectic array of clients. James humbly looks to his faith, and thanks God everyday for the opportunity he has been blessed with to create and inspire beauty.
James Sartain currently resides in Los Angeles, California.