As the Gossip Girl reboot air date nears, Instagram is abuzz with news about its cast, especially Evan Mock. The skater boy who stars in the show visits Jackson Heller of Suite Caroline in SoHo for the punk-ish color.
Heller is the exclusive painter of Mock’s hair, which the surfer and photographer first dyed pink years back as part of a bet between friends in Hawaii. About two years ago, Heller added his touch when he colored Mock’s hair a bright highlighter green on set for Office Magazine. After the shoot, Heller immediately had to remove the green and return Mock to pink. Heller’s nuanced technique undeniably brought Evan’s iconic pink buzz to the next level and since then Heller has been mixing up potions for Mock’s hair.
Keeping that pop of pink does require weekly touchups, but the color is hardworking and the effects are powerful. This isn’t the average colored buzz with a tube of dye thrown on. Heller knew this shade needed to be special and came up with a shade that’s actually blonde with pink reflection—but he keeps the signature formula top-secret. It’s a custom color, mixed to stand out.
"Evan has had pink hair for years, so the first time I colored it I didn't actually come up with the idea to make it pink but rather I wanted to bring the color to the next level," Heller says. "Each time, I aim to paint a soft and unique hue that you could find in nature, like a pink pearl. This custom color typically requires a weekly touch up, so I usually buzz, bleach, and then tone Evan's hair straight from his apartment."