Explore Identity in Hair

For most of my life, hair has been a way to express myself. Makeup didn’t play a huge role until hair school, where it was compulsory (...which in itself is problematic, but that’s for another time). Further, clothes never fit right from the store, so I just raided my older brother’s closet. He was 11 years older and obviously hated this, but, lucky for me, when he caught me wearing it he’d likely say “Keep it! I don’t want it now!” But my hair, that was always whatever I wanted it to be.

I wore a bob and slicked-back pony for most of my childhood, but by my teens I found myself bubbling over with angst, wanting to break free from a body that didn’t feel my own. I looked to icons like Tegan & Sara and Julian Casablancas whose hair spoke 1000 words to me. They had an edge, a freedom to their style. Their hair wasn’t an accessory but a whole vibe: a representation of choices made and carved out into the precious fabric they wore everyday. Hair, likewise, became freedom to me.

I decided to become a hairstylist. I wanted to set people free in their own bodies and help reveal themselves through hair. Spoiler Alert: the beauty industry isn’t known for body freedom - far from it. It’s more likely to crush the spirits of young people, displaying unattainable beauty standards, monolithic body assimilation, and inaccessibility in many forms. Even stylists with good intentions and wanting to help educate their clients are known for shaming people for cutting their own bangs or scoffing at home remedies for hair and scalp. As stylists, did we set out to police other people’s bodies? Or did we get lost along the way, trying to help people feel good about themselves? In the past few years I've asked myself, how do I get back to helping others embrace themselves and feel free to care for their hair, however it suits them best?

That’s where Unstyling was born. It is an attempt to show others that hair is about more than a trend or standard. It’s about making you feel at home in your own body. It’s about caring for your hair in a way that’s authentic and sustainable for you.

As a hairstylist, I want to be here to support you by creating shapes and releasing textures that reflect you in that time, to encourage your daily rituals that allow you to express yourself through hair, and to guide you in caring for your scalp's and hair’s needs - whatever they may be in the season of your life.

Hair is identity. It has no gender. It is fluid. It is freedom. Hair is your own and you can say anything you want with it.

Next