We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kristin Dutcher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kristin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
I am a very colorful queer artist who was born into a very conservative family structure. The men were uncomfortably stoic. humorless, emotionless brutes that, to this day, I have never seen smile. The women were stepford wives if the trope included being vocally miserable about the whole deal. They would complain about their weight they would gripe about having to clean this or that, and when given the opportunity, they would lash out.
Once my room was thrashed because I didn’t “clean it good enough.” they would compensate for the lack of control in their life by exerting control on mine. the first time I dyed my hair, I went full rainbow. Later that day I was taken to the salon to have my hair color restored to its natural, acceptable color. Accessories were limited to one necklace at a time. heavy handed punishments abounded. Even the smallest infractions would result in consequences ranging from being grounded for months at a time, to being thrown in actual jail. My childhood began as a red headed step child forced into a strict catholic step-family. My penance for being born was to wear a white robe and walk in procession down the aisle carrying a large cross bigger than my body and sit on the altar with the creepy priest while he lied about caring for community. Inside the church was a performance of kindness and once we left the large, crucifix embossed doors, it was all hate and abuse. This family treated me like a sin. Once my mother divorced this family, I was then married into a family full of New York State police. At 15, I had enough. I got a job and saved every penny I made, bought a car at 16 and just shy of my 17th birthday got an apartment with a friend.
I learned that the church, the government and the systems that oppress us are built on lies, hate, racism and sexism. I learned that if you are a colorful little freak like me, you will be punished and treated as a criminal and a sin by those that are told they protect us.
What I also learned is that I am not alone. I went out into the world searching for community and I found other beautiful, colorful misfits and found love and community. I learned that there is value in being honorable and standing up for human rights and treating people with actual kindness. I learned that being human and being born is enough and we all deserve love, and space to show up in this world as we are. I learned that I am, in fact, easy to love and I took the word freak, and I transformed it into art, performance and not only decided to show up in the world looking the way I wanted to, I would do everything I was told I wouldn’t be able to do, looking the way I do. I am here to show the world “fuck you, I can and will” and I will help others have the confidence to do the same. I have spent 43 years doing what I want. I battled with addiction, sexual abuse and lost a lot of friends to overdose and accidents along the way. Yet, against all odds, I am alive and thriving, and now fighting the system with my business platform, community building and mutual aid.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am currently living in Ithaca, NY and opened Hair Color Art, a hair salon, art gallery and community event space, in 2019.
The first time I colored my hair was probably when I was 14 years old and I remember my mother flipping and taking me to a salon to have it colored back. I threw a fit and my mother tried to compromise with me. I wanted fire engine red hair and she said I could get a natural red. This infuriated me because, come on, no 14 y.o. punk, who wants bright red hair will accept being a ginger. That poor stylist had to deal with a very upset teenager and the next week in school my friend brought clippers to school and we buzzed all my hair off in the boys locker room. I also remember wanting a “boy’s” hair style as a tween and no stylist would give it to me, and there was no way society would accept a girl to look like a boy. I struggled with identity all through my youth, denying my femininity and feeling very masculine as I liked to play rough, skateboard, listen to punk and get in the mosh pit. Around this time, I also started my drug use which would carry on through the next 15 years.
After barely managing to graduate high school, I decided to go to cosmetology school. I always enjoyed doing my own hair and also messing around painting designs on friend’s heads. I knew I needed to be creative and supporting my own identity and others, seemed to be my calling. There was no way I could not express myself, I had to be myself or I could not live, and I fought for this my whole young life.
After beauty school and a few years of professional work experience, I moved to NYC where I began working at Dramatics NYC. I received an amazing social and professional education there as well as I joined a performance troupe called DisgraceLand Family Freakshow. I met amazing freaks and learned to breath fire, became a human dartboard and started MCing shows. I had the pleasure of working alongside super talented sword swallowers, contortionists and on big stages like the Trocadero and the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention. Eccentric people doing eccentric things. I found my people. I managed my career, performing and my addiction until I became pregnant and moved to San Diego, Ca. In San Diego, I started at The Electric Chair Salon!! This salon was an art gallery and event space. The owner had art everywhere, music lessons and a stage in the back. He was also a huge inspiration and support for me and still is! I was surrounded by colorful stylists and had an opportunity to create art on heads in a way I never had an opportunity to do professionally. This salon allowed me to be the artist I was, be in a creative community and supported me endlessly. While living in SD, I joined Stay Classy Suspensions and we had the opportunity to be on Discovery Channel’s show “Taboo”.
After working in big cities, I moved back to upstate NY and reflected on all the experiences I have had and all the struggles I have overcome and decided I needed to give back. I opened up Hair Color Art because there was no salon where I felt welcome and where I belonged. I refused to dull myself down. I am a rainbow haired, tattooed, sideshow misfit artist who does not belong in the regular mainstream world. A big lesson I learned is that society will lead us to believe that we are outcasts and we should be erased and it leads to depression and drug use and often times death. I decided to open my salon and use this space to empower people. I felt it was necessary to create an inclusive environment where individuals feel empowered to explore their identities. Embracing a philosophy of community over competition, I prioritize people’s well-being over financial gain. I like to call myself a misfit collector and I am very proud to hold space for all the weirdos and use our skills to support their identities. When you look good, you feel good and you do good things for the world.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
My salon is the manifestation of the most honest parts of myself. I have spent so much of my life hiding parts of myself to fit into the societal boxes that I just didn’t fit into. I learned at an early age how to be a people pleaser and get the love I need rather than what I want. I joke about the reason I opened up my own business is because I just wanted to listen to punk while painting rainbow mohawks. I say it as a joke but the reality is there is a lot of truth there.
I think my reputation in my market is that I am finally able to be authentic and I cannot be any other way at this moment. I like having a space and an environment where people can come and also be authentic and feel safe doing so. I am not the only person that has existed who has pushed boundaries and been ostracized because of it but the difference is, I can provide a safe space and a community of supportive people who can hold space for people. I like having a space where I can say yes!
I also take my work and what I do seriously. I use good products and I try to keep educating myself within my career and outside. In the last 7 years, I have taken business classes, volunteered at the shelter, I show up for other local businesses and their events, I have taken workshops on how to support our unhoused community and I just joined our local mutual aid organization. I plan to start working with Food not Bombs in the next couple of months. I put my money where my mouth is and I believe more than anything that we must walk the walk. my integrity and honor mean more to me that any other parts.
About 2 years ago I was frustrated with trying to host events and having people show up inconsistently, and I hear this from other businesses and organizations that have a difficult time with follow through. I decided that I was going to choose one local “fun” event and one local political or community event a month. It felt very manageable and what I found is that it has been so amazing building community and it has continued to support the culture and my own reputation in Ithaca and the best part in that it is authentic and genuinely just who I am.
My best advice to anyone in business or even just being a human, is just be real. Don’t do things for money or fame or power… Just be your true self and all the other things will follow. Make a plan and SHOW UP!!
Any advice for managing a team?
My advice in this area is tough to genuinely say because I have such a difficult time admitting that I might be good at something.
I am working through this in therapy and my friends do remind me often to be a bit more confident. lol
But the first thing that comes to mind is to not forget what it was like to be an employee. It’s like that age old saying “never forget where you came from”. It’s true!! Don’t you dare forget!
I have been in this industry for 25 years, I have been an assistant, employee, booth renter and now owner. I have had great mentors and horrible bosses. Worked for good companies and bad. I am really just a 43 year old teenage anarchist and I sort of run my business like a pirate ship, it is sorta anarchy over here. And what I mean by this is that my business is built on respect and integrity. I do not like being told what to do and I have a life outside my business and all the other beautiful freaks that I work with are the same. We come from different lives and we have different things going on outside. We have different traumas and different family lives. Some of us have kids and some don’t. One of the things that I remember throughout my career are the people that did not give up on me. The ones that held me and saw the potential and continued to give me space to grow into who I am now. The ones who cared and supported and mentored and asked me how I was doing.
When I moved to San Diego, I was 5 months pregnant and I had 6 interviews at different salons and no one would take me. They didn’t want to have me in and them have me leave until I went to the electric chair. He took me in and gave me immediate work as a receptionist so I could make money while I was building a clientele. He knew I was pregnant and struggling and he took me in. I am forever grateful for him.
This is who I strive to be and how I run my ship. I have open and direct communication even when it is difficult. I have regular salon meetings and always consider everyone’s lives.
I have a kids’ room in the salon for working moms who have to bring their kids to work sometimes. I have brought my own children with me to work and it was the only way I could survive.
I offer any rent payment options and I try to work with my team and make the salon sustainable. I put people first. I am not in it to get rich, I am here to be a support and I am always working towards economic and environmental sustainability and I am always ready to pivot, listen and support my team.
I am also very thoughtful about who I add to the ship. I make sure our team members are thoughtful, respectful, trans friendly and are ready to give back to make the journey long term.
I have been extremely lucky to acquire a very solid crew and I understand that this business is not mine anymore. It is run more like a co-op than a traditional capitalist business system.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.haircolorart.com
- Instagram: @hair.color.art ; @kristinleigh099
- Facebook: Hair Color Art
- Yelp: Hair Color Art
Image Credits
Fausel Imagery
John Reis Photography
86ers (band)
Vacant (mural artist)