We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Felix Flores (they/them). We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Felix below.
Felix, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
*big exhalation* wow… what a time it has been! i had graduated hair school a month before the first COVID lockdown… perfect timing? maybe. you know, i am really thankful i was even able to finish school before then, i could not imagine learning such a deeply hands-on craft through zoom. plus i really hate zoom- it’s so awkward, how do you know whose turn it is to speak, where are you even supposed to look? and why can’t we control the lineup of peoples faces? anyways, so for that i am *extra* thankful for the timing.
don’t get me wrong though, it was still a pretty interesting time to be a newly hatched hairstylist. i had only worked at the salon i was at for 29 days and didn’t qualify for unemployment *cue the deep depression*. once we returned to work in june i was scared. everything was still so unknown, i mean it still is but at that time it was serious. it was so serious that i was on COVID cleaning duty for a lot of my apprenticeship, there was no time for education when my mentors and senior stylists needed me to be behind them cleaning everything. besides that, no one wanted to come in a small public space and spend more than a couple hours there as a model to help further my education. when i did have classes they were extremely sporadic and my mentors taught very differently from one another. i couldn’t retain anything… i felt stupid. and like i was wasting everyone’s time.
there was a stylist at the salon who wanted to take me under her wing. always going above and beyond she would take the time to show me certain techniques and even let me try them on her client on one or two occasions. i remember a time she had guided me through one half a haircut and then stood by my side as i completed the other half. it might sound like a silly approach but it really worked for me! she gave me what i needed- patience, excitement and understanding. we had a very similar approach to hair so i enthusiastically accepted her help. it seemed ideal at first but unfortunately it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, our differences were personal- a deep lack of healthy boundaries and a misunderstanding of what our friendship meant and looked like. after a year our relationship came to an end and i was okay with that. what i had learned through that relationship was: it’s okay to fling hair everywhere if it means you’re creating art with intention and when someone repeatedly disrespects your boundaries it’s time to cut it off. so thanks!
shortly after i decided to leave that salon and start on my own as a new stylist at another salon in town. this salon had an interesting reputation but hey, it was busy and i knew they would give me whatever walked through those doors and that was exactly what i needed at the time. before starting i took a couple weeks to take my education into my own hands. haircutting was my first love. it came the most naturally. it excited me the most and i was ready to claim it as my specialty. i looked at a head of hair like a sculpture: the shape i wanted was inside i just had to find it. the clippers removed bulk, the razor created texture, the shears made the finishing touches. it all just clicked. but after giving it some thought i asked myself: why am i so quick to rule coloring out of my abilities as a stylist? the answer was obvious: i was scared of it because i had no practice with it and i had no idea where to start. luckily the solution was literally in my hands: free online education through youtube, instagram, tiktok all in the comfort of my own bed and on my own timeline. was it a little rough at first? definitely. was it worth it? every single time. it excited me to be able to apply what techniques i had learned on a video the night before and successfully or not execute it the next day!
some of the people i admire and continue to learn from all share a few things in common: a clear vision for their work, a love for learning and sharing what they’ve learned with anyone who will listen, an understanding that to grow is to push themselves out of their comfort zones, and a deep passion for creating art through the living medium that is hair. i think those things are what is essential in not staying stagnant and to continue to find reasons to fall further in love with the craft. i hope to follow in their footsteps and create a world that is also inspiring to others.
what i love about the beauty industry is that there is no one way to do something. there will always be a new trend, a new technique, a new product or tool that changes the way we approach or even think about hair. it’s so incredible and so exciting to know i will never be bored in my career. i feel so honored to have the ability to make art through hair. i am deeply grateful for the stylists who have shared their knowledge with me and our community. i believe there is no reason to keep information to yourself. we all provide something different and no one can do what you do the way you do it. it’s silly to me when people keep valuable information to themselves for selfish reasons.. reeks of insecurity. share the information that made it click for you because you never know, maybe during that exchange you end up learning something new too. i will always share what has made a difference in my work because i learned it from someone who did the same. they say knowledge is powerful. i say sharing that knowledge makes all the difference.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Felix Alejandre Flores, I am a 26 year old Mexican non-binary artist from North Carolina currently living in Chicago, Illinois. I’ve been practicing hair artistry for 3 years and have worked hard to build the clientele I have through quality service, honesty and detailed work. I found myself in this industry from years of being obsessed with the ability to change your appearance and the power it can hold. I’m also a virgo rising with a libra venus if that tells you anything. (beauty and aesthetics are everything to me)
My current focus is on carefully crafted cuts; whether it be a flirty shag, a punky mullet, a textured short cut, or a classic long layered cut with soft, romantic face-framing pieces. Low-maintenance blonding; typically a combination of foilayage and teasylights for a seamless grow out that can last 3-6 months for blondes, brunettes, and redheads. No judgement color corrections; because let’s be honest, box color is tempting and the most accessible option for a lot of people but if you’re wanting to break free of it I am here for you. Length transformations; empowering those who have envisioned themselves with short hair and are finally taking the time to make it happen really thrills me, I’ll hold their hand (physically or metaphorically) and take it step by step to make the process less nerve wracking. Keratin treatments; for the clients looking to develop a better relationship with their hair through an impactful and effective smoothing treatment meant to strengthen and to make their time with styling an easier one. And gender-affirming hair sessions; what began my passion for haircutting, something I aim to provide for any trans or GNC person who sits in my chair and trusts me to take their vision of their best self and turn it into a reality with total excitement and gratitude.
I also provide classic highlighting services, all over color, grey transformations, hair brushing rituals and scalp care. I would like to expand my skill set with hair extensions, creative color, and more curly cutting techniques! I am always looking for models to continue growing my abilities.
I am dedicated to the health and integrity of the hair, client desires, deeply respect the art of transformation through hair design and the privilege to add my artistic vision with consent during our collaborations. I value thorough consultations through effective communication, take pride in checking in with clients during our sessions, have a keen eye for detail and am forever excited to hear from clients what worked and what didn’t to further develop a trusting and satisfying relationship. I have a thirst for knowledge and am thrilled to continue growing in this ever-evolving profession. I enjoy sharing information with fellow hair artists and salon apprentices embracing that knowledge is power and should be available to anyone open to receiving it. I’m truly delighted when a client in my chair asks me about what hairdressing means to me, what they could be doing to better nurture their hair and scalp, and the different possibilities that exist for their hair and their relationship to it. I am deeply committed to the art of hairdressing and would be honored to have the opportunity to work with anyone who this might sound appealing to.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
oh social media how i both love and really hate you. but i think what has helped grow my social media audience is constantly looking at other people’s pages and seeing what is working for them and take some parts of it and making it work for me and my clientele. since i’m big on the concept of transformation i want to make that clear to people who might run across my page. people like to see before and after posts. there are plenty of pictures of gorgeous, stunning, incredible hair but how is someone to know if that’s possible for their hair? i like to post a side by side before and after photo to not only create an impact or contrast but for potential clients to see themselves in the before and actually go “hey that kind of looks like me, maybe it is possible for me to get that too!”
hashtags related to your city do work. use them. switch it up though or you’ll get flagged.
use your name in your bio to your advantage. make it clear for potential clients to know who you are, what you do, and where you are. mine currently is “Felix Flores Chicago Hairstylist” and there is no mistake as to who i am, what i do, and where i’m located.
i’ll be honest, when i’m looking for a service provider i could care less about if they’re a mom, where they went to college, if they like dogs, and who they’re married to. that comes later. i want to know what their specialties are, who they cater to, and where their business is located. the amount of times i’ve had to do an easter egg hunt to find where their business is located… it’s annoying! if i can’t tell where you work by looking at your page, i’m moving on!
post what you do professionally. yes, personal flairs are nice- i want to know you’re an actual human but i don’t want to see 3 pics of mediocre hair, 5 of your dog, 2 of your nephew’s graduation or whatever, 10 of your kid, and 1 good hair picture at the bottom of your page. audit yourself. look at your page and think “would i excitedly want to book a service with this person?” if you’re not immediately saying yes then it’s not too late to elevate yourself. instagram is a free marketing tool, take advantage of it!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
growing up i wasn’t treated the best by my family or kids at school. teachers didn’t understand my vision or voice, my hard work was never enough. my point of view on life was never appreciated. there was no value to anything i did it seemed (yes, i’m autistic, i know that now thank god). but i still persisted and remained true to myself. it’s all paying off now. it feels incredible to create something and have it actually be worth something. it feels so good to have people request me and bring in pictures of my work and say “give it to me”. to know that my years of being misunderstood and having to retreat to my own little world have finally paid off. i am so thankful for my child self for continuing to push even when things were so so difficult. and at times it seemed like nothing was worth it. but they were so resilient. everything i do is for them. and that is the most rewarding part, to now know i can bring us understanding, praise, comfort, and celebration through the work i am doing now. thank you so much for this opportunity to share my story.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @felixdoesyourhair
- Other: tiktok: @felixdoesyourhair