We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LaTrese Savior a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

LaTrese, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Coming up with a name that I felt fit me and was unique and tailored to a brand I felt worth embodied me as a stylist along with my work ethic, was hard! I started out with a super generic brand/business name “Tresses by Trese,” but it never felt right.
When the pandemic began, right before we all went into lockdown, I’d had a photo shoot planned already.
Due to me being a one woman show, I had to plan and execute the shoot one model at a time and in different locations without being caught as well as anyone getting sick in the process, because this is before we knew how serious it was or could’ve been overall.

The first day of production, I literally only had hairstyles, makeup and attire planned for the ladies. As I was styling the ladies I was trying to figure out where the photography would take place. The window blinds were opened and I seen the backyard. The yard was clean, but it was the debris and branches that were in the neighboring yard that caught my attention. At that moment I realized I wanted to use the appearance of the gritty yard surrounding the ladies while focusing and highlighting their beauty. With that idea in mind as I began photographing the ladies, the one girl asked “do you want me to move over”?
As to not have the trash and debris photographed. And without giving it a second thought I yelled out “You’re my Traphouse Beauties!” And the name was born.

LaTrese, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was growing up I watched my sister do hair. About the age of 12 I began doing basic hairstyles on myself to help sustain my hair throughout the summer from the grueling sun and chlorine that was in the public pools water. I knew how to wash my hair and condition it as well as do a roller set. So I would do so about once a week. When I got to the 9th grade in high school I began doing hairstyles that were more trending amongst my age group. So here and there I would put in a weave ponytail or do a quick weave cap. As I progressed I began doing my cousins hair as well. As the years progressed I continued to be a visual learner and apply the basic knowledge I had of hair along with what I’d read or hear to my skill set and progressed from there.

Fast forward to 2013, I began servicing clients for a fee outside of my 9-5 career. Because even though I’d went to school to work in the medical field I still had a passion for hair that was undeniable. In 2016-2017 began working full time in the salon. That was my first real experience in the industry. I began with washing hair and built up a clientele as well as learned the ins and outs of managing my own schedule and other aspects of the salon and hair industry.

My focus when doing hair was always the clients hair first, and the styling second. No matter what the client came to me for, my first assessment was their hair and the condition it was in. I maintain til this day that natural hair care is my first priority. So I started my career with being great at silk presses and weave extensions followed immediately after. As women in the African American community became more in tune with their hair, many wanted to start getting protective hairstyles, and as I attempted to keep up with the flow of change I learned how to do braid styles. While I’ll admit “I’m not a braider, but I can braid,” I began servicing some women with braid styles. It was not my niche but it did bring in extra funds. If I was asked what my preference of styling is, I’d say; silk presses, Quick-weave styles, sewins, tape-ins, micro links. I love the versatility these styles offer. They can be worn multiple ways and with many different textures of hair.

Having the ability to see/envision styles/looks on people before they have it allows me to offer my clients options before we start. To further elaborate, I understand that getting your hair done is a luxury. No matter how much women may make it seem effortless, the reality is going to a hair stylist can put a pretty dent in your pocket. So with me being realistic about the cost that comes with getting your hair done, I’m able to offer my clients options according to the style they’re interested in, the amount of time they intend on keeping the style in, how/if they’re able to maintain certain styles and what their budget may be. All of these factors help me foresee what’s best for that specific client/customer as well as if their vision of the style on them coincides with what I see on them.

What sets me aside though, is being honest with the clients in which I service. I know I want to turn to a profit but I won’t do it at the expense of others and have them feeling robbed by any means. When my clients come to me they’re coming for an experience. Beginning with their hair wash, to the hair care tips I offer, to the words of encouragement, the discussions we have about what’s going on in the world and just empowering them so that they feel beautiful and strong on the inside and outside upon leaving my chair.

I’m most proud of being exactly who I am. I’m not like the others. I never claimed to be. I want my clients to know that when you come to see me, you’re coming to someone who just wants to see you win. I thrive on my clients trust. Trust that I’m going to be good to them and fair at all cost. It’s important to trust the person that’s in your head. My spiritual energy and care for my clients and their hair never deter no matter how I’m feeling. That’s what I want others to know about me. Regarding my brand, the name, sometimes I wonder if it gets lost in translation, but simply put I work hard…. I work hard to make people beautiful.
And my saying is “I’m just trapping with this beauty stuff”! My house os the salon, I live there, LOL. So my name is fitting; Traphouse Beauties.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

What helped build my reputation has been authenticity and versatility. So many hairstylist today are caught up in servicing only specific type of women. The women who have a certain look or who are of a certain status. I personally like to encourage my clients to be themselves and wear their hair according to what suites them. To further elaborate, I let my clients know you don’t have to wear lace fronts or long hair done your back. I service a lot of women who work 9-5 jobs, and I make sure that the styles they wear can be trendy yet professional for the work environment if need be. Additionally my knowledge of different hair textures allow me to work with many different women, most of whom have had bad experiences with other stylist who may have made them feel ashamed of their hair texture Amongst other issues they’ve faced.

Allowing my clients to be themselves and embracing them as they are has helped sustain my reputation within this market.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think the most important lesson I’ve had to unlearn was to listen to clients issues regarding past bad experiences, but not to elaborate on what I feel/ felt could’ve been done better or differently by another stylist. I think it’s easy to listen to a client tell you a horror story and feel compelled to add your two cents at times, but I had to realize that I could easily be on the other side of that story one day with a dissatisfied customer. I learned to start telling clients, that “while I am sorry to hear what may have happened with the stylist you had before me, because I do not know the circumstances of what transpired between you two. I don’t like to speak on what may have occurred. I just want to focus on the here and now and what I can do to make sure your hair is healthy and that you leave me satisfied.” This may sound generic but I couldn’t/ had to stop speaking on situations I had no knowledge of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/latresesavior
• Instagram: @traphousebeauties

Image Credits
Octavia Linder Breoni Prewitt Capricia Washington Naje Barnhill Dezz Kiara Kahara Smith