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

Hi Ligia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Well, I can start by saying that I was unsure & unprepared out of High school. While most went to college to pursue a career, I worked as a receptionist for a well-known Rheumatologist because I had to make rent for my apartment. Growing up in North Hollywood, I was surrounded by the children of people who worked in the entertainment industry; they didn’t consider college because they had jobs waiting for them, and they could get into unions with the support of their parents. 

Like my peers, I wanted to work in entertainment but in the more creative sectors. Still, I started in Postproduction. I landed a position as an assistant to an Account Manager, and soon before I knew it, I was overseeing all the distribution, vaulting, and fiber feeds for Sony & Weinstein. In 2008 we had a writer and then an actor’s strike, and I was let go from my position because I was the team’s newest member.

It was Christmas, and the week before my daughter turned seven. I immediately made a career change because I had to support my daughter. I liked doing make-up and hair, and people often complimented my style. Friends often asked me to do their make-up for special events, so I decided to do that professionally. I enrolled in Joe Blasco Makeup Academy and graduated with 2 Certifications making me a Master level 1which means I can work with prosthetics. 

I fell more in love with the art of makeup after studying with Rob Burhman. My class was filled with students like Huda Kattan, now well-known for her beauty line. Rob Burhman had a gift for recognizing his student’s strengths and offering direction on what to do with them. In me, he saw the ability to get creative with hair, so he suggested that I specialize in hair appliances such as wigs, eyebrows, facial hair, beards, and mustaches. He was right, I did find love in hair.

I decided to take Burhman’s suggestion further and explore haircutting and coloring too. I had spent a lot on makeup school, so I enrolled in a Community College cosmetology program to learn haircutting, styling, and coloring. I fell in love with hair work. I set make-up aside for a while and concentrated on hair styling, which landed me opportunities to work with talented people in the industry. One of the most influential people I have worked with is Benjamin Mohapi. I learned various hair-cutting techniques from him even though I was on his color team. And today, I am a Colorist, Stylist, and Makeup Artist. 

Reflecting on the source of all this inspiration, I realize it stemmed from childhood experiences; I loved watching and drawing anime characters. My first passion is drawing characters and developing their personas. I also love comics and drawing illustrative works on human anatomy and action. I could never work happily in the corporate world. Whether it’s drawing or hair, I live for color and expanding my imagination. Today I surround myself with other creatives because we feed and inspire each other.

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?

I guess my background is in art. My artistic impulses led me on a journey exploring what I could do off the page and with people as my canvas, and I took the initiative to follow my dream to work as an Artist.

The one thing I knew I did not want after high school was a job, I always knew I was intended for a creative career. I never wanted to grow up and hate my life. I feel that for me to provide any service, I need also to enjoy the services I offer to others. If I didn’t love doing hair, I could not style another person. 

So, I guess my journey can be said to begin at thirteen years of age when I became inspired to draw after discovering comic books at thirteen. I started with Marvel and DC, then moved on to Darkhorse Comics–I like darkness, ha-ha! My stepdad noticed my interest and introduced me to one of his favorite comics, Akira! My eyes were never the same after that.

Since I was a teenager, I have been drawing with a focus on bringing characters to life. I’m very spooky, and I love Halloween and Día de Los Muertos, so I dress up for those holidays. Working with hair and anime inspires me to explore edgy cuts and custom colors. I go for funky, spunky, punky & gender neutral. In Makeup, I like to develop characters and SFX using prosthetics.

Today I work with my great friend Arlen Jeremy at Brindley Hair Studio. We are a private studio in Silver Lake, a neighborhood of Los Angeles. I’m the Colorist, but I still offer Cuts and some Makeup.

Brindley is meant to be a safe space for all walks of life. We do not tolerate racism or prejudice. We do not tolerate hate or violence. We do not judge people on their appearance or weight. EVERYONE IS BEAUTIFUL AT BRINDLEY. You are FREE to be your true self and if our services can help you along the way, know that we are here for you.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

I met Arlen working at a Barbershop in Echo Park. At first, we just observed each other’s work. Once we got more comfortable with one another, we both started complimenting each other’s work. He loved the way I did color, and I loved his haircuts. Like a dynamic duo, we gravitated toward each other and became friends, and now we are studio mates. Arlen is the one who created Brindley Hair Studio, and I am very proud to be the Color to his Cuts. We are a two-person exclusive and private studio. We like providing a fun space for people to visit.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I’ve had several experiences of adversity, but one stands out. I worked at a salon where the main stylist started me as his assistant with the promise of preparing me so I could later have my chair. Everything started well, but with time other stylists began to ask me to serve them as assistants, and I helped because we were friendly toward each other, I did begin to feel used, especially since I had been hired primarily as the lead stylist’s assistant. I had to speak up for myself and stop doing more than what I was hired to do, and this created tensions. Eventually, the stylist gave me a chair, but he held resentment and didn’t book me for clients. I finally took a risk and left. I had to trust that I had learned enough, and I moved on. 

I had other people hold my career back because they did not want to find a new assistant. I also dealt with sexual harassment, discrimination, prejudice, and ageism. I had people tell me I wasn’t READY for my chair even though my peers and clients all thought differently, and more importantly, I knew I was ready.

The bottom line is that no one can tell me who I am. I am the creator of my destiny. We are all the creators of our path; all we must do is decide to take charge of our lives, which means taking risks. Today, I don’t wait for someone to appreciate or acknowledge me. Today I create my name, my path, and my success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @killerbeauty_by_ligia