Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevie Hernandez.
Hi Stevie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a small town outside of Dallas Texas in a predominantly black and Hispanic neighborhood. In my neighborhood at that time in the 80s and early 90s, the majority of my neighborhood dropped out of high school, went to prison or became a drug addict. Success coming out of my neighborhood was extremely rare. In high school, I was lucky that my art teacher noticed my love for art and fashion and connected me with a local artist who hired me to work with him. He made Santa Claus sculptures year-round and sold them across the world. He was a positive influence I needed. To work with him, I had to stay in school or he would fire me. It was that little push I needed to eventually graduate. And, he showed me what success could look like as an artist.
My parents each worked two jobs and had limited education, so it was difficult for them to help me with my schoolwork. But, I was able to graduate on my own. After I graduated, I spent a year in college getting up to par to college level education. The frustration of it all led me to dropping out of college. I started drinking and doing drugs regularly for the following year. It was then I realized I had to do something different with my life. I was always cutting my friends’ hair in the neighborhood and was good at it. So, I decided to become a barber. As I look through the Yellow Pages and found schools to tour, the last on my list was a cosmetology school that I instantly fell in love with. I knew from that moment the only thing I wanted to do in my life was hair.
Being a straight male in the industry at that time was not uncommon but from the neighborhood I came from, it held a stigma. I was constantly referred to as gay, weirdo, sell-out and other things that were very hurtful to me. I never let it distract me and I was not ashamed by the stereotypes that came with my industry. I learned a new world and it was the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.
I started as an apprentice in an affluent neighborhood in Dallas and worked under a stylist by the name of Rainer Schneck who was the educational Director for Jose Eber out of Beverly Hills. Working with him allowed me to work with Dallas cowboy cheerleaders, high fashion runway in Dallas Texas, amongst some of the most affluent people in Dallas. I took everything he taught me to Palm Beach, Florida and eventually became the educational director for Edmond James Salon in Palm Beach; I was able to do hair for Catherine Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, and work fashion shows for Tory Burch and Art Basel in Miami.
After eight years in Florida, I moved back to Texas and I’ve been in Austin for the last six years. I’ve been lucky enough to open my own salon with two other partners and enjoy everything this town has to offer. I am now in the process of looking for a bigger space and creating a salon experience where fashion and hair can coincide.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There’s always the struggle of just putting in the work, staying late, coming in early, buying supplies and to while taking care of her and managing the life and work balance. One of the biggest obstacles I had to face was when work was put to a halt when our salon was shut down during COVID-19 pandemic. But here we are today, and our business has been really good!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I specialize in natural looks, adding texture and movement in the hair, adding accents of color, or adding brightness around the face to compliment the beauty we were born with. I believe as a hairdresser, my job is to accentuate the natural beauty one has.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Put in the work! You’ll get back what you put in.
Contact Info:
- Email: Steviehairnandez@gmail.com
- Website: https://salon1601.com/
- Instagram: Steviehairnandez
