Today we’d like to introduce you to Philesha Stern.
Philesha, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in south central Los Angeles in the late 1980’s! As a young girl, I quickly became obsessed with 80’s fashion and hair and got into acting and theater! Bamboo earrings, wind-breaker jackets, finger wave hairstyles and convertible cars! LA in the 80’s was electrifying and I knew this is where I was meant to be.
Growing up, my father and mother were Afro-centric, faith based parents that allowed me to be free and express my creativity through clothes and different hairstyles. This freedom allowed me to find my passion doing hair and makeup.
In 2008, my life changed forever when I decided to make my dreams reality by enrolling in cosmetology school at Toni and Guy Hairdressing Academy in Santa Monica, Ca. After receiving my cosmetology license, I realized there weren’t many professionals, or salons for that matter, that catered to natural Afro-textures and curly hair types. Being that I myself never relaxed my hair growing up, I knew there were many natural, curly haired people with no where to go for cuts + color. Most salons wanted to straighten your hair or relax it in order to service you, which is not ideal for most naturals.
While working at Toni & Guy, I learned of the “curly girl method” from a client at the time, and this led me to learning curly hair methods (like the dry cutting technique) and transitioning into a full-time stylist position at DevaChan Salon in Culver City! While working and training as a curl certified specialist, I was able to build a strong clientele full of clients with curls, waves, kinks and coils! I am so blessed to be able to share my love and passion of all things natural hair with my clients and all of LA! I have learned, studied, obsessed over and focused of naturally curly hair for the last decade of my career and I have no plans of stopping any time soon!!!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
My career as a curl specialist has been incredibly rewarding but has come with many ups and downs, countless joys and some heavy losses. After working for Devacurl for many years, our LA salon closed abruptly, forcing me to spread my wings and open my very first private location! This was the ultimate test of faith and hustle, as I was moving to a new city many miles from the original salon location.
Many late nights and early mornings were required to build my clientele but I knew there was such a need to service the women and men that wanted to be celebrated just as they are. After four years of grinding in my private studio, I was able to open Boujee Curls salon in RPV, a full-service – curl-focused salon!
We’ve been impressed with Boujee Curls, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Boujee Curls salon is a Curl focused, full-service hair salon located in the heart of Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca! Owned by Philesha and Curtis Stern, Philesha is the Master stylist and operator with one stylist in training. At our salon, we only cater to naturally curly, wavy, kinky and Coily textures. This includes all curly types ranging from 1A-4C+. Our services include the infamous “Boujee Cut” which is a dry cut performed on the hair curl by curl. This technique is proven to be the best cut for naturals that wear their hair in a natural curly state majority of the time. We also provide safe, healthy highlighting and full color services for clients to enhance their natural hair and improve overall style!
I am so grateful to wake up every day and work with all types of curly textures and help women feel beautiful just as they are!
What matters most to you? Why?
Representation matters to me because as a girl growing up, I didn’t see many people that looked like me on tv, magazines and in the movies….& I’m not alone! I knew that I wanted to servicewomen and make them feel beautiful with the features they were born with. Society often forces women to change their natural features in the name of beauty, using unnatural products and chemicals that reek havoc on our health and well-being and caused many of us to feel “unpretty” (shout out to TLC)! Having a salon that recognizes the importance of natural beauty was necessary and since there weren’t many around, I decided to start my own! 💪🏽
Pricing:
- The Boujee Cut – $200
- The Boujee Cut + treatment- $250
- The Boujee Cut + Pintura Highlights – $350
- The Boujee Cut + Full color – $300
- The Boujee Cut Express! – $100
Contact Info:
- Email: phileshaalise@boujeecurls.com
- Website: Www.BoujeeCurls.com
- Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/hairby__PhileshaAlise
- Youtube: YouTube.com/PhileshaAlise
Image Credits:
Larry Wright Photography
