Conversations with Vlada Dmitrieva

Today we’d like to introduce you to Vlada Dmitrieva.

Hi Vlada, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It all started in the bathroom of our apartment when I was 12 years old and I decided to shave my sides with a women’s razor dye it blue and glue extension tracks into my hair from a hair glue I found at Sally’s. Do not recommend! Now I just do a version of that on other people but with a license. I guess I got to where I am today by messing up A LOT on myself over a decade .

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not . I’m sure anyone who is of a trade will say the same. I think most of us have imposter syndrome , like most people I struggle with that and I’m also just not very good at social media or have the desire to be and that’s something that you can’t avoid in my industry unfortunately. I’m not where I want to be because I spent a decade coming in n out of the industry because of insecurity and some weird misplaced resentment towards an industry I actually do really love . It wasn’t till I left to go do other things that I realized what I actually wanted to do.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a hairstylist and an artist on the side i oil paint and sculpt but mostly I specialize in what I like to call princess hair. I do k tips extensions , I’m known for short to long hair transformations . What I’m most proud of is being a single mom and being able to show my daughter you can do something you love for a living and it doesn’t have to be boring. I’m not sure if it sets me apart honestly , a lot of us have pasts that make us great listeners so like a lot of others , I’m a survivor of domestic abuse , I’m a mother and I think those two things make me a safe space for a lot of women and people . I genuinely care about my clients I believe in community so if you’re on a budget I will try to meet you where you’re at. This city is hard to live in , we live in a world that praises individualism and numbs us to really caring about other people’s struggles because we’re blinded by our own. I try to keep my prices accessible to regular people with average incomes. Extensions is and always will be a luxury service , hair is expensive , time is expensive but I try to work with people when they need and my prices are definitely competitive in comparison to what’s out there.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’m not sure if this only pertains to hair but I’ve definitely taken risks in my life some were impulsive and some would say not the smartest life decision haha. But I regret very little in my life. I think if your risk doesn’t directly affect your well being or someone else’s the point of life is just taking risks. Life itself is just a timeline of random fuck ups and victory’s.

Pricing:

• 14” – $125 (per bundle)
• 18”- $150 (per bundle)
• 22” $175 (per bundle)
• 24”-30” – $190 (per bundle)
• Haircuts – $100

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/vladaxhair

Image Credits
The headshot of myself : Amy Morgan grace