Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Picha.
Alex, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve wanted to do hair since before I can remember. As a child, I was obsessed with color – my room was painted rainbow and in my eyes, so long as it was bright, none of it had to match. In my small Bay Area hometown, I would go to the hair salon with my mom every six weeks and fantasize about the day I could do hair. My parents always supported my visions and allowed me to carve out my own path rather than one set for me. Later, I left my high school and enrolled in a homeschool program where I only was required to go to school for 30 minutes a week. During my free time, I wound up falling in love with photography and portraiture. I was constantly styling and photographing my friends in our family home’s garage before I decided I needed to buckle down and do what I felt my calling was. That, of course, was to get my cosmetology license.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with many things, there’s a lot of training and “interning” that goes into it after you go through school. I won’t say it was easy, it was definitely difficult and I can think of so many days I went home exhausted just to sleep for a few hours and jump back into it the next day. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of my industry. I love it too much.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about HAIR Los Angeles – what should we know?
As a colorist, I specialize in blondes, vivids and color correction. The majority of my clientele leaves with some bright color in their hair. Creative color is my niche, but I love doing natural color as well! I cut hair and do extensions too. It’s run by colorist Daniel Moon, someone in the industry who I’ve admired for a long time. The thing I love about my salon, HAIR Los Angeles, is that most anything you can dream of – we can make it happen. We’re known for being unique.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I’m a total people person, so I love the social aspect of my job. I get to know my clients personally. They tell me about their lives and I get updates as time goes on. I take a snapshot of them every time they come in. The people I’ve seen for a long time I have portraits spanning back a few years. I’ve seen my clients through good times and bad. I’ve watched some go through breakups, divorces, get laid off, meet someone new, get married, have babies, start businesses. Love, loss – really anything you can think of! It’s interesting to watch people’s lives progress every time they come in. Hair is a really personal thing. When you gain a client’s trust, they open their hearts to you: so you get to watch their story unfold. It’s truly a treat.
Pricing:
- Haircut $110
- Full balayage $300
- Bleach and tone (roots) $250
- Color correction $125/ hour
Contact Info:
- Address: 1427 East 4th street, unit 3, Los Angeles CA
- Website: Hairlosangeles.com
- Phone: 7075404242
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Aleckzpicha
Image Credit:
Alex Picha
Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
