Today we’d like to introduce you to Amelia Sukiennik.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started cutting hair with Vidal Sassoon in LA and SF in 2004. I trained in their foundational cutting techniques rooted in geometry, architecture and the Bauhaus movement. I’m also an artist/painter and was very inspired by their distinct aesthetic. I worked in New York for a short time before returning to Los Angeles in 2009. During my own process of growth and personal attunement, the way I was doing hair started to evolve. I became immersed in my art practice, and my love of doing hair became more about the relationships and connections I have with my clients.
Around 2016, I was at a crossroads where I was torn between focusing more on my art, unsure if it was time to move on from the hair industry, or exploring the part of me that’s always been an intuitive empath and fascinated by anything esoteric. I realized I could integrate all of these aspects of who I am into one thing, and created Hair Rituals. Having your hair done can be so healing and transformative, that it made sense to incorporate different healing modalities in with the way I approach hair. I had also taken a couple of feminist business courses with Jenn Armbrust that helped me clarify my own values in business as well as identify the issues I have with beauty industry.
I feel we’ve all heard so many stories about how we need to look a certain way to be attractive or change things about ourselves to be beautiful. I use tools like aromatherapy, scalp massage with energetic balancing, intuitive messages, crystals, flowers, and oracle cards during sessions where you are also receiving a haircut. My intention is to help people tune into their own inner and outer beauty, and hopefully aid in or at least of a moment of shifting the perspectives of these stories about beauty that are simply not true.
Has it been a smooth road?
Yes and no. It’s definitely felt like a natural progression of working for a company, then small businesses, to renting a chair, to having full autonomy. The hard part has been about doing something in an unconventional way. I’ve been in the hair industry for over a decade, and I’ve never not worked in a salon. Now I’m doing housecalls, private events, and pop-ups which has been so much fun, but I’m also doing hair in a totally different way. There’s no rule book to follow, I’m figuring it out as I go, giving myself space to experiment, etc. It’s really exciting but has been scary at times!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Amelia Rebecca Hair story.
I’m a master haircutter. I specialize in precision techniques, creative looks, and textured/wash-and-go hair. The structure of a cut is important to me, whether it’s a classic or dramatic shape and the texture is straight or has texture because I want my clients to get as much wear with as much ease as possible with every cut.
I take into account what their hair does naturally, the desired level of styling maintenance, personality, lifestyle, which facial features to enhance, etc. to create a tailored look for each person that comes to see me. My aesthetic and the way I approach hair is something that sets me apart.
My Hair Ritual sessions are special because you receive a haircut in the way I’ve just discussed and ritualizing the experience is meant to honor the beauty within each of us. I think it’s an important reminder – to recognize the true beauty that already exists within all of us.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’ve noticed that people are embracing their natural textures and colors a lot more. More curls, and less covering up of gray hair. I think it’s awesome!
I’m all for changing up your look, my hope is for the inspiration to come from a more empowered place rather than from “fixing.” Where I see myself shifting, is to making beauty things (services, products, etc.) more about personal adornment.
Pricing:
- Hair Rituals at the pop up events are $120. I offer these twice a month at Golden Folk Wellness in Silverlake during the Full Moon and New Moon cycles, as well as other venues around LA.
- Private Hair Rituals (housecalls) start at $150
- Housecall Haircuts start at $100 for short lengths, $120 for mid to long lengths
Contact Info:
- Website: ameliarebeccahair.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ameliarebeccahair/
- Other: http://goldenfolkla.com/hair-ritual/
Image Credit:
Lorena Dilanian
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