Today we’d like to introduce you to Pony Lee.
Pony, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m born and raised in East LA to a single parent and immigrant family. I started cutting my own hair in High School. Back then, I really wanted to be a visual artist but at that time graphic design was starting to pick up momentum, and I had little interest in that medium. It was too sterile and disconnected for me.
Working with my hands was crucial to me. I wanted something I could touch. In my early 20’s, I went to beauty school, then barber school, then more advanced classes. Worked in several different shops in East LA, Silver Lake, West Hollywood, even Orange County. All of them had their pros and cons. I definitely learned the most working for Lela Aguirre and Beth Yarnal. They raised the bar on what professionalism and craft should be. Working with and for these women really made an impression on me.
I felt that if I was going to continue in this industry, I had to carve out a space for someone like me. In 2011, I was going through my own gender transition, I couldn’t find a place that I felt comfortable to work, and my guests be welcomed. I gave it my all and opened up Folklore Salon in 2012. The first openly Queer owned and operated shop to service the LGBTQ Community, and it’s badass Allies.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ooof course NOT! It’s all been a learning curve. As a business owner, there are always struggles, and we do our best to minimize and manage them. Wearing many hats can get exhausting and sometimes dizzying. At the end of the day, it’s all worth it. Finding a good balance has been part of the journey.
Please tell us about Folklore Salon.
As hair industry professionals, we understand the technical side of hair, and as queer folks, we understand how important identity is. Living within the endless variations of gender expression allows us to think outside the box, and foster an environment where guests feel safe exploring their expression.
Barbering isn’t just for the boys and hairstyling isn’t just for their girls. In the end, its all hair and we have to able to deliver extremes as well as blur the lines. Ours is a space where all folks are welcome and celebrated through hair. All of our technicians are talentedly well versed and offer a thorough consultation to assure excellent results.
Within our community visibility is very important, and Folklore provides one component of this. Anybody can walk in and get the haircut that they’ve always wanted, without stylist bias being imposed on the guest’s presentation. As being seen and heard starts within our own community, all of our guests are addressed by the name and pronoun that they identify with. Our pricing is based on length and complexity of the haircut desired not gender or ethnicity.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t change anything or wish I did it differently. I very much like the person I have become through all of it. I’ve learned a lot about myself and continue to have a student role in life. Folklore has meant so much more to people than just a place to get their haircut…
Contact Info:
- Address: 1102 Mohawk St Los Angeles, Ca 90026
- Website: www.salonfolklore.com
- Phone: 2134838435
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram/salonfolklore
- Facebook: FB @salonfolklore
Image Credit:
Vanessa Craig, Dylan Berkey, Julliet Jones
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