Photography by Marion Aguas

Words by Attia Taylor

Shequilla Brooks is a 27 year old hairstylist from Richmond, Virginia. Her hair journey started at 8 years old and has brought her through cosmetology school, one of NYC’s best hair salons, and working as a celebrity assistant alongside top celebrity stylists. Our editor-in-chief spoke to Shequilla about her passion as a hairstylist and the work it took to bring her this far. 

Tell me about your journey to New York and becoming a hairstylist.

I'm a big believer in manifesting - what you say is bound to happen, whether it's positive or negative. When I moved to New York I was 22. I always knew I had wanted to move to New York, I just didn't know if it was feasible. Then one day I searched for the top ten hair salons in Brooklyn and Salon Bohemia came up on that list. I sent an email saying that I was going to be in town (which I was not) and asked to do a walkthrough, maybe talk to some of the stylists. I was just looking for some insight on what I would have to do in order to be a stylist in New York. I couldn't believe it when Wendy, the now owner, emailed me back with an invitation to visit the salon that weekend. It was only a bus ride away, so I went. She called me back and asked if I would come assist the next weekend, and then hired me on the spot. 

What does doing hair mean to you? 

I've always been really into art. I feel like hair is a kind of forgotten art form. No one really looks at it as art anymore and takes it for granted. But when you do hair you tend to see it as art. I’m really particular over my work - I need every single strand to be in place. It’s my baby, it’s my art and I'm really protective over it. I also get an opportunity to have relationships and meet people that I would have never met and learn things that you probably otherwise would never know. I've had people tell me things they've never told anyone else. People trust their hairstylist more than they trust a lot of other people - we kind of double as a therapist. It’s very intimate to have your hands in someone's hair and I appreciate that.

How does being that person for someone else affect your life? How is doing hair impacting your own health?

I don't have any family here [in New York]. So my clients and my co-workers have become my family. I’m so thankful for my clients because they transitioned with me from being an assistant to being a fulltime stylist. I’m a very empathetic and sympathetic person. So, if you have a problem, I want to fix it - right then and there - even though it's not my problem to fix. However, everyone's not telling you something so you can fix it. Sometimes they're just telling you something because they need someone to tell something to. So, it’s made me a better listener in my personal life because sometimes you just have to let people talk. 

You’ve talked about wanting to inspire other people through your work by reaching back to your community in Virginia. What are your dreams in terms of helping other hairstylists or young people reach their goals and what are some of the things folks back home are up against?

I want to inspire other hairstylists - especially women of color because so many who grew up doing hair only think of it being in a mom-and-pop shop or working from their kitchen. There's nothing wrong with that, but I want them to know that that’s not the end all be all; that there's so many other places to go with it. You can be a platform artist, celebrity hairstylist - somebody's doing their hair, why can’t it be you? Who you know definitely helps, but it’s also about being determined and having goals. You don't always need to know how to get there, you just need to know where it is that you want to go. My dream has been to open a nonprofit hair school and give people the opportunity to become a licensed cosmetologist. This affords you a lot more opportunities in the business world.

Tell more about the scope of what you do now.

Right now I work at a hair salon in Brooklyn called Salon Bohemia, which is my home and my family - I love them. During the week, I work as a celebrity hair assistant full time and it's an amazing job. It's a lot of hard work and is a lot less glamorous than everyone thinks. I feel I was destined to have some form of this job because it happened so organically. It was my first weekend in New York, and my friend Karen actually got me my first job on set. She was a style assistant and went up to the hairstylist who was on set and asked for advice on my behalf. The assistant (Sirsa) was trying to build up her portfolio and needed someone to assist them the following weekend. It was a struggle: 5AM call time, pro bono, and I was paying for my own lunch. Later, the makeup artist, Grace Ahn, and I were having a conversation and she turned to me and said, “You know, there's something really special about you. I feel you're going to do something great, and I want to be a part of that. I want to offer you an opportunity if you’ll take it.” I'm emotional and crying - why me? She goes on to say that she has a really good friend who does this full time and wanted to introduce me. Her friend just so happened to be Lacy Redway. I gave her one of my business cards and she called me the next weekend in need of an assistant. I went and did the shoot, which happened to be for Teen Vogue. It went so well she kept calling me back, and I’ve been working with her ever since. We've probably done every magazine I can think of: Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Essence; every major event from the Oscars to the Met Gala and movie screenings. One of the most valuable things that I've learned while working with Lacy is to “stay ready so you don’t have to get ready” she taught me to always be prepared for anything and I mean literally anything. And to always imagine that your client is going to be on a 360 camera. I took that with me to the salon and my clients started to see that. My styling ability was getting better because I was learning that hair is an art and you gotta take every last strand.

That’s incredible. I’m sure your story will inspire so many of our readers looking to do something big with their art. Ok, last question, it’s the weekend and you pull a double at Salon Bohemia before you finally get a day off. What are you eating? What's your get-off-work-big meal?

Honestly, whenever I make a good check or I make a good amount of tips, I always order UberEats from bed-stuy fish fry in Brooklyn. I get the Rasta pasta with grilled garlic shrimp because it's $27 with delivery and ain't nobody got time for that on a regular day.