Images | Will Yan
Copywrite | Isidro Perez

Pursing a career as a hair stylist was one that I never imagined. If you knew me in my formative years, I would have told you I’d become a pro-basketball player or pro-wrestler. Ha!

When I first found myself behind the chair at my local barbershop, I remember mostly feelings of doubt.

“Am I cut out for this? Is this where I belonged?”

One cause of relief came in my ability to pick up the craft quickly. That alone was further motivation to hone in on my technique.

Eventually, the feelings of triumph dissipated and I was left feeling out of place. I longed for affirmation. My love for the craft endured, but I couldn’t help feel like a misfit. Eventually, I decided to take a break from full-time barbering to reassess my career path.

I, however, don’t regret that season. It resulted in me coming back onto the hair scene a year later, but not without amplified doubts.

Because I had lost a lot of my clientele, the voids in my schedule left plenty of time to wonder and question whether I had made the right choice to return. Ultimately, my decision that led me back to the industry had more to do with my heart rather than my head. Looking back, I now see my hiatus as a period of personal growth.

Cutting hair has always been a conduit of so many joys for me. It provided an avenue to build authentic relationships with clients while helping them see their confident and alluring—TRUE selves.

It is my ultimate creative outlet.

A few years and three barbershops later, I came to another crucible moment in my styling career. It was 2017, and I was at capacity. It was the busiest I had ever been. However…

…there was something deep inside me that was still seeking more.

Like an answered prayer, I was introduced to THE KIN ROOM. The timing could not have been better. Making the leap from my very comfortable setup at a barbershop into the unknown salon-world was a huge risk. Albeit, I felt immense peace in knowing that, at the very least, I was moving forward into what I was meant to do.

In 2020, the world changed forever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, there was a lot of uncertainty. The city quickly became a wasteland. Like many others, the hair industry took a huge hit. The pandemic brought all businesses to its knees, and our studio was no different. For obvious reasons, the months-long lock-down was a dark time and for more than lost wages. For me…

I had been robbed of my calling

—at least temporarily.

The city took a coercive hiatus. The odds are now against it. It had completely emptied—total desolation with nothing but boarded-up store fronts and abandoned streets.

While it’s reasonable to only notice the disarray, I eventually noticed my city being reborn—slowly adorning with people. And with these people, come hopes and dreams that ultimately fueled mine.

Time went on, and though worrisome headlines perpetuated…

…a new beginning was on the horizon.

In the end, our team reunited in a new studio—a new home we called KINHOUSE.

My journey can be characterized by hilltops and valleys. I’ve come to realize that it’s not so much about seeking the peaks, but instead—

surrendering to the journey itself.

I can hardly believe that I’ve been living out my dream for nearly over a decade. It has been, by far, one of the most fruitful decisions and most rewarding experiences I could’ve hope for. I am incredibly blessed in that whether I have several clients in a day, or just one, my work day is undeniably rich and fulfilling.

I started cutting the men in these photos in my 5x5 Queens, New York bathroom at the very onset of my journey. For me, it’s so much more than just hair—

…it’s relationships; it’s choosing to move forward despite what the forecast may look like; its perseverance in knowing that you’ll see the hilltops again.

Hair by Isidro Perez