Highbrow Hippie Blog

In growing Highbrow Hippie, we’ve been mindful about the values that we project into the world. Our goal has always been to create a brand and company that embody a more inclusive and welcoming definition of beauty.If you’ve scrolled through our feed, you know we don’t ascribe to any specific ideal of beauty. We’re all about making space for everyone. Recently, someone criticized one our posts and commented that we were featuring and propping up a mainstream ideal of beauty.

This place. The Atelier.It’s a house for us all and that was always our intention from the beginning. We wanted it to be a space that was different, that was absent of all the hustle and noise of everyday life. From the beginning, we made sure the foundation of this house was infused with that intention. From the songs on our playlists to the scents that fill each room, every choice was and is made with the intention to make life a little more beautiful, more nurturing, and more peaceful.

On any given day if you come by the Atelier you’ll find a variety of people - old, young, black, white, brown, American, non- American, Christian, Jewish, Agnostic, Muslim…the list goes on. We’ve long been a place that welcomes everyone regardless of labels and for that we’re proud.You see it’s not that common to see people of different ethnicities all under one roof getting their hair done. There are a myriad of reasons as to why, but one is that across the country hair stylists aren’t required to learn how to style textured, coily or kinky hair. As is typical in America, the focus is on Caucasian hair thus leaving anyone else with curly, textured hair out of the equation. 

In keeping with our January theme of simplifying, Hector and I have been doubling down on this vibe with the clients that we share, who’ve come in requesting a big change.When Joie came back to us after many months of living overseas, she was ready for a fresh start. She also knew that life may take her away again for an extended period, and this time she wanted to be prepared so that her hair could go the distance.

Last night, after 3 long years, we were finally able to again have our annual gathering and in-person patio chat in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.And what a special evening it was. As often stated, we view our atelier not as hair salon, but a space that is a ‘salon’ in the true sense of the word. A gathering place, a safe space to share and talk, openly and honestly, and sometimes that means having hard conversations.