Olaf Growald
The origin of barber Laleh Rezaie’s two-toned hairdo harkens back to a nickname she garnered during her cosmetology school days.
“They called me Cruella,” Rezaie says with a laugh. “I was one of the oldest girls in the school [she was in her late 20s at the time]. They called me Cruella because I’d always be like, ‘Shut up, I’m trying to learn stuff.’ They’re on their phones — 18-year-old stuff. And I’d always yell at them, and they’re like, ‘Okay, Cruella.’ Then one day, I show up to school with this [hairstyle], like, all right, I’ll lean in.”
Rezaie was never one to be apologetic — that goes for both her style and her work ethic, a trait she gets from her immigrant parents who left Iran just before the revolution in the 1970s. She remembers her dad waking up at 3 a.m., traveling to Dallas to work at Ben E. Keith, coming home around 3 p.m., and never complaining about it.
“I always hear his voice in my head: ‘Don’t be lazy,’” she says. “You get what you earn. Work your butt off for what you want; nobody’s going to hand it to you.”
That mantra would stick with her as she pursued her barber career. After graduating from Paul Mitchell The School (where she earned the “Cruella” moniker), she worked at Floyd’s 99 before setting up a chair inside the most unlikely of places — HopFusion Ale Works, where customers could come in, grab a beer, and get a free haircut while they’re at it.
It was a client, Tucker Henderson, who’d help lead Rezaie to a space of her own. Tucker’s wife, South Main developer Lori Henderson, owns the building at East Daggett Avenue where Rezaie’s South Barbershop currently resides. Today, the single-chair salon is a funky little space, decked out with plants and local artwork. The benefits of being the lone barber — full commission, and “I get to listen to whatever music I want,” Rezaie says.
But she eventually sees her business expanding and is currently working on adding another chair.
“Five-year plan, I would love to open a bigger shop with more people,” she says. “I guess it’s on paper now, so I have to do it.”
Laleh’s Go-Tos for Good Hair
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Olaf Growald
A good brush
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Olaf Growald
Dove Volumeand Fullness Dry Shampoo
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Olaf Growald
Verb Ghost Conditioner
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Olaf Growald
Verb Ghost Shampoo
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Olaf Growald
Water
Laleh’s Hair Tips
1) Treat your hair like silk, especially when wet.
2) Try not to fight your natural texture — unless you love styling your hair.
3) Find your celebrity hair doppelganger. They usually have a ton of different hairstyles, so you can see what your hair is capable of.
FROM THE FEED
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Laleh
