baphomet studio

It’s been just over two years of Baphomet Studio, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we have accomplished in that time. I started out alone in a small, single suite- just me & a very limited stock of color, one pair of shears that cut hair well and three pairs that could barely cut paper, and a packed book full of people I loved and who loved me- people who wanted to see me succeed. I’ll never forget the people who drove over an hour to me, and showed up for me, in those first few months.

Pretty soon, I added an assistant- you might remember them if you’re an OG- their name is also Alex. I loved being able to teach them what I knew. I loved watching the metaphorical lightbulb illuminate over their head when they grasped a concept. It was so special.

Alex ended up moving on after just about six months- they had plans to move to Brooklyn. Actually, recently, a post they’d made online popped up on my feed. It was a post seeking queer housing in Brooklyn. I hope they found somewhere safe.

After they moved on, I planned a whole new Baphomet Studio—a double-chair suite for me and one other goth bitch. I started the paperwork to move suites almost immediately after making the decision. The experience of training Alex had shown me how much I missed the convivial salon environment. The salons I’d worked in previous to owning my own space hadn’t really ever felt like a home, as much as I’d wanted them to feel that way. I’d gotten closer than ever with the one most recent, but it had ended badly. I wanted to become a safe haven for the weirdoes of the world, both clients and staff, so I made a tiktok about wanting to hire another alt stylist. I got a bunch of applications, and interviewed maybe five or six people, but Michelle DeFranco (now Ippolite) really stood out. She had been licensed for a while, but the salon she worked in was seemingly not interested in seeing her career progress- they kept her stuck as an assistant for a long, long while. Michelle was ready to get started behind the chair.

Initially, I’d been looking for a stylist with at least a partial following. Michelle didn’t have that- she had next to none of her own clientele- just some family and friends. I decided to take a chance on her. She was kinda funny, kinda weird, and had a kickass sense of style. I shouldn’t say “was” I guess- all that is still true for her now. Truer still, probably.

Michelle has been working for me for about a year and a half, and she always makes the joke that I’ll have to close the salon to get rid of her permanently. I’d never tell her but I hope that’s true.

After Michelle and I had been working together for a few months, we were getting so busy it was hard to keep up. I decided to look for an assistant. Again, we got a few applications, but the only person I bothered to interview was Emily. She had a quirky nature about her that was charming, and she seemed eager to learn. Plus, she gave an amazing blowout. During her second interview, she had to do a partial highlight and cut with a blowout in 4 hours. I don’t even know how the highlights turned out- she took about 9 hours I think to do it all, and I was so tired after my workday & the time spent waiting afterwards that I didn’t even bother to check- I didn’t care. I was like, “yeah, doesn’t matter.. I’m gonna train you anyway.”

Emily stuck around for a little more than a year. She left the company a few weeks ago and started working elsewhere. At first it was surprising to lose her as an employee, but after the dust settled a little I realized that we just weren’t the salon for her- that’s okay with me. I wished her well upon her departure, and meant it. I hope she can use the things we taught her.

A few months ago, back in July, we welcomed two more team members- Rachael and Teresa. Rachael is definitely a bubbly, enthusiastic person with a can-do kinda attitude- I liked that about her immediately. Teresa is quiet, more on the soft-spoken side, but she always surprises me. She cares a lot about her work, and I could feel the good energy from her the moment I met her. I liked that they both perform makeup services- something clients had always asked about but we’d never been able to offer. I had set out to just hire one, but it was sort of like going to Target for a toothbrush. There’s no way you’re gonna get out of there so easy.

Now, we’re a team of four. We’re about to expand to an even larger space- adding a second suite to our expanded double suite still doesn’t give us enough room to work- and our business has nearly doubled itself every year we’ve been open. I know the sky is the limit, or maybe the depths of Hell. Either way, I don’t care. I’m just happy to be here. I’m even happier that you’re here, right now.