Kate Eylar
After attending Eastern Washington University for Art, Kate knew she wanted more and would find that in the beauty industry. At 28, she attended Glen Dow Academy in Spokane, WA and found where she could take her passion for graffiti and painting and apply it to hair. Recently taking home the award for Newcomer of the Year at the Northwest Hairstyling Awards in Seattle as well as being named Bangstyle Supreme in December 2017, Kate is pushing forward to her goal of receiving a NAHA nomination in the near future. Keep your eye out for this one and if you find yourself in the Winthrop, WA area, make sure to stop in and say hello!
Do you remember your first day of beauty school? What was going through your head?
I do! I was 28 years old and so excited haha I initially went to beauty school to be a makeup artist but was talked into hair and ended up falling in love the first day I was nervous and hella shy but it only took me a week and half till I let someone chop my hair off and became more of the class clown…you make friends faster that way
A product you would pay (gasp) retail for…
R+Co and Oribe that shit is magic! I can never go without my Badlands dry shampoo paste!!! LBP products are just so true to there word.
You create a lot of content beyond what you do behind the chair, why is that important to do?
I try to always have a project going while doing behind the chair work because it keeps my creative mind at peace. I originally went to college for art so I feel like I always have to have a outlet and hair has opened a whole new world of possibilities. I have learned I love styling and setting a while scene from the hair right down to the photography (I can thank House of POp and Douglas McCoy for that Wether that be editorial work or catching a great haircutting class, stuff like that is always so inspiring! But I am new to the game so just about everything is inspiring!
What do you think the biggest struggle stylists are experiencing in the industry today?
Pricing. I see so many amazingly talented people low balling themselves because they are afraid of losing their clients.
Who is your Hair-Hero?
I have so many! Douglas McCoy. He was my very first mentor and has taught me so much forever thankful. Matty Conrad, I got the chance to meet him at the HVA5 and he is so nice and a beast at men’s cuts… I’m always in awe of his mad clipper skills. Julie Souza of Gary Patrick Salon is amazballs and I always can count on her in a color crisis and my beauty school roommate Haylee Espinoza who is pretty much my favorite person.
When we’re scrolling the feed, we can always pick your work out of the crowd by your style. How would you describe your work/style?
Whaaaat!! Gawd, that’s awesome to hear! I would have to say my style has changed so much even in such a small amount of time I have been a hairdresser but I always try to focus in on each and every client and bring out their natural beauty. We live in a digital world these days I want to bring excitement back to embracing your true, natural self. I try to do little editing and make everything look fresh. Self love is the ultimate attention getter and should be celebrated!
Something most people don’t know about you.
I am a small town hillbilly. freelance artist, zine maker, VHS collector and a die hard metal head.
What traumatic hairstyle have you been guilty of rocking?
The god damned Skirllex side shave, uh micro bangs where I literally cut off all my bangs till just a tuff, or um the mullet I’ve had a time or two and even got featured on Mullets of Instagram. Some may say the afro…but I LOVED it!
3 shows or education events you won’t be missing this next year?
NAHA… I am excited to see one of my mentors Thom Costello on stage! I would die if I could make a ZGAT cutting class in Sacramento, I’ve looked up to Mario since day one in beauty school when I stumbled across ZGAT Academy by Federico advanced video. And there’s no way in hell I’m missing next year’s Hairbrained Video Awards in NYC that shit was too much fun!!
Best advice you’ve ever been given.
Be afraid and do it anyways.
I knew I was a Hair Nerd when…
I couldn’t stop stalking hairdressers and their work online. I get excited about deep conditioning a dry head of hair, lol.
Where can people stalk you?
You can stalk me online on Instagram @kateeylarhair and Facebook and if your ever in Methow Valley, Washington you can find me in the woods.