August 1, 2014
Lorraine Massey is the founder and co-owner of hair salons based in SoHo and Los Angeles. She has also developed a variety of hair products. She is the author of “Curly Girl” and “Curly Girl – The Handbook.” She has lived in Leonia with her three children, Kaih, Shey and Dylan, for 17 years, and has one granddaughter Venaih. Her latest passion is with the philanthropic organization founded by Alicia Keys, Keep A Child Alive, a fundraiser dedicated to fighting AIDS and HIV.
Q: Where are you from?
A: I was born in Leichester, England, north of London. My mom was a single mom, and being the sixth of seven children I was pretty much left to fend for myself. I attribute that to my being fearlessly independent. I’m the only one in the family who left England. I just returned from our first family reunion in Ibiza, Spain. It was a lovely time.
Q: Do you get back to England often?
A: Over the years, I’ve tried to go as often as possible. One recent trip that stands out in my mind was when I finally tracked down my estranged 92-year-old father, who I hadn’t seen since I was 2. On a whim, I convinced one of my sisters to take me to his house and visit him unannounced. Much to my surprise, he immediately recognized us. We formed an instant connection, and many unanswered questions were clarified. I realized we were very much alike. He was health conscious, which showed since he was 92 and still kicking, and he loved art. I’m so grateful I reconnected with him. Most of the time random chances have paid off in my life. I usually say to myself, “What if you don’t do it and what if it does go right?”
Q: What was your first job working with hair?
A: When I was 13, I got a job as a shampoo girl in the local salon. When I first started at the salon, it was the tail end of the tease style which was scaffolded by mounds of hairspray, which I had to wash out. I took on an apprenticeship in the next few years and I learned everything I could about hairdressing. Since I had such a big family to practice on, the experience made me more confident.
Q: What other interests did you have as a teen?
A: Besides hair, I loved contemporary dance, belonged to a dance company and even considered dance as a career. I realized that the life of a dancer had a short life span and that I probably couldn’t support myself dancing either. I laugh when I think about one of my last dance gigs to raise money to travel. It was performing the can-can at Market Bosworth Hall, the ancestral home of Sir Wolsten and Lady Dixie. They had become land poor and opened their home up as a restaurant featuring a show. Although I look back with embarrassment, the show was quite successful and we were asked to perform at other venues.
Q: Why did you leave England?
A: Working at the hair salon made me dream about traveling the world with nothing except my scissors. At the time it seemed really far-fetched as I’d never even been abroad! But, I was determined to make it happen. I was 17 when I saved enough money via hairdressing and the can-can for airfare. I told my mom I was taking a trip and would be back in a few weeks. Little did anyone, including myself, know I would wind up living in Hong Kong for five years on and off supporting myself by cutting hair in a well known salon. From there I cut hair at a salon in Japan, then set up shop on a beach in Boracay Island in the Philippines, and then finally Hawaii, where I cut hair on the university campus. I was a free spirit and loved the spontaneity of it all. The one sure thing was that there were always people who needed a haircut.
Q: How did you end up in New York City?
A: My then boyfriend (a curly-haired Chinese hairdresser) and I were passing through NYC when I was just 23. I fell in love with SoHo, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to set up shop, and I did just that…in the kitchen of our five-story walk-up apartment on Sullivan Street. It was bare-bones and had no air-conditioning. But my first customers, whom I called my “kitchen girls and boys” climbed up those five flights of stairs. It was a happy time. Many of my clients had curly hair, and from there I adapted my limited kitchen work environment to my method of cutting hair dry and working with what the hair is rather than what it’s not. This is where my curly girl philosophy evolved.
Q: And that philosophy is?
A: After years of hating my own curly hair and then learning to love it, I’ve come to understand that it’s a freedom to love who you are and what you have. Curly hair is your heritage. It’s your DNA and it will be with you for life. You have to be fearless to be a curly girl. Relaxing and “blowfrying” out curls is a repeat of the bouffant era. I’m teaching girls from 2 to 80 to love their hair. It’s never too late to love your curls. I always say if you’re still above ground, anything is possible.
Q: How do you reach curly girls that don’t live in NYC?
A: My two books have been extremely well received, making it possible to educate women all over the world on how to embrace and care for their curls. Even though I’ve been writing down all my ideas since I was 12, it’s ironic that I’m a published author because I’m severely dyslexic. I do love words and word play based on not really knowing how to spell properly. For example, I always thought the word “curl” was in psy-curl-ogical.
Q: Why did you move to Leonia?
A: I was in a sad, transitional period of my life and living illegally with my 7-year old son and infant daughter in the back room of my loft salon on Broadway because I could not afford both an apartment and a salon at the time. Kaih, my son was craving real grass as opposed to Astroturf and traveling to school on his own rather than being chaperoned everywhere. Then, one of my clients from Teaneck recommended Leonia. We visited on weekends and checked out everything from Wood Park to the schools. I committed to buying my first house, a huge step for me and my family.
Q: What do you do when you’re not working?
A: I’m often invited by my clients to various cultural events in New York. One invite was to see the British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, whom I’ve had a longtime brain crush on. I got to meet him backstage and cut his hair when he came to NYC. My children and I are big fans of Eddie. I also recently discovered yoga and can’t get enough of it. More than anything, my family is the best thing about my life. I love hosting weekly family dinners and summer barbecues. We never miss a family birthday and go all out, celebrating in style.
Q: Future plans?
A: I am donating 100 percent of the profit from every haircut I do for the next two years to Keep a Child Alive, and plan to visit the countries most impacted by the AIDS epidemic, including Uganda, South Africa, India and Rwanda. I will also be traveling throughout the US and Europe, cutting and teaching curlies to embrace their natural hair. I’m particularly excited to visit the Dominican Republic in August, where I will be working with local women along with blogger Carolina Contreras.
Q: What do you most enjoy about Leonia?
A: Where to start? Dante’s is right down the block from my house. My family loves his vodka sauce pasta, a far cry from the cuisine I was raised on. I like that the police officers in Leonia know every kids name, and that its a convenient commute to NYC. As my children are getting older, I recently reassessed where it is I would like to live and it remains Leonia.
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