Meet Holly Seidel | Craft Hairdresser

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Seidel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The first thought that came to my head when asked this question is Authenticity. When I first decided to jump into the hair world in LA after leaving Seattle to move here for my husband’s career I knew it was going to be a challenge and nothing was just going to fall into my lap. I needed to stand out and to brand myself, so I started an IG account like many other hairdressers. I started looking at all of the established influencers, artists and well known hairdressers who had already been there before me and so many followers and success. This can easily have you comparing yourself, which can quickly lead you to feeling overwhelmed, inadequate or lacking what it takes to “make it” whatever that looks like to you. I Decided quickly that I would not let myself get sucked into that negative mindset. For me being authentic meant to stop comparing myself to other people and to find my own inspiration and passion that spoke to me personally. I had to truly let go of Worrying or even caring about what other people like and focusing on what kind of hair I truly love to create and put out only content that truly inspires me. At first it was a slow burn, but I didn’t quit, stuck to my passion and my brand and after a year it began to catch on. I started attracting the clientele I really wanted. It was less like work after that and more like a labor of love getting to create what I love every single day. After another year, I was busier than I had ever been in my life, opportunities I’d never dreamed of were presenting and people were reaching out from out of state ,and other countries to fly in for one of my cuts or asking me to come to their town and teach classes. It was truly surreal and mind blowing for me. I am beyond grateful for where my love of hair and people has taken me and I I do not take any of it or the people I’ve met for granted. I will always remember that it was following my intuition and my authentic self, letting myself get uncomfortable and vulnerable that not everyone will like what I do ( and that’s okay) that made this little micro dream possible, and it can truly be this simple for anyone.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I grew up without Television and instead my sister and I watched vintage and foreign films with my parents. This had such an influence on me. The clothes hair and makeup were so beautiful and feminine. I used to draw women wearing vintage clothes, and would cut my Barbie dolls hair into styles I saw in these films. for hours. I also loved the 60’s French pop and 70’s rock my mom listened to. All of these images over time melded together over time in my brain and have become a huge inspiration for the kind of hair I do. Vintage with a modern take.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My Post pandemic dream weekend in LA would consist of Brunch at Pollen in Echo Park, then shopping at Sr. Apache vintage and Nico & Bullitt on Sunset. I love the Getty museum to just get lost in and then have a mini bottle of champagne and talk about your favorite discoveries. Later we would eat at Cliffs Edge in Silverlake. It’s like being in a giant Tree house And the food is amazing. We might head to Bar Flores after In Echo park or Good Housekeeping In Highland park. Or Permanent Records Roadhouse for psyche night and dance to my favorite DJ’s. In the morning the best coffee and chillequiles at Civil Coffee in Highland Park .

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I truly believe when you have had success in what you do and have achieved, no matter how big or small, you have am opportunity to take all the glory and credit for yourself, or to share the success and achievements with the people who helped make your dream possible. I feel so much pride and gratitude for my mentors and teachers. The two most impactful people that helped shape me as a hair cutter and artist are Ron Mattarazo who taught me precision Vidal Sassoon scissor cutting, how to build a loyal client base and my work ethic ( work smarter not harder ) and my ultimate razor cutting guru Corinna Hernandez who I met while attending Bumble and Bumble University NYC. She taught me to be a razor cutter and I owe my success with it to her. She now has her own highly successful teaching studio and salon, Pony Salon/Studio In Oakland, CA. She is the most talented and creative razor cutter I’ve ever met and I continue to learn from her to this day and still aspire to one day be as good as she is.

Website: Moonstonestudiola
Instagram: @hollygirldoeshair

Image Credits
Photos taken by me