Meet Mateo Garcia | Master Stylist

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

Hi Mateo, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
After years of freelancing with celebrity clients, working in magazines, and teaching at institutions like Vidal Sassoon, the dream to establish my own salon became a reality. My passion lies in working with diverse hair textures, from textured and curly to kinky and wavy, and I’m committed to using sustainable, organic, and plant-based products. Surveying the beauty landscape in Los Angeles, my co-founder Blair Golden and I identified a gap for a salon that caters individually to these elements and combines them, particularly focusing on textured hair while embracing holistic alternatives to conventional salon products.

Creating Virgo in 2018, we recognized a growing trend of people embracing their natural hair. However, options for Nature girls were limited, often resorting to questionable routines and philosophies like “The Curly Girl Method,” which restricted any deep scalp clarifying. Existing curly-specific salons had lengthy, expensive styling routines and excessive product usage, making it challenging for busy women to maintain daily.

Our approach revolves around accommodating clients’ lifestyles and styling abilities, ensuring they can easily maintain their style daily. Education is a core part of our services, working closely with clients to establish sustainable and effective routines. Many clients appreciate our effective dry cuts, which make it so that, often time getting washes during their appointments allowing them to avoid unnecessary costs during their appointments.

Considering our dry Mediterranean climate and harsh water, we address unique challenges beyond hair textures. Recommending products with organic ingredients and green chemistry, we aim for deep nourishment rather than transient cosmetic effects. Our curated menu caters to those transitioning from heat damage, offering customizable wash-and-go styles and frizz-free options through natural, non-toxic treatments.

For those seeking color, we provide organic, plant-based options. Additionally, we offer in-person and phone consultations for clients exploring their hair goals, ensuring a personalized and enriching experience at

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
As previously mentioned, what distinguishes us is the fusion of organic, plant-based products and alternative approaches to traditional salon services such as perms, keratins, curl reformation, and color. We take pride in being a sanctuary where our clients can embrace their diverse textures while gaining valuable insights into their hair. Each time someone arrives, perhaps feeling a bit unsure or overwhelmed by their hair, and leaves radiating confidence and joy, we are affirmed in our decision to create Virgo. This success fuels our determination to continue our journey.

Our current standing has been achieved by prioritizing our clients and delivering outstanding customer service and value. In the early days, operating from a tiny one-chair space with little recognition, we invested significant effort in exceeding expectations. Our goal was for clients to not only enjoy their services but also eagerly anticipate returning. Fortunately, this became a reality. Clients generously shared their positive experiences through reviews and word of mouth, enabling us to grow organically. This growth was achieved by taking the time to understand each client’s needs and offering practical, holistic, and stylistic solutions to address various hair-related challenges.

The journey has been a learning experience, from structuring our business to navigating complex customer service issues and fostering a healthy company culture. Despite facing growing pains, we’ve utilized each challenge as a tool for growth. Growing a business inevitably involves overcoming obstacles, but it’s crucial to stay focused on the original goals and use them as motivation to progress in a more efficient and thoughtful manner.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The arts district surrounding the salon offers a plethora of fantastic choices! Spending a considerable amount of time here is a tempting idea. When it comes to dining, Zinc Cafe stands out as an excellent vegetarian option, especially for breakfast and brunch. Manuela, with its lovely atmosphere and a garden just across from the restaurant where they grow many of their vegetables, adds an extra layer to their exceptional farm-to-table cuisine. For a quick and delightful bite, Guerrilla Tacos is a preferred choice for chef-inspired variations of the beloved street taco. Given our shared passion for food exploration, Girl and the Goat is a must-visit, offering both inspired brunch and an innovative dinner menu.

Turning our attention to activities, we’ll immerse ourselves in the vibrant art scene of the district. Art Share LA is a cornerstone with its ever-changing themes, diverse artistic mediums, and a strong commitment to inclusivity and showcasing local artists. Hauser and Wirth, a remarkable gallery that also houses Manuela, boasts an extensive art book store, contributing an intellectual dimension to the art experience. The Row DTLA provides a fantastic opportunity for shopping and exploration. With establishments like the Scent Bar, the exquisite Jean Pascal florist, and Kinto’s offering of tableware and lifestyle goods, there’s something appealing for everyone.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Stylist Deirdra Vierra was very helpful in helping us establish a working knowledge of some of the products and services we use at the salon. She had worked for Simply Organic, who distributes Oway, one of the organic, plant-based product lines that we used in the salon so she was an expert when it came to that label. She was kind enough to give our staff a few lessons and was always available for us if we had any questions. Her Knowledge, care, and commitment to holistic haircare has been invaluable and we truly are appreciative of her contributions to the growth and development of our staff and business.

Website: www.ilovevirgo.com

Instagram: @ilovevirgola

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilovevirgola/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/virgo-los-angeles-4

Image Credits
Breana Otey