Gorge Hair Co. Makes the Cut
Gorge Hair Co. in The Dalles had their window decorated by Jessenia Callan.
A Barbershop Review By Shavon Highter
“A haircut, for me, has become a restorative experience. At its best, it transforms- mind, body, and soul." - Jason Parham- Fader
Barbershops have always been a staple in Black community.
Where I come from, going to a barbershop was not just a “one-stop chop” kind of experience.
It felt warm, like being with family.
There were laughs, an exchanging of life stories, and you left the shop anew and feeling so fresh and so clean, clean. As a Virginia native, I was familiar with this environment, and I never had to worry about these services being unavailable; there was no hesitation when entering a shop. Barbershops are a part of Black culture, a safe place, and at times they can be the heart of a community. The shops were for the people; they not only provided a service, but they also gave back to the community and embraced the community. And in these times of uncertainty and pandemic, we all deserve a meaningful encounter and a joyful experience, even if it just starts with a simple haircut. After all, a haircut is more than a haircut. It is an experience that can make or break a person’s day.
Shavon Highter.
In 2018 I made my move from Virginia to Oregon and looked forward to the new start.
I had a new home, new surroundings, and I wanted to revamp my style to match my new vibe…starting with a fresh new haircut. I found that it wasn’t as simple as it had been in Virginia. Back home, I was able to walk in a shop and know that they offer services that cater to my hair type. When I moved here I discovered that the barbershops/salons that did welcome my hair type were far and few. After a while, I gave up my search and just continued to take care of my hair myself.
It wasn’t until I made a trip to The Dalles for a visit that I found someone who could provide the services that I was looking for.
A barber by the name of Carlos Perez was recommended to me by several other people of color, so of course I was immediately interested. I was excited to not only meet Carlos and witness his much raved-about skills, I was also excited to show Carlos, a Latinx business owner, that I wanted to support a POC business as we all should.
Carlos is the owner of “The Gorge Hair Co.” He is double licensed as a barber and stylist, and he provides services such as coloring. When first meeting Carlos, I was welcomed by a smiling face, soft-spoken presence that filled the room. Which instantly set me at ease, especially since I was beyond nervous about having my first chop. I gave Carlos a general idea of what I wanted, and he took it from there. Not only did I get exactly what I was looking for, during the visit but I was able to get to know more about Carlos. Upon hearing his story, I immediately wanted to write an article about his vision and his business.
After some time, I was able to sit down with Carlos and learn more about the man that saved my hair. I was able to sit down and speak with Carlos to learn more about his background, his art, and how he wants to make an impact on the community.
Carlos Perez makes the cut.
Carlos has gone from in-home haircuts to opening his very own 5-star shop in The Dalles, The Gorge Hair Company, but his dream did not happen overnight by any means.
Carlos said, “I was born in California, Redondo beach and lived in the L.A. area with my family, and then my father got a job up here, and we ended up buying a house kind of just settling here.”
When asked what pushed him in the direction of becoming a barber, Carlos had one simple response…”a bad haircut”.
Like many of us, Carlos had an experience, an awakening, that “I can learn to do this myself" moment. Carlos spoke about his experiences with the wrong barber and not having the opportunity to visit a shop and ask for a haircut and receive exactly what he wanted.
Carlos said, “In seventh grade. I just made up my mind. I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna start cutting my own hair.”
To contribute to his new found hobby, his father gifted him with his first pair of clippers. Carlos began practicing his craft by giving himself a series of cuts which he referred to as “goofy haircuts”.
“It's a journey every time. I just wanted to do better. It was trial and error. And in high school, I started getting a lot better. Just kind of learning more about myself with every cut,” Carlos explained.
After graduating from The Dalles High School, Carlos went on to earn his Associates's degree from Columbia Gorge Community College while also improving on his barbering techniques by giving haircuts on the side.
Shavon Highter: So where did life take you after school? What experiences in your journey led you to wanting to open your own business?
Carlos Perez: I ended up moving to Tri-Cities, Washington with a few friends. While there I had a friend(Robert) who had this little dope shop of his own. It was called “The Famous Cut”, it had a dope atmosphere and it was also just a chill hangout spot.
SH: So you saw something in that, you wanted a place where you could provide services to the community while also creating a relaxing element.
Carlos: Exactly.
His experience spawned a vision, and Carlos returned to the Gorge and began working as a delivery driver in order to fund his future endeavors. After some time, he was able to save up enough money and went on to attend the “Paul Mitchell School” in Portland, graduating and percurring a barber job at Salon Visio in Hood River.
Like many other businesses, Salon Visio was impacted and eventually succumbed to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SH: Once it hit, it hit hard..right? How quickly were you finally into a chair then forced to move on to something new due to the pandemic?
Carlos Perez: It was rough. We were open then closed. Always trying to hire new workers, but in this industry, it can be hard to keep people. People started dwindling, and it was hard to keep the building up and running…And then my girlfriend(Jenica) and I were expecting our first child.
SH: Everything just hit at once and you had a baby on the way so you had to start planning on your family’s future.
Carlos: Right, right. The closure was kind of a blessing because it gave us time off to figure out what we wanted to do next.
Carlos, Jenica and baby.
Eventually, Carlos and his girlfriend/partner, Jenica, wanted to put their savings and experience into a project of their own and open a local barbershop.
Carlos: We started looking for spots and came upon one, went in and signed a lease. It was a space where we could have barber chairs and have a space where, Jenica could eventually provide shampoos and coloring.
Thus, the “Gorge Hair Co.” was born, and not only can Carlos share his dream and one day expand, it allows him to provide a much-needed service to the community.
Carlos does his job for the love of it but also for the community and for the culture.
SH: How important is it for you to represent your culture in what you do?
Carlos: I think it's very important, I grew up hanging around Latinx shops, and they always included art, a chill vibe, and a family atmosphere. And that’s what I want to bring to this community.
Carlos Perez performing a beard trim for Xavier Orion-Olaez.
And The Gorge Hair Co. definitely provides all of these elements and more.
I was lucky enough to find this hidden gem and meet someone who genuinely cares about people and the services that he provides. Carlos and the Gorge Hair Co. brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to The Dalles and only hopes to expand from here. As a community member who found it difficult to find a service as simple as a haircut for my hair type, I thank Carlos Perez, and I look forward to supporting and seeing his vision continue to reach more of those who have felt like me at one point in their lives.
The Gorge Hair Co. provides haircuts for short and long hair, hair designs, beard trims, and more. A menu of their services can be found on the company’s website: www.thegorgehairco.com.
The Gorge Hair Co. is located at 802 W 6th St #300, and you can also find them on Instagram @thegorgehairco. Let’s continue to support Carlos and his vision and support those who aim to add more inclusion to the community.
