Clutch Bags NY was lucky enough this week to spend some time talking with Maria De Los Angeles, a Clutch NY client who happens to be a very successful and inspirational NYC hairstylist.
Keep reading to find out how Maria went from a conformable Catholic schoolgirl to a strong and resilient businesswoman!
What does your profession mean to you? I’m a hairstylist and I see it as an art form. The hair is a blank canvas and the face is the structure, so I blend them together. But I don’t just do hair, I care about the people I work with. I care about those people out there. They’re my people. How did you know this was the career path  for you? I knew that I loved structure, I loved clothes, art, and I loved nature. What was your first job? My career started in the fashion business. I worked for Norma Kamali for eight years, from 1981 to about 1989-ish. And I started as an intern. I worked for free and then she hired me.
Where did you grow up? I lived in the South Bronx. I was born in 1963, so during that time it was a very working-class-neighborhood, very Catholic school, very uniform. What were you like when you were younger? I grew up in a family of five. And it’s interesting, because I grew up tending to be the peacemaker in the family and a little more submissive. You know, you want to be a good kid. Who was your first mentor? My mother. She was always a worker. What inspires you? New York. I’m so inspired by the museums. I love going to the Natural History Museum and the Met, of course. And I’m very inspired by music: rock and roll, soul, salsa music and salsa dance. The best DJs came from the Bronx. I’m a big promoter of my borough. Where in NYC did you spend most of your time? I could go on and on about New York. Bleecker Street and 8th Street, Trash and Vaudeville, CBGB, Astor Place… those were my homes away from home. What do you love most about NYC? New York is amazing. I love that if you make it here, you can make it anywhere.
Why do you like Clutch NY bags? Because I use them for my work, to carry all of my tools for hair and makeup. The styles of the bags are beautiful. They are durable, they are timeless and I feel like they are totally me. What is your go-to Clutch NY bag? The mail bag. It’s big so I can put a lot of stuff in it. And I love that. But I also love the travel bag…  and the tote bag. And I have the coin bag—I use that when I travel, I put my passport in that one. And sometimes I use it to put my makeup in it.
What’s your favorite quote? “Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.” –Oprah What was the best piece of advice that you’ve received? My father used to tell me, “Remain teachable and shut your pie hole.” What advice would you give to young women today? Change it up, make it your own, and keep it individual. Just go out there and get your feet wet! Don’t be afraid! What’s there to be afraid of? You’re just going to learn something.
- Click here for Maria’s Website
- Follow Maria on  Facebook
- Click here for quick clips of the interview
About:
Nandhi is our Clutch NY blogger at large who spends her days observing and her nights reporting.  Imported to NYC from Mozambique, via McGill University, Nandhi dreams someday of becoming a screenwriter.  For the moment, she is keeping the Clutch NY audience up to date with what’s up today in fashion, trends, news and inspiration.