An Interview with Alicia Chowen, Founder of The Texture Workshops
Meet Alicia Chowen, a hairstylist working in the film industry and the Founder/Creative Director of The Texture Workshops.
Alicia has dedicated her career to teaching fellow hairstylists about the unique challenges of working with curly and coily hair textures. We caught up with Alicia to learn more about her background, the Texture Hair Workshop, and her advice for stylists looking to expand their skills.
At a young age, Alicia was inspired to pursue a career in hair styling by her Jamaican grandmother, who owned a hair salon. Spending a lot of time at her grandmother’s shop, she developed a passion for hair that eventually led her to work in the film industry. After witnessing a lack of knowledge about textured hair among her fellow hairstylists, Alicia created The Texture Workshops to help educate and empower others.
“Initially, it was workshops for film hairstylists but as we grew we started to also do workshops at hair salons all over the lower mainland.”
The Texture Workshops cover a range of topics, including Intro to Textured Hair, Braiding, Men’s Barbering, and Men’s Facial Grooming. Alicia emphasizes that one of the most common mistakes stylists make when working with curly and coily hair is treating it the same way they would straight hair. By attending the Texture Hair Workshop, stylists can learn the proper techniques for working with different hair textures and gain confidence in their abilities.
When it comes to hair care products, Alicia doesn’t have a go-to brand but instead relies on an assortment of favorite products from different brands. She also recognizes the importance of using a good hair mask, regardless of your hair texture.
“I’d say everyone definitely needs a good hair mask!”
While Alicia doesn’t have a dream celebrity client, she would love to work alongside other celebrity hairstylists such as Felicia Leatherwood, Vernon Francois, Chris Appleton, and Pablo Kuemin, the wiz of wigs.
Alicia working on set.
When asked for a basic hair care tip everyone should know, Alicia stresses the importance of taking care of your scalp. A healthy scalp is essential for healthy hair growth and can be achieved by maintaining a well-balanced diet, not overwashing your hair, protecting your scalp from UV Rays, investing in a good scalp scrub, and massaging your scalp, which helps to provide a gentle exfoliation, increasing cell renewal and removing excess dead skin cells.
Alicia Chowen is a talented hairstylist who has dedicated her career to educating and empowering others. If you’re a stylist looking to expand your skills or a consumer looking for hair care advice, be sure to check out The Texture Workshops.
JCI Institute is proud to have The Texture Workshop a part of the Hair Art Design Program.
