Denver Salon Owner Luis Gonzalez Is Making ‘Hair History’

In April, Denver-based salon owner Luis Gonzalez made “hair history” by taking home his first North American Hairstyling Award (NAHA) win in the category of “2023 Colorist of the Year.”

Considered the “Academy Awards of Hairdressing,” the NAHA Awards are presented annually in 14 categories across hair and makeup, recognizing both technical excellence and artistic expression. NAHA has been honoring the beauty industry’s top artists and creative talent who push the boundaries of skill and creativity for over 30 years.

The “Colorist of the Year” category received 50 submissions, which were then narrowed down to five finalists and one winner. This is Gonzalez’s first NAHA win, and the first time an Aveda artist has won the honor. Previously, he was a 2018 finalist.

His award-winning collection titled “Tri-Chro-Matic” celebrates color and ethnicity, showcasing vibrant and neon hues of fuchsia, purple, green, and blue. According to the stylist, he was largely inspired by the 2020 musical film and visual album Black Is King, directed, written, and executive produced by Beyoncé.

Globally recognized for his ability, passion, and award-winning images, Gonzalez has been mastering the art of hair color since 2005. He has received numerous accolades and awards throughout his career, such as being recognized as a “Top Colorist” by Colorist Magazine in 2015 and honored at the 2021 Southwest Hairstyling Awards as “Southwest Latino Hairdresser of the Year” and Colorist of the Year,” and in January 2023, Gonzalez joined Aveda’s North American Artistic Team as the brand’s new color director, an education role in which he is committed to inspiring colorists to continually strive to elevate their skills and artistry.

In Denver, Gonzalez is the owner of the award-winning Vida salons, located in both Cherry Creek and the Highlands neighborhood.

OFM had the opportunity to catch up with Gonzalez and talk more about his work, goals, and prestigious honors.

Let me begin by asking, how did it feel to win “Hair Colorist of the Year” at this year’s North American Hairstyling Awards (NAHA)?

It was just so exciting, and I just feel so proud. It’s such a big accomplishment. The NAHA Awards have been around for my entire career, and I’ve been nominated before and have been a part of other collections that have been nominated, but to finally bring this home, it’s a very nice accomplishment.

It was your “Tri-Chro-Matic” collection that earned you victorious. Can you tell us more about this vibrant collection that celebrates color and ethnicity and the inspiration behind it?

When I’m preparing for a collection, I like to do as much research as I can. For “Tri-Chro-Matic,” one of the things that I did was, I watched a lot of different films and documentaries about color, art, and fashion, and how all those things go hand in hand. I watched this film that Beyoncé did called Black Is King, which celebrates diversity and the culture of African people. I watched it, and I kept taking pictures of the images on my TV because the color combinations were just so beautiful. So, that’s how I came up with some of the color combinations that were used for “Tri-Chro-Matic.”

What did you want to focus on the most with the colors?

What I really wanted to do was create a look that encompassed colors that would go well together and make sure that whatever colors I was putting next to each other were going to complement one another. I wanted to create this bold, loud placement, but I kept the haircuts a little bit simpler so that the color could be the main focus of the image.

You have been mastering the art of hair color since 2005. Has this always been your passion?

It has. I started in the industry when I was very young; I was 21 at the time, and I got involved in the editorial side of my industry pretty early on. As soon as I got involved in that, color was always what drew me and kept my attention. The more I elaborated my skill in my industry, I’ve always had a very strong focus on hair color.

How would you say your work has evolved over time?

As an artist, you always have a certain degree of taste, and I think that taste kind of goes on this evolution. It gets better, better, and better, and your attention to detail also gets better and better. I shoot at least once or twice a year, and after every shoot, I sit down and think, OK, what are my learning points to this shoot? What can I learn from this and apply to the next one so the next one can evolve and become even better?

Have you ever styled a celebrity’s hair before?

I have. I’ve done New York Fashion Week quite a bit of times, and one of the shows that comes to mind happened early in my career. We did this show called “Be Eco Chic,” and brands were asked to reuse one of their designs. Each design they created was placed on a celebrity, so I got to do Alek Wek’s hair, she’s a really famous model. I’ve also done hair for a singer/pop star from New York named Emma Kern, as well as, I don’t remember his name, but he was the face of Nautic at one time.

Is there a celebrity whose hair you would love to style for someday?

To be honest with you, I’m like the biggest Beyonce fan, so I think I would go bananas if I ever got to do her hair and hair color (laughs).

You are currently the owner of Denver’s Vida Salon. Besides hair styling and coloring, what other services do you offer?

My business partner and I have two locations for Vida Salon. We have one in the Denver Highland neighborhood off 32nd and Julian, and then we have a location in Cherry Creek right on the corner of 3rd and Clayton. We are a full-service salon, so we do all hair services. Haircuts, hair color, hair straightening services, styling services. We have a great esthetician; she focuses a lot on eyebrows and does microblading. So, we’re a full-rounded salon.

Vida Salon is also an Aveda salon. Why choose Aveda, and has this brand always been your go-to?

It has. When choosing a brand to partner with, I think it’s very important that you and the brand have similar views, and Aveda has always been very near and dear to my heart because they’re so strong in their mission. Aveda’s mission is all about caring for the world we live in; from the products we make to the ways in which we give back to society. That’s kind of how I run my business, so it’s a great partnership because their vision is very similar to mine.

Earlier this year, it was announced that you were joining Aveda’s North American Artistic Team as the brand’s new color director. Can you talk more about that?

Yes! Earlier this year, I became the color director on Aveda’s North America Artistic Team, and what that means, I get to give back the mentorship that I’ve received. Like I said earlier, I got involved in the editorial and education side of my industry very early on, and I credit a lot of my mentors for that. Now that I’m the director, it’s my chance to mentor the next generation of hair colorists and Aveda artists. I get to mentor other artists and I get to be on site for editorial shoots.

Are there any specific goals you have for this role?

I just want to create a really good team. I want to take the team that we have now, and I want us to reach for the stars and do amazing things. I think Aveda artists are like no other in our industry, so I really want to cultivate a team that is super well trained and fantastic at what they do. I think after we do hair shows and the models say, oh my God, I love your team, that’s the biggest goal I have. I want people to be inspired by us and enjoy working with us.

Personally, what are some other future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

That’s a hard question because for the longest time, my goals have been to win a NAHA and be the director of hair color (laughs). I’m getting ready for the next phase, but also, I really love being behind the scenes and on set for photoshoots and shows, and I want to be able to master that part of my industry. I think I’ve done a good job mastering the things that I’ve already done, so right now, I just want to learn and have the experience that it takes to master that part of my industry.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention or plug?

Right now, we are getting ready for Aveda Congress, which is the biggest hair show that Aveda has. It happens once every other year, and it’s happening this fall, September 23-26. I and the rest of the North American artistic team are going to be presenting, led by Allen Ruiz, who won “Master Hairdresser of the Year” at NAHA as well.

Stay up-to-date with Gonzalez and his salons by following him on Instagram @luisgonzalezhaircolor, or visit vidasalon.com.

Photos courtesy of Luis Gonzalez