A Blast From The Past
“My mom modeled, but she didn’t know how to do hair. I had one hairstyle until I started teaching myself, and then I started doing my friends’ hair.”
That early curiosity became a calling. What started as experimenting on her own hair quickly grew into styling her friends’. Soon, Suzette Boozer was bringing her curling iron to school and doing everyone’s hair– students, teachers, and even the security guards. Her confidence and growing skill got noticed fast. One night at a nightclub, a celebrity artist saw the hairstyles she had done for her friends; they exchanged numbers, and her path toward professional hairstyling began.
Working in the salon taught her the fundamentals. “In Brooklyn, you have ten salons on one block. It’s competition central. You always have to give it,” she says. “The salon made me.” There, she learned to work with every hair type, color, and style. Better yet, she learned how to listen. “Behind the chair, you become a psychologist. Active listening is key to a long career.”
Her creativity extends beyond styling. A natural teacher, she loves doing demos for clients to show them how her ideas come to life. She hopes to open a beauty school in the future to inspire the next generation of cosmetologists. That passion for education eventually led to a full-circle partnership with Dippity-Do, a nostalgic favorite from her childhood known for its shiny gel and bold results.
The Runway Approach
As her career expanded from salon floors to celebrity sets, her approach stayed the same: start by understanding what the client loves most, build trust, and then introduce new ideas. One standout example is the two-knot, tinsel-filled look she created for Gwen Stefani at Coachella, a style Gwen embraced after Suzette used a show-don’t-tell approach to pitch the idea.
Every look she creates is tailored to the moment: editorial styles belong on runways and red carpets, while everyday looks stay clean and effortless. Collaboration is essential when it comes to completing a look. Working closely with makeup artists and stylists ensures that every detail aligns for that cohesive, standout finish.
From Brooklyn’s competitive salon scene to Coachella stages and red carpets, Suzette has built a career rooted in curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. The lessons she learned behind the chair still guide her today, shaping every style she creates.
