During Hispanic Heritage Month, observed annually from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, the achievements and contributions of Hispanic Americans are celebrated and commemorated.
The professional hair industry is no exception, and the following six hairstylists and entrepreneurs have left their mark in hair salons, on red carpets and through social media.
1. Oribe Canales
The late celebrity hairdresser worked with iconic supermodels of the 1980s and early 1990s (hi, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell) as well as introduced his eponymous hair care line Oribe Hair Care, which is now owned by Kao USA Inc. Born in Havana, Cuba, Oribe Canales worked his hair magic at Versace runway shows, photoshoots with celebs, including Jennifer Lopez, and at his now-closed salons in NYC and Miami’s South Beach.
Following his death in 2018, his obituary in The New York Times says it was Canales who created the ‘90s blowout trend that has regained popularity once again thanks to TikTok.
2. Orlando Pita
From runways to high-fashion magazines to celebrity appearances on the red carpet, Orlando Pita’s artistry has been lauded for decades. In addition to creating some seriously gorgeous hair, Pita has also created Orlando Pita Play, a hair care line that offers hair care, styling and color products.
3. Ona Diaz-Satin
A champion for Afro-Latina hair, Ona Diaz-Satin is the owner and CEO of 5 Salon & Spa, which caters to the curly hair community. After finding success with her salon, she is now on a mission to educate her curly clients. According to an article from hiplatina.com, Diaz-Satin is “currently working on a curriculum, an academy.”
4. Castillo
Based in Los Angeles, the roster of clients that Castillo has worked with includes Camila Cabello, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas and Meghan Trainor, just to name a few. The hairstylist is always on the cutting edge of hair trends, making him a must-follow on Instagram.
5. Priscilla Valles
Priscilla Valles knows a thing or two about hair extensions. With more than 20 years of industry experience under her belt, she has worked with countless celebrities, including Christina Aguilera and Kylie Jenner. Valles also has a line of keratin extensions and tools with Glam Seamless.
6. Leysa Carillo
Specializing in hair color transformations on textured hair, Leysa Carillo is the founder of Forever Curls education. Her workshops focus on cutting, blonding and styling textured hair. She also educates the industry through her podcast "My American Vida."
