When Kadi Lee announced in 2019 that her Highbrow Hippie salon was opening in Venice, there were thoughts.
“The Beverly Hills women were not OK,” says Lee, who convinced them it’d only take an extra 20 minutes to reach the second-floor atelier on Abbott Kinney. “Once they came, they were like, ‘OK, we get it.’ ”
There’s plenty to get: a serene vibe with crystals like pyrite, outdoor stations under a fig tree and an unfussy, private space. But the main draw is Lee: She’s a magician with any hair texture, whether it’s Julia Roberts‘, Meghan Markle’s or Matt Bomer’s. When Brad Pitt needs a color change, he trusts Lee.
“She does the perfect blond,” says Gwyneth Paltrow, a client of four years. “When I came to Kadi, my hair was in bad shape, breaking from bleach, thinning from hormones. I started using her hair serum and heeding her advice about not shampooing too many times a week.”
Highbrow Hippie Instant Silk Vitality Mask
Highbrow Hippie
Lee says she takes a holistic approach: “I’m always talking about inside and out,” like her supplement with fermented GABA and ashwagandha to improve gut, and hair, health. (Her clients are devoted. Before launching, Lee surveyed them to identify gaps in the market. She also asked them to invest. A Searchlight exec, a client of 23 years, poured in $250,000.) In October, a second product duo launched: a hair mask and a tea with many of the same ingredients as the supplements.
“I’m obsessed with her hair mask. I put it in and sit in the sauna for 30 minutes and come out with the silkiest, healthiest-looking hair,” says Paltrow.
Lee says the idea behind the mask-and-tea was to create a ritual one could do regularly: “It’s something we’ve always done, especially as Black women. We do it on a Sunday.”
She plans to continue to grow the brand organically, fulfilling clients’ needs and making her offerings universally usable: “If it can work for me, and Gwyneth and Julia, then I’ve got gold.” highbrowhippie.com
This story appeared in the Nov. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
