Brandon Balderrama’s origins stem from the Los Angeles punk scene circa 1983. Born and raised in Los Feliz coming from biracial heritage, there was a strong influence in his character shaped by the east side’s artistic eclecticism and overall acceptance in multiculturalism. Brandon’s passion for a greater knowledge of history, standing against systematic oppression and injustice, alongside his love of music, subculture and art began in adolescence. As a teenager, he became known for creating innovative hair styling techniques in which boundaries and gravity were defied. Helping his friends put up Mohawks that stood over 2 ft. tall and his own 2 1/2 ft. charged liberty spikes, the images could be photographed from Nasa’s space orbit. Through the support of his friends in the underground punk music scene, he made the decision to pursue cosmetology as a career.
After obtaining his cosmetology license in 2005, he move to San Francisco and began working on Haight street at Edo Salon. Through their rigorous assistant program he refined his skills and became an expert in the art of the straight razor haircut. He was also sent to haircutting classes at the Bumble and Bumble academy in New York city to advance his skills as an elite stylist. Edo salon was named Best of San Francisco by SF Weekly and Best of the Bay by the Bay Area Guardian during his time as a stylist and educator at the salon. Returning to Los Angeles in 2010, Brandon sought to further his education and attended the Academy of Barbering Arts, earning his barbering license in 2010. Soon after, he began working on Hollywood Boulevard at Primrose Organics Salon. During his time at Primrose, the salon won the 2014 Best salon LA Weekly. His work with charitable causes, television shows in which the focus was to push furtherance and tolerance, garnered positive press and reputation. They also became one of the highest reviewed salons on yelp, with Brandon’s clients contributing over 100+ positive review.
Brandon lives by the sword in an enriched eco-conscious lifestyle. He values integrity as a lifestyle, practicing acts of kindness and constant devotion to blending good hair with good deeds. This inspired him to open Liberated Salon in 2015. As a stylist, he gives back to the community in form of donations of money, time and direct action. Some examples of the charitable cause-led events Liberated has thrown through the years, involved local animal shelters, discounts for teachers and non-profit employees, and makeover haircuts for women in transitional housing. He has also had the pleasure of assisting a substantial amount of his clients in donating their ponytails to Locks of Love and Pantene Beautiful c. Brandon specializes in straight razor haircutting, intricate detailed haircuts, bobs, pixies, men’s cuts, and transformation haircuts. His attention to detail is one of his greatest attributes along with his ability to identify face shape and select the most appropriate style to accentuate his clients’ best features. His organic approach to haircuts allows him to choose the most effective method when working with various hair textures, curls, hair growth, density, and head shape. He prides himself on thorough consultations when working with clients to develop a style that is uniquely their own. Pop culture and style references of the 1920s to the 1960s remain a constant inspiration for his approach. Some of his work can be seen on HBO productions, Food Network shows, and upcoming Marvel Comic movies.
On his free time he enjoys playing in authentic, hard core, D-beat punk bands, writing music, muay thai kickboxing, and spending time with his beautiful wife Heather, his son Damien and two fluffy cats.