From coast to coast and corner to corner, we love discovering the best in the beauty business across the U.S. Los Angeles and New York might be famed for their talent pool when it comes to stylists and creators, but this month we’re shining a spotlight on the Midwest to showcase some of our favorite artists from the city of Chicago. Between quirky cuts and unbelievable blonding, these are the stylists in charge of cranking out incredible hair in the Windy City.

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1. Anthony Cristiano

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A skilled and accomplished hair artist with over 30 years of experience in the beauty world, Anthony Cristiano has worked behind the scenes of numerous fashion editorial and advertising campaigns for a long list of leading brands. The only thing that may rival his lengthy list of international gigs is his celebrity clientele – he’s been the hands behind styles for the likes of household names from Adriana Lima and Ashton Kutcher to Sienna Miller and Sophia Bush. His approach to styling is based on the individual and a bit of spontaneous creativity. He says, “I may develop the look and shape of the hair as we go along... the creative direction can surface when I pick up on something the individual says or does during our conversation.”

2. Andre Walker

We would be remiss to list top Chicago hairstylists and not mention Andre Walker, the artist who gave Oprah Winfrey her beautiful, bouncy styles for over 20 years. He’s also the creative behind Halle Berry’s iconic pixie cut. Though Andre is no longer styling on a day-to-day basis, he has become a trailblazer and globally recognized authority in the textured hair space, having developed the hair typing system universally adopted by naturalists across the world. Now, he is focused on his line The Gold System that he founded specifically for curly, kinky, and coily hair.

3. Taylor Leven

Taylor Leven is a force to be reckoned with who, after only five years in the industry, has started making a serious name for herself in the world of barbering. At only 25 years old, she has forged a wildly successful path in this mostly male-dominated space and opened her own salon during the pandemic. She launched Headspace in Downers Grove, Illinois – the suburb of Chicago where she was born and raised – with the goal of creating a modern hair studio committed to merging the worlds of barbering and hairdressing and breaking stereotypes. From flawless fades to quirky cut-and-color combos, Taylor has built a barbering business that beautifully masters the art of gender-neutrality and inclusive creativity.

4. Aymen Eldabli

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This Chicago-based colorist has become so celebrated for his prowess in platinum transformations that he launched a product line with his brother (@hairlikeaboss) to bring their patented pigment technology to the masses. This family business isn’t the first for the Eldabli family. Aymen was inspired by his father, an immigrant from Egypt, who came to the U.S. to pursue his dreams with his brother. Together they opened more than seven hair salons across the Chicago area named Yehia & Co. Hair Design. Today, their salons are a staple in the Chicago community and Aymen still works his magic alongside his family.

5. Jack Marin

Jack Marin enjoys the precision and craftsmanship behind his work as a hair artist, and it’s evident with one look at his portfolio that his passion is matched by his talent. Jack’s varied career includes styling New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, designing multiple collections, and training countless young stylists to become successful hair professionals. As the founder of Marin Hair Co. he has built a talented team of stylists in Logan Square committed to cultivating inclusivity, sustainability, and ridiculously chic cuts for Chicago’s cool kids.

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