Finding the right barber can be a tough process, especially for black men, which is why you often hear of celebrities flying out their “day one” barber. So naturally, I was suspicious when my editor told me I was doing a makeover piece and I was to get my hair cut by a man I had never even met. It was terrifying and honestly, I had no intentions of showing up, but when I did I was more than grateful.
The Unfadeable Khalil took all my worries away the moment I saw him working. He a part of the new breed of DTLA entrepreneurs and a damn good barber. He represents downtown LA to the fullest extent despite only being in town for about three years. He bikes to work owns Taste of Universal across the street and is a key aspect in the rebuilding that is taking place in downtown LA. He is the epitome of what living downtown means and on top of that, he can cut the hell out of some hair.
Khalil began as a barber twelve years ago, learning his technique from his older brother before going to barber school where he flew by without a problem. With the help of former running back Ricky Williams, Khalil opened his first shop in Dallas, Texas. Khalil did not believe Williams was actually in the NFL until he saw him in action on television one day due to William’s lack of height. The shop they created was more than just a place to get a haircut, it was a curated experience that kept people coming back and feeling damn good about themselves, a similar process Khalil has brought with him to Salon 6 in the Historic Core, where Khalil works now.
When I sat down in his chair at Salon 6, I had no idea what to expect. I’m a basic guy and I always get a basic cut, but he went to work on my head like a director with a vision. Cutting and working smoothly while listening to the banging beats of Drake’s classics. I have never been so comfortable as I was with him behind the clippers, despite knowing him for a shorter amount of time than my current barber.
This guy could work. As I got to know him better he got to know my head better, cutting it precisely to make me look like one of his well-known clients. I was comfortable and at that moment I realized what he meant when he told me he enjoyed the feeling he gave his clients.
Khalil is looking to do more than just cut hair. He is trying to create. not just a look, but a feeling. The feeling he gives his clients and the feeling he gets after looking at his client’s faces of approval after a fresh cut. Twenty years of getting my haircut and I never felt that good when the barber handed me the mirror and told me to check out my cut. I looked at myself and was in shock, I could barely recognize the man in the mirror. I looked damn good.
He is one of those trusted barbers celebrities fly out, from Tyga to TI.
Please name celebrity clients….
I was dying?
Khalil asked me if I wanted dye and initially, but I had hesitated an answered no. I did not want to look like one of those fools with a painted on beard. When he asked again, I looked back in the mirror after what he had just done, I trusted him and told him yes. But then as he mixed a dark brown dye together and started applying it, I started to regret it.
That’s when my editor walked in and asked: “Where’s our guy” as I sat right in front of her, I was nervous. I was thinking the dye was definitely throwing her off. When she finally realized it was me, the look on her face could only mean one thing. So, I got more nervous at my style as the dye was wet on my hair, obviously darker than normal and I was scared shitless because I thought she could tell that it looked like paint.
She asked if I liked it, but before I could answer Khalil stepped in. “Ah, I’m not done yet” Whew the weight was lifted. Why did I not trust this magician with clippers at this point? I have no idea. I sat there letting the dye set in for a minute more or so and then he took me to the back to wash it out. The warm rinse felt fantastic. After he washed the dye out and brought me back out front I looked at myself in the mirror and I was even better looking than before which I did not think was possible at this point.
Never in my life had I received this kind of treatment at the barbershop and I loved it. Hell, at my current barbershop I am not even sure if they have any hair washing stations. If they do I surely had not been introduced to them. But Khalil is a different type of barber, and I got the full Unfadeable Khalil experience.
This man worked wonders and I could do nothing but thank him. Every moment I spent in his chair was relaxing and when I walked out of the shop I felt like a changed man. I got the Unfadeable Effect and I now see why he was frequently flown out to private islands to cut hair.
DTLA is shaping him into a force to be reckoned with.
The Unfadeable Khalil is the GOAT in this city.
Check him out for yourself on Instagramam: theunfadeablekhalil
