Kaye Flewellen isn’t just a hairstylist; she’s a movement. As a second-generation salon owner and entrepreneur, she’s carrying on a legacy of empowerment, education, and entrepreneurship. Inspired by her late mother, Mary Flewellen—a sharecropper’s daughter-turned-salon pioneer—Kaye has redefined what it means to succeed in the beauty industry.
The Dallas-based beauty boss has also dedicated herself to provide hairstylists with tools for empowerment, education, and entrepreneurship.
It all started with Mary, who opened Flewellen’s Salon in 1970.
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“My mother picked cotton. Her father was a sharecropper,” Flewellen told Sadiaa Black Beauty Guide. “She met a lady in her hometown who worked for Madam C.J. Walker. That woman became her mentor, and hairstyling rescued her from the cotton field.”
For Mary—and now Kaye—the beauty industry was more than a career; it was a lifeline—a pathway to economic independence and dignity.
“My mom was the absolute most passionate person about the beauty industry that I’ve met in my life,” said Flewellen. “She saw it as her savior. The economics of the beauty industry saved her.”
At first, Flewellen tried to step away from the chair. One month into college, she started her own hairstyling business. After graduating, she used her skills to help other hairstylists thrive in their careers and uplift the broader community. Later, she purchased her mother’s salon, making it the longest continuously operating Black-owned salon in Dallas.
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The Mary Flewellen Foundation: Banking on Beauty
When the pandemic disrupted the world in 2020, she noticed that hairstylists were hit especially hard. Declared non-essential, they couldn’t work.
“I heard so many hairstylists express disappointment during the pandemic because we were not considered essential,” she said. “That’s when I decided to start a foundation in my mom’s name.”
The Mary Flewellen Foundation now stands as a resource to “help hairstylists start, stay, and scale in the beauty industry,” said Kaye. One initiative, “Banking on Beauty,” partners with Vista Bank to guide hairstylists through business incubators focused on financial management and entrepreneurship.
Flewellen has also partnered with UT Southwestern, using salons to address health issues in the Black community. “We’re starting initiatives to help with dementia and Alzheimer’s,” she revealed, noting her mother’s experience with Alzheimer’s. Recognizing that many hairstylists lack healthcare, she advocates for health fairs to support the beauty community. “This partnership is about making a positive impact and providing tangible resources,” she said.
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Empowering Through Exposure
Her marquee event, the Beauty Gala Awards, creates opportunities for hairstylists to learn, network, and see the possibilities of greatness beyond just making it. Too often, their contributions are overlooked, even as they prepare clients for milestone moments like weddings, award shows, and galas.
“I want hairstylists to feel celebrated,” she added. “Often, we’re the ones behind the scenes making people look and feel their best, but tonight, it’s about them. I want them to feel like they matter too.”
This past November, she honored 15 hairstylists from across the country for their achievements in elevating the hairstyling space.
Her events are designed not only to educate but to inspire. “When you’re exposed to something better, you start to desire more,” she explained. “If you see someone on stage being awarded ‘Stylist of the Year,’ you start aiming for ‘Stylist of the Year.’ If you see someone hosting an event like this, you want an event like this.”
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She also wants hairstylists to see that success is not just about making six figures, but about creating a lasting impact in their communities and beyond. “The goal is to expose people to more so they can start achieving and desiring more,” she added.
A Transformative Legacy
Flewellen’s work is a reminder of the transformative potential of the beauty industry. Through her foundation, partnerships, and commitment to celebrating and uplifting hairstylists, she is carving out a legacy that transcends hair.
In a world that often overlooks the hands that craft beauty, she stands as a beacon of what’s possible when passion meets purpose. Her mother’s legacy lives on through her work, inspiring the next generation of hairstylists to dream bigger, aim higher, and transform their businesses and communities.
For Kaye Flewellen, beauty is not just skin deep—it’s a gateway to limitless opportunity.
