Yolanda Trejo
owner : hairDRESSER : BARBER
Graduating from the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, MN in 2006, Yolanda moved to Chicago. She spent most of her 20’s at Salon Blue. Where she honed her eye for the craft and excelled her knowledge through continuing education and a growing clientele. In 2014 Yo went back to school for 1000 hours to get licensed in barbering. Her passion for beauty and community is the underlying reason for YO:U. La Jefa LLC was inspired by Yolanda’s Mexican heritage in her father’s side mixed with her female boss upbringing, largely due to her strong mother and sisters.
Her accomplishments included New York Fashion Week with Bumble and Bumble, many photoshoots with local photographers and models, work with Ford Model Agency, the cover of Off-Kilter magazine, and press in People, Voyager Chicago, and Tres Awesome.
From cuts to color—all genders— the service will be customized for each individual. YO:U is Yolanda’s second home, and she welcomes you to come take a seat and enjoy. Her most treasured accomplishment are her clients — the U in YO:U!
Follow her work @HAIRBEINGART
Just like the Japanese word yoyuu, YO:U carries many meanings —
YO IS YOLANDA’S NICKNAME, THE SPANISH WORD FOR “I.”
THE U BEING A MODERN, ABBREVIATED SPELLING OF “YOU.”
THE : SIGNIFIES A RATIO; SITTING BETWEEN YO (I) AND U (YOU).
When combined, these three different identities represent the shop. YO:U is a lifestyle, an experience, a culture — it is more than a salon. The vision of YO:U is one in which we are growing together and changing every day.
THE STORY OF YO:U
“I started the vision of YO:U when I came out of my mother’s womb.”
Raised in Hastings, Minnesota, with 3 amazing sisters and a large extended family, Yolanda Trejo’s love for community and beauty was something she had in her blood. She can’t remember a time that she didn’t enjoy playing with hair; her first client was either her sister, a Barbie, or a Cabbage Patch Kid.
After high school, she attended Louisiana State University for one year before she decided to move back to Minnesota to attend the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis.
A year later, Yolanda settled into the hustle and bustle of Chicago in 2006.
After moving, Yolanda made Salon Blue her first “hair home.” She then spent the next 9 years honing her craft and experiencing the magic of Chicago. In 2013, Yolanda decided to go back to school for her barber’s license. During this time, New York City had started to occupy a big spot in her heart. Visiting NYC often for Bumble & Bumble education as well as doing hair for New York Fashion Week, this had her contemplating her next move. Yolanda wanted more — should she move to New York or open her own shop in Chicago?
YO:U opened on October 31st, 2015, setting out to cultivate a lifestyle of beauty and balance through the artistry of hair.
Opening on October 31, 2015, YO:U has been a home for hair, community, art shows, photoshoots, yoga, how-to classes, dance parties, and meetups, networking, and so much more. Yolanda discovered the word yoyuu in the entrepreneur issue of Kinfolk magazine, lent to her by a client. She knew that this was it — twisting yoyuu into YO:U so there was no association to gender, race or ethnicity.
During YO:U’s first three years, over 40 events have been hosted, over 100 artists have showcased their work during YO:U’s monthly art receptions, and a lot of hair has been done.
AS OF OCTOBER OF 2018, YO:U HAS TAKEN A BREAK FROM HOSTING ART SHOWS, FOCUSING ON GROWING THEIR TEAM AND REFINING THE SHOP.
Gratitude —
“I can’t remember a time in life that I wasn’t fascinated with hair and human beings. Turning a career into a lifestyle and an art is such a blessing. La Jefa LLC — which is what YO:U runs under — means female boss in Spanish. This journey began 33 years ago, the shop only opening just 3 years ago. But here I am today; grateful for the journey and the support from all of you.”
- Yolanda Trejo
