Lamont Styles spent his birthday doing what he does most other days — giving back to the community and mentoring the next generation of barbers through Life’s Styles barber school.

Styles started the Life’s Styles barber school in 2020, opening it with business partners David Stone, Winston Bell and John Bullard. The team set out to create a place to teach skills around barbering, but also as a tool for positive change for the community of Federal Way.

The school is located at 33720 9th Ave. S., Suite 11 in Federal Way, a city he loves and has lived in since 2002.

“We could really be the leaders in the nation of what it truly means to be multicultural and working together in that…You have a chance to work with your neighbor to make things better,” Styles said of Federal Way.

His barber school is no different. Styles said that “students come from all walks of life. Some have never even been in a barbershop, so it’s educating them on the culture and also helping them learn the craft.”

Tae Gatson is a student at the school who is about to graduate and expressed the importance of the barbershop culture as part of his desire to pursue this career.

“For me, a barber has always been more than a barber, somebody that has a little bit more life experience, a place where you can share experiences and get different outlooks on life, or different advice as to adversities or obstacles that you encounter,” Gatson said.

The school offers four courses including barbering, barber instructor program, advanced barbering and barber business.

The school is “dedicated to providing comprehensive education on both the business and art of barbering. Our ultimate goal is to equip our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to obtain their barbering license and establish a successful career in the hair industry.”

For his dedication to creating opportunity, cultivating connection and celebrating the community of Federal Way through his barber school and beyond, Lamont Styles is our Hometown Hero for the month of October.

Barber students

“I see his passion, his want for greatness in me,” Sam Folk said, adding that at another school she considered, “when I sat down with them, I felt like it wasn’t very personal.” She drives 45 minutes (on a good day!) from Orting, Washington to go to the school and is currently in her third week of classes. Keyaura KM-WR drives from Port Orchard. Most of them tried out other barber schools before they landed at Life’s Styles, but they were not what they were looking for.

KM-WR went to another school first as well, but said that when she first spoke to Lamont he was so “knowledgeable and open and very welcoming,” and that made the difference for her.

Daren Lefeau said one thing that drew him was that “there was a lot in his background about community and helping people be successful,” and that “he really cares about what he’s teaching here and cares for his students and is very humble.”

Giving back to the community looks like not only offering free haircuts at his barber school, but also offering those haircuts to people who need it the most. Just in the past few months, the school has helped at six back to school haircutting events, and has gone to the FUSION family center and to We Care Clinics in Auburn.

Students also shared over and over that Styles is the kind of person you can call for advice whether that is about career or not long after graduation.

For Styles, the school is an opportunity to provide people access to a lucrative and sustainable career and to really mentor new barbers on the business skills it takes to work for yourself.

“This is a multibillion-dollar a year industry. I shouldn’t be the only one feeding my family,” Styles said.

Read more about Lamont Styles at federalwaymirror.com.

Lamont Styles gives barber student Samual Walker ‘Bino’ some pro tips while he works on a customer’s haircut. He is almost done with the barber program and will soon test for his license. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.

Students Keyaura KM-WR, Betzy Martinez, Sam Folk and Daren Lefeau are in their third week class at the Life’s Styles barber school in Federal Way. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.

Betzy Martinez, Daren Lefeau and Sam Folk are three weeks into their barbering program through Life’s Styles that will prepare them for the barber exam to become licensed to work. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror.

Lamont Styles records guest speaker MJ Burgos, who shares some professional advice from his many years of experience as a barber.

Students pose with a guest speaker at Life’s Styles who shared professional tips and answered their questions about a barbering career. From left to right: Daren Lefeau, Samuel Walker, Tae Gatson, James Tyler III, MJ Burgos, Daniel Dickson Jr., Betzy Martinez, Sam Folk and Keyaura KM-WR. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror