Malakai Ellis opens new salon serving everyone, including LGBTQ+ community

CAMBRIDGE − Tucked away in the Dewey Avenue shopping center is Garrett's Studio Hair Salon. While the name currently remains the same, the space and the people it serves are getting revamped by new owner, Malakai Ellis.

Ellis worked with Cindy Voorhies at the Small Business Development Center and Bill Arnett with the Community Improvement Corporation to secure the grant money to purchase the salon and develop his business plan for the re-branding.

Ellis spent the better part of six months planning the salon and focusing on what needs in the community could be better met. Garrett's, which will eventually be renamed Malakai's Mirror, will be focused on serving all minority groups in the area but will welcome anyone.

"The one thing I've learned in my six years is that salons are not set up to cater to anybody outside of the norm. That's basically my whole reason behind purchasing this place. To offer something the community doesn't already have," Ellis said.

Offering a safe space

Ellis, a Zanesville native who moved around a good bit growing up, has been working in Guernsey County for six years."I'm really excited to offer a safe space. I don't like using that term because I don't feel like it should be necessary," he said. "I'm also a little bit nervous because I'm getting ready to out myself as a trans man to the entire community, which is nerve-wracking because that makes me easy to target. However, I feel like somebody has to do it. Somebody has to be the one to put their self on the line that way everybody else can be included. There's a lot of us here, but people don't know it."

He hasn't received any negative feedback, but what he continually has heard was "Good for you!" While he doesn't want the salon to be labeled as special, sometimes there's no getting around it. "I understand why people are giving me that as feedback, but you know. I feel like getting myself mentally prepared has been the most difficult. I'm just hoping that outing myself to the community gives me a positive response for the people that need it."

The first person to be hired under Ellis is a trans barber from Senecaville, Maxximus Milligan. "This is what I've wanted to be a part of since I started barber school 10 years ago. I think this is something we've needed here for a long time. I think we have a huge group of people here that are going to take advantage of it," Milligan said.

Milligan attended Prince's Barber Academy in Zanesville. He had previously attended barber school in Canal Winchester, but was unable to finish due to time constraints and having a family. He accumulated more than 1,100 hours of training but had to wipe the slate clean when he returned to school. He has now acquired 2,800 of education and passed his boards on Jan. 30.

During Milligan's transition, he recalls times when he was early in his experience and was denied barber services because he was a female. He wants to allow other people going through similar experiences to get the treatments they desire. "This is huge. It's a roller coaster ride. It's a little scary outing yourself with kids, but also, I can't sit there and tell my kids be yourself, if I'm not doing that," Milligan added.

The salon comes equipped with a shampoo bowl at every station, something that Ellis wants to highlight. He has a current client who has cerebral palsy, and not switching chairs and accommodating the wheelchair is huge. The venue also offers van-accessible and handicapped parking.

He plans to get in touch with local rehabilitation centers and offer free haircuts for people looking to re-enter the workforce, or for those going through drug and alcohol-related treatments. "One of the best things you can do for them is make them feel good about themselves."

Other plans for the salon include taking $2 from every service on Fridays and donating it to local charities and LGBTQIA organizations with a new organization being chosen each month. A Southeastern Ohio LGBTQ+ organization will be one of the first groups to receive donations, which Ellis will be accepting at the Zanesville Pride event on June 29. "They spend a lot of their time and money on educating the community," he added. The Zanesville event will be the first Pride event Ellis has ever attended.

Ellis reflects on his past experiences and the traumas he has personally dealt with being a young trans man in a very rural area. "I seriously thought that if I could be the perfect follower of Christ that He would fix me. It took (a lot) to realize that there is nothing wrong with me and slowly over time I started to accept myself for the way I was. I'm still working on loving myself as I am, but I want to help other people love themselves," he said.

Refreshing the salon

The salon transformation will hearken back to the 1950s. Ellis wants to have the black and white checkerboard floor and shadow boxes on the walls showcasing the venue's history. The original owners' shears are hung, a reminder that the salon, being 86 years old, is a part of Guernsey County history. The family of Garrett has been assisting Ellis in finding photos of him to feature in the salon. Ellis plans on tackling the remodel and demo work himself, with the help of his girlfriend, Kathyryne Hines, her family and Milligans' family as well.

The salon will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday with Mondays and Tuesdays being appointments only. Walk-ins are welcome any other time. Ellis noted the salon is always going to be an open space for those who just wish to connect with the community. Offerings will include haircuts and hair designs, hair tinselling, extensions by appointment, straight razors and face steaming services. Pricing will be listed on the salon's Facebook page.

"Sometimes when someone leaves the chair, that might have been their last day but because you were kind to them and you chose to see them for who they were, that could have made all the difference," Ellis said. "A lot of the hate comes from fear, and the fear comes from not understanding and a lack of education. So essentially, that's the goal."

To make an appointment or to learn more about the salon, call 740-439-1068. Malakai's Mirror (Garrett's) is located at 224 Dewey Ave. in Cambridge. For more information, statistics and resources dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community visit The Trevor Project's website or the National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center webpage.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Malakai Ellis' new salon aims to serve all, including LGBTQ+ community