Big Joy Barber & Salon 

Alyssa (she/her) has had her hands in hair since she was 15, and her favorite thing about doing hair is that it's never the same! She doesn’t like to get tied down to a single view of anything. As a stylist, that means Alyssa is frequently enhancing and searching for new ways she can reflect the ever-changing inside of you, onto the outside. She’s passionate about creating more time in your life for love and play by keeping things high maintenance in our space so you can go home to low-maintenance hair. Alyssa’s favorite color is yellow, please let her colour your hair yellow. She loves colour blocking, bleach, and tones, balayage, dip dying, bobs, shaggy, mullety, long and/or cropped hair that looks like it came frolicking out of the forest OR sleek, precise, and straight out of a salon. Alyssa (Libra sun, Libra rising, Virgo moon) works Sunday/Monday + Thursday/Friday.

Kai (they/them) is an apprentice stylist at Big Joy. They’re a queer, non-binary trans settler that moved to the West Coast in 2018. They began their hair journey in the summer of 2019 and graduated from the London School in January 2020. Though Kai went to school specifically for barbering, they’re excited and eager to develop their skills further so they can cut and color all lengths, textures, and hairstyles. They are insistent on providing folks with a safe and comfortable space as they feel that getting a haircut can be both a vulnerable and powerful thing for a lot of people. Clients booking with them are advised to have minimal time constraints and an open mind, as Kai is still learning and will be seeking help from the rest of the Big Joy crew. Kai (Sagittarius Sun / Aquarius Moon / Aries Rising) works from Saturday/Sunday + Tuesday/Wednsday.

Mariah’s (they/she) life in hair started circa 2018 when they graduated from MC College in Kelowna. In March of 2020, they decided to follow their big, gay hair dreams and move to Vancouver! While Mariah is well versed in everything to do with hair, they have a special place in their heart for curly and wavy textures. They love soft, tousled cuts that make your natural hair look it's absolute best and a lived-in colour that grows out like a dream. They truly have a passion for the art of hair, and by proxy, the art of making everyone that sits in their chair look and feel like their most authentic (and hottest!) selves. When Mariah isn’t at the salon you can catch them browsing the local thrifts, tending to their plants, catching up on the latest drag race drama, watching scary movies with their two cats, or google deep diving to find their new favourite local eats. Mariah (taurus sun/aquarius moon/virgo rising) works Friday to Monday.

Josh (he/him) is a queer settler joining the Big Joy team with 13 years of experience both as a stylist and as an educator. Josh has a passion for lived-in colours, freaky chic cuts and long flowing locks. His ultimate goal is to make everyone look and feel hot. Josh prides himself on his technical colouring skills and precision cuts. Personalized service and building trusting hair relationships are always his priority - no transformation is too big or too small! Josh’s inspiration comes from eccentric street fashion, 90’s club culture, and all forms of queer representation ranging from high femme to hyper-masc. When not at the salon, he loves creating custom wigs, playing with puppies, and hunting for the perfect vintage tee to add to his collection. Josh (Cancer Sun / Pisces Moon / Sagittarius Rising) works Sunday to Tuesday.

Cooper (they/them) is a senior stylist here at Big Joy. They’re a non-binary, queer settler who began apprenticing at Big Joy in 2017 while attending the Aveda Institute. Through the support of their clients and coworkers and a ton of hard work, Cooper has worked their way up to a Senior stylist position here at the shop over the past five years. They like gender-affirming haircuts, working with natural textures, barbering, shags, mullets, blondes, and balayage. Cooper (Sagittarius sun / Sagittarius moon / Libra rising) works Tuesday/Wednesday & Friday /Saturday.

Sarah Jane's (she/her) work reflects a technicality that speaks to her methodical and precise focus when working with hair. 12 years into her career she maintains a creative integrity geared towards making people look and feel great. SJ revels in creating up-dos for any occasion along with a passion for curly, classic and romantic hair. She joined us here at Big Joy in 2016 and is our curl/texture queen. SJ (Libra sun / Virgo moon / Sagittarius rising) works Wednesday to Saturday.

Syd (she/her) has a personalized, realistic approach to hair. Her goal is to achieve a balance between your lifestyle, maintenance expectations and budget, all the while achieving something that speaks to how you wish to present to the world. Syd had her start in the hair industry in Saskatchewan in 2008 where she received a Red Seal Certification. She soon made the move out west and has been working in East Vancouver ever since. She adores working with balayage and colour melt techniques, as well as cutting any sort of fringe, curly and wavy textures, and heavy chopped bobs, always with a focus on low maintenance grow outs. Syd works Wednesday to Saturday.

Shaunn's (he/him) focus is on natural, refined cuts and an individual approach to barbering, hair styling and customer service. He continually works to improve, build and grow both his as well as the Big Joy team's skills, techniques and perspectives within the industry. He revels in beard trims, bobs, skin fades, curly texture and most everything in between. Big Joy is a culmination of his over a decade of experience in the hair world and a little shop that he is proud to call home. Shaunn (Aries Sun / Cancer Moon / Gemini Rising) works Sunday to Wednesday.