Photos: Camera Ready Kutz
Presently operating out of her Brooklyn apartment, queer-identified barber Khane Kutzwell is ready to expand and serve her community. Currently running a fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo, the hair stylist and owner of Camera Ready Kutz, which has been providing Brooklyn with barber services by appointment since 2007, is seeking to open a new storefront in Crown Heights catering to both the LGBTQ and black communities.
"I had some [queer] friends that would complain about how they were treated in barbershops...They need a place where, let's say, something's not going right in the day or they are having problems with their family -- or a teenager just came out to their parents and they are feeling low," Kutzwell tells DNAinfo.
Having heard horror stories from her clientele about women being denied service simply for wanting short haircuts or men having their hairlines unnecessarily pushed back, Khane was determined to create a queer-friendly atmosphere where people could have their hair styled in whatever fashion they wished without being afraid of discrimination.
As such, Camera Ready Kutz has been serving the community through home visits, hospital visits, discounted and free haircuts, fundraising, and more since its inception. However, there are limits to what a home business can offer. By moving to a storefront, CRK is hoping to be able to take walk-ins, expand its services, offer a safe space, and be a place of relaxation for its clientele. Through its indiegogo proceeds, Khane Kutzwell and trans business partner Owen Kellaway are seeking to rent a space, install barber chairs, acquire hair washing stations, buy products, etc. In addition, those seeking to support the store can buy t-shirts through booster.com.
