Throughout Brian Lopez’s career in beauty, he’s endured life-changing challenges that many would find impossible to navigate.
But his perseverance — plus lessons learned from those hardships — is what led Lopez to transform his salon suite into an environment special enough to win the title of SUITE SPOT 2026: The Most Instagrammable Salon or Spa Suite.
Lopez’s business, Hair Hustler Studios in Marlton, NJ, earned 20% of the vote over 14 other aspirational salon, barber, and spa suites in the American Salon and American Spa annual contest.
Along with bragging rights, Lopez receives a $500 gift card from contest sponsor giveBeauty, plus free annual membership to its giveBeauty Network. He also wins two VIP tickets to the Be+Well Beauty and Wellness Show in New York, Las Vegas, or Florida (formerly International Beauty Show/ International Esthetics, Cosmetics, & Spa Conference).
The first runner-up, @chellethebarber_ from Clarksville, TN, won a $200 gift card to giveBeauty and free annual membership as well, plus two tickets to the Be+Well show of her choice.
The Mission That Started It All
Though Lopez launched his beauty career relatively late (at 30), he found his niche quickly: providing a safe space for special-needs clients, especially sensory-sensitive kids.
With support from team members at Salon Kink in Linwood, NJ, Lopez launched Kutz for a Cause, a program that dedicated one day a month to serving special-needs children. All proceeds went to a local nonprofit, The Arc of Atlantic County.
His initiative blew up after American Salon highlighted Lopez’s work in 2018. “American Salon was among the first to feature what I was doing,” he says. “And that got a lot of attention. It led to me being recognized by Atlantic City Weekly’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2019.”
Lopez’ professional life continued to build momentum until 2020. Then, it stopped abruptly.
“My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer,” he says, “and that was also the start of the pandemic. At that point I stepped away from the hair industry. I decided to go full force and take care of my mother. She’s everything to me. She’s my biggest fan, and it was my duty to get her better.”
From Challenges to Comeback
His mother ended up beating the disease, and Lopez returned to work in 2023, this time in his own suite. Shortly after that, though, he was severely injured in an electrical accident.
“That caused a lot of issues,” he says. “It ruined a lot of things for my business vision. It came with health complications, which I’m currently navigating, and it caused me to downsize.”
Lopez’s next location, though, lacked accommodations required for his health issues and his clients’ comfort. In his search for a space that would meet his needs, he spoke with representatives from Sola Salons.
“They were kind enough to fly in one of their leads and meet with me to learn about my situation,” he recalls. “At the time I was feeling really down on myself, wondering if this was a career I could continue to pursue, having to make sure the building I’m in is up to standard.
“And Sola was able to do that for me,” he says. “It’s extensive, but they have accommodated everything I’ve needed.”
At that point, Lopez could hit the ground running. “I created a whole new vision and fresh start with the idea of luxury while also keeping my authenticity, making sure my health was top priority, and that the space would work with my clients,” he says.
As his studio is designed to accommodate everyone, Lopez no longer has to schedule special-needs clients on specified days. “The comfort translates to everybody. Clients with or without special needs. I feel great about it,” he says. “I love it. The pride that I take in my salon.”
The Next Chapter: Expanding Sensory-Friendly Salons
Today, Lopez is finishing up a bachelor's degree in business from the University of Phoenix, and intends to pursue a master’s in business development.
He’s devising a consulting business to help beauty and barber professionals design upscale, sensory-friendly salon and spa environments. “Your space can effectively meet these needs, and it can also be gorgeous,” he says.
“It can be glamorous, it can be funky. It doesn’t need to look like a doctor’s office or a play area with puzzles. I don’t have that where I am.”
Lopez believes more sensory-safe salons are needed — as well as educated beauty professionals. “One parent told me recently that their last stylist turned around and said to them, ‘is your child ever going to sit still?’”
With that in mind, Lopez’s consulting services would also teach salon, barber, and spa professionals how to work with special-needs clients.
“You don't have to be a therapist. You don't need to have a special-needs background,” he says. “You need to go back to what we learned in school: the consultation.”
Lopez’s consultation is extensive, resulting in a structured plan for the client based on their routines at home, at school, and at occupational therapy. “So that everyone is on the same page.”
Caring for special-needs clients, he says, starts with the basics: “You have to read the room and know how to tailor the experience,” he says. “That goes with any client. It’s across the board.
“You have to be mindful. Not everyone's the same. Just like not everyone has the same hair texture. Not everyone's going to behave the same way in the chair,” he says. “And then you don’t have to put your clients in separate boxes.
“Whether you're coming in to get a keratin and color, or you're coming in for a special-needs haircut — it's all the same to me. You are going to have a great experience.”