More than glamor at Lily’s Salon
Liliana Solarte allows her work and her Columbian heritage to intersect in her daily life.
By Carolyn Bradley & Layda Galvan additional reporting by Jesus J. Montero
Sunlight hits the tall, vibrant green plants and the cozy yellows, reds and blues that celebrate Colombian heritage at Lily’s Hair Studio.
Liliana Solarte, the owner of the studio at 5100 W. 14th St., shares the experiences she’s had running her own business during her 21 years in Cicero.
“As you know, when people arrive in a country where the language and customs are different, we feel bad because we practically left everything over there,” Solarte said.
For a while, Solarte stayed at home with her children because she didn’t have friends or anyone to take care of them, until her husband encouraged her to open a salon.
“I remember going with my husband to get his haircut, and the woman who was cutting hair had her child there in the salon. He told me, ‘look, wouldn’t you like to do the same?’” Solarte said. Solarte did not think she could do something like run a salon but she says there are some things people are destined to do.
Getting down to business
Solarte took an opportunity from Bell Mar Beauty College. While she studied, she worked in a salon with a friend until she received her cosmetology certificate.
“When I graduated, the previous owner of this salon, she knew my husband and she looked for me because she knew I was studying, and she offered me this place,” Solarte said. “She told me she needed someone there, and that’s how it all started.”
On July 5, 2005, Solarte took ownership and christened the salon with her own name.
“ I took the shot, and everything really initiated because of my children,” she said. “I said, ‘this is a way of working independently and having my children with me without a babysitter.’”
At first, Solarte worked at her salon while taking care of her one-year-old daughter. Her clients were patient, allowing her to take a break from doing their hair and take care of her child.
After 14 years, Solarte remains in the same location. She is a solo act.
“I do everything here. Like the supernumerary, that’s how we say it,” she said. “My clients are patient and sometimes it can get busy and they wait, or they come back later, but that’s because the majority of the clients, I’ve had them for years.”
Welcoming her clients home
At Lily’s Hair Studio, Solarte ensures new and current customers feel comfortable enough to express themselves with her.
“If a new client arrives, even when I don’t know them, they are well-received, with a smile on my face, because it’s something that comes out naturally,” she said.
Solarte said Lily’s Hair Studio is home to her, and it is a place to express her faith. She believes that teaching God’s ways to future generations is key to having a better society.
“My business doesn’t just serve as my primary source of income,” she said. “It is a way for me to converse about God. I talk about all these things. Sometimes I see that people need knowledge and that’s how they were raised. We need to [encourage] the children to go through the correct path.”
In addition, Lily’s Hair Studio also serves as a way for Solarte to uplift the community.
“I like to give advice, simple tips that can help the person’s self-esteem,” she said. “I like to see everyone in the world pretty.”
Carolyn and Layda are graduate journalism students at DePaul University.
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