Every once in a while, you meet someone who doesn’t seem like they are of this time. It is not that they belong in the past or even the future; it is that they are so tuned in to their own rhythm and purpose that they exist outside of the conventions, trends and politics of the moment. Who they are, what they say, and most importantly, what they do, all hum in perfect harmony, undistracted or undeterred by social norms. Cut to MJ Déziel. She proudly says she is a hairstylist, and her transformational work does not dispute this, but to put a single label on MJ is to not know her at all.
MJ grew up as an only child in the suburbs of Montreal. She describes her upbringing as a very normal one throughout which no signs of her artistic future were immediately apparent. “Growing up, I wanted to be everything. I wanted to be a chef, a nurse, a physiotherapist. Unfortunately, I did not have the grades. I suffer from A.D.D. and school was really hard for me. But I have a great personality – so it saved my ass.”
MJ took some photography and graphic design classes in college but did not feel a strong pull in either of those directions. However, she did recall being on-set once, enjoying herself and feeling energized. MJ therefore decided to enrol in some hairstyling classes. After years of struggling through academics, she finally received glowing feedback: MJ had found her forte.
It is worth mentioning that the beauty industry was always close to home for MJ, as her mother worked for L’Oréal as a Director of Education. Nonetheless, she had never considered it as a potential career herself. In 2019, after salon-hopping in an attempt to find a fit, MJ decided to open APART Studio. It was an enormous leap that speaks to her boldness and bravery, moving from hair stylist to entrepreneur. Maneuvering between these roles suits her well. Naturally charismatic, she has a way of putting clients at ease both in her chair and behind the camera. It’s a magical quality that speaks to what she went through to get to where she is now.
“I never felt comfortable in a traditional salon environment. I work with a marginalized clientele and it never made sense to have prices based on gender. I want to do things differently and that employee-boss dynamic did not allow me that freedom of thinking. The vision came with the space and how I wanted to behave in it. People are drawn to APART’s essence. We’re making a name for ourselves now.”
The name APART was chosen to reflect the duality of celebrating one’s uniqueness from others, yet still being part of something bigger. Her approach to hair is a deep respect for the material. A lover of texture, pattern and colour, she aims to enhance its natural state. MJ experiments on her own hair, showcasing her fearless and forward-thinking sensibility as an ever-changing business card. But when it comes to her next move in life, after 8 years of non- stop hustle, she’s embracing a more organic approach.
“People ask me, “Where do you see yourself in the future?’ If I project myself too far ahead, I am not living in the present. I have plenty of dreams and so far, I have achieved them. I am not worried. For right now – I want to enjoy it.”