In light of International Women's Day, we had a vulnerable conversation with Iles Formula Founder Wendy Iles on what it means to be a woman in the industry behind the chair. We covered topics like the difference between men and women behind the chair + juggling motherhood and career + empowering other women.
Here, she answers from the heart.
ON BEING A WOMAN BEHIND THE CHAIR
Wendy at Cannes Film Festival with actress Marion Cotillard, captured by Elliott Bliss
Most haircare brands are founded by men. What does it mean to you to be a female founder in this industry?
It means everything.
Hair is deeply emotional. It’s identity. Its confidence, its sensuality. It’s vulnerability. For centuries, women have lived through their hair. Yet so many of the boardrooms deciding how it should be formulated, marketed, and sold have been male.
Being a woman behind the chair for over 30 years gave me a profoundly intimate understanding of what women actually feel about their hair. I didn’t build Iles Formula from a spreadsheet. I built it from conversations whispered in salon chairs. From tears before weddings. From exhaustion after childbirth. From reinvention after divorce. From the quiet power of a woman wanting to feel seen again.
As a female founder, I lead with empathy first - and that changes everything.
How does the connection between a female hairstylist and her client differ from what a male hairstylist might offer?
There is an unspoken language between women. When a woman sits in my chair, I don’t just see her hair. I see her shoulders. Her posture. Her eyes. I feel whether she is protecting herself or ready to emerge.
There have been moments - particularly with women navigating menopause, postpartum hair loss, or heartbreak - where what they needed wasn’t simply “great hair.” They needed reassurance that they were still radiant. Still powerful. Still desired.
I remember a client, a public figure, who had just become a mother. Her hair had changed. Thinner. More fragile. She was embarrassed by it. A male stylist may have focused on volume and styling tricks. I understood she needed softness. Protection. Something nurturing. We adjusted everything - the cut, the color, the care ritual. She left not just looking beautiful, but standing taller.
Sometimes being a woman means you understand the invisible shift before it is spoken.
How has being a woman shaped the way you built Iles Formula and lead a team?
I lead like I formulate, with care and precision.
Being a woman has made me deeply collaborative. I don’t believe in hierarchy for ego’s sake. I believe in alignment. In intuition. In listening. I built this brand the way I build a hairstyle - structure first, then flow.
I am also fiercely protective. Of the integrity of the formulas. Of the culture of the company. Of the women who work with me. I want them to grow, to speak, to rise. I believe leadership can be strong without being loud.
There is strength in refinement.
ON BALANCING MOTHERHOOD & CAREER
European covers of Wendy's celebrity work
Men in this industry don't have to pause their careers for children. You've mentioned that women face a choice between building their career and starting a family. How did that reality affect your journey?
It’s a truth many women don’t speak about publicly.
There were moments when I felt the tension between ambition and motherhood very acutely. The fashion industry doesn’t pause. Campaigns don’t wait. Travel doesn’t slow.
But I refused to believe I had to choose between being a present mother and a serious professional. What I did have to accept was that the timeline might look different. There were seasons where I said no. And seasons where I expanded again.
Motherhood actually made me more focused. More intentional. I no longer worked to prove myself - I worked to build something meaningful.
It deepened me.
Do you think the industry has evolved to support women who want both a thriving career + a family?
It has improved - but not enough.
There is more conversation now around flexibility and female leadership. But structurally, we still need better systems of support - particularly for freelance artists and entrepreneurs who don’t have corporate maternity structures.
What needs to change is mindset. We need to stop seeing motherhood as a pause in ambition. It is not a weakness. It is a sharpening. Women return with greater emotional intelligence, greater resilience, greater depth.
That is an asset, not a liability.
ON EMPOWERING OTHER WOMEN
Iles Formula Masterclass in Paris
What advice would you give to young women entering the hairstyling or beauty industry today?
Master your craft first. Fame is secondary.
There is a lot of noise today - social media, visibility, instant gratification. But true longevity comes from excellence. Study hair. Study structure. Study texture. Respect the science. And protect your reputation. Your integrity is your currency.
Most importantly: don’t try to be liked by everyone. Be respected for your standards.
If you could tell your younger self one thing as she was starting out in this industry, what would it be?
You do not need to rush.
There were moments early on where I felt pressure to move faster, to say yes to everything, to prove myself constantly. I would tell her: trust your timing.
The right doors will open - and when they do, you'll be ready.
Who are the women who've inspired you most in your career?
I’ve been inspired by many women - not only those in the spotlight, but those behind the scenes, too.
The editors who shaped beauty narratives. The quiet, disciplined women in laboratories, formulating with integrity. The single mothers building businesses without applause.
And of course, my clients. Women who reinvent themselves again and again with courage. Watching that resilience up close for decades has been one of my greatest educations.
Women are extraordinary when they trust their own evolution.
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