Origin of “Fade” haircuts & its new found popularity thanks to Travis Kelce
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KANSAS CITY (KCTV) — A specific kind of haircut is creating a lot of ‘buzz’ online. It’s become Travis Kelce’s trademark hairstyle and has garnered interest from others.
In a recent press conference, Kelce himself sets the record straight that he did not invent the style, he just requested it. Its called “The Fade”. A classic hairstyle that’s been requested especially at black-owned barbershops like the Headquarters in KCMO for years.
“I don’t know who started the fade but they’ve been around before I was born. Probably before my dad, grandpa, everyone was born,” said owner Ryon’e Winters.
Winters has been cutting hair for 13 years. Fades are his favorite hairstyle to cut.
“I think it separates a lot of barbers. I think it shows who’s really a technician. Who can really cut hair. Like if you can blend a fade, you can really cut for real, for real.”
Winters says it takes a certain level of skill to show the transition from someone’s scalp to the top of their hairline. The technique Winters uses was passed down by his father. As for the question of who invented the fade, the answer to that is more complicated.
“If anything, I would give credit to Lil Boosie, I’ve heard people say ‘Boosie fades’ my entire life. I’ve never heard people say Travis Kelce fades until of course I’d seen it on instagram. I don’t even know who came up with that, who even said that in the first place,” said Winters.
His technique has earned him a roster of A-list clientele including Chiefs players Jawaan Taylor, Willie Gay, and Matt Dickerson, just to name a few.
“I think the team being successful not only helps my business, because it shows that okay I do service high clientele-base. It helps the city in this area, it just brings a lot of, I’m just gonna say money,” he said.
He’s not the only stylist who’s gotten Chiefs players in his chair.
“I posted a Facebook post that was like ‘Dear Lord if you let Pacheco book with me, that’ll make my year,” said hair stylist Talicia Black.
This was a prayer that manifested for Black in December. After months of trying to become Isaiah Pacheco’s loctician, she finally got him in her chair and says business hasn’t been the same since.
“It’s so cool to be able to see my work out there in Vegas at the Super Bowl like, I would’ve never guessed that that would happen,” said Black.
Winters is headed to Vegas this weekend to keep the Chiefs’ hair in tip top shape for the Super Bowl.
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