Meet Lindsay “Lulu” Gildea

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lindsay “Lulu” Gildea a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsay “Lulu”, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My resilience comes from surviving things I thought would break me. Instead, they made me softer, stronger, and more creative. Hair became my outlet and my anchor. Helping people feel beautiful helped me heal too and that’s why I keep going.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

What I do is more than hair, it’s creating a safe space for the art of transformation. I run Asylum Hair Studio, where vivid color, creative expression, and emotional comfort all coexist. My specialty is taking someone’s “I don’t know, do something cool” and turning it into a custom piece of wearable art that actually feels like them.
I think what makes my work special is the atmosphere. My studio is intentionally built to feel like a judgment-free zone and a place where people can breathe, decompress, laugh, vent, and walk out feeling lighter. The hair is a bonus. The connection is the magic.
Professionally, I’m focused on expanding my brand into education and product development, and continuing to build a space where every client and creator feels safe, seen, and inspired. Asylum isn’t just a salon it’s literally a home for anyone who needs one.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The three qualities that shaped my journey most were intuition, adaptability, and my commitment to creating a true safe space. Intuition helped me trust my own creative direction, adaptability kept me growing through every shift in life and the industry, and cultivating a safe space became the heart of my brand and how I serve people.
For anyone just starting out, my advice is simple: trust your gut, stay flexible, and put just as much care into the atmosphere you create as the skills you build. Those three things will carry you farther than you think.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Absolutely. I’m always open to collaborating with people who value creativity, community, and safe-space culture as much as I do. I love working with artists, brands, educators, and makers who are pushing boundaries, especially those aligned with beauty, wellness, storytelling, or alternative/creative subcultures.
I’m drawn to collaborators who aren’t afraid to experiment, who respect the client experience, and who understand that artistry and emotional safety can coexist in the same space. If someone feels inspired by my work or my approach, I’d love to connect and see what we can build together.
The easiest way to reach me is through Instagram @locksbylulu or via email. I’m always open to conversations that feel aligned, intentional, and creatively exciting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Asylumhairstudio.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: Locksbylulu
• Linkedin: Lindsay Gildea