Even with his long list of A-lister clientele, Fitzsimons wanted to do more. "I decided that I was getting way too much sleep," he jokes. When he first started out, he thought opening up his own salon was the "tippy top," but after travelling the world, he began to see himself as a nomad, and building an immobile, brick and mortar business felt in-authentic. "I wanted to leave a legacy, and I knew it had to be as free as I am, so a hair-care brand seemed like the perfect opportunity to explore that."
Thus started the creation of Andrew Fitzsimons Hair, and he poured every aspect of himself into the brand. "Being a person who is an outlier, someone who has experience as an LGBTQ+ person, someone who respects women and considers themselves a feminist and an ally, I knew these had to be the first principles of whatever the brand would look and feel like."
He was especially motivated to create a brand that is a safe space for people after seeing far too many brands exploit insecurities and use harmful advertising tactics to sell products. He set out to create innovative, world-class hair products that are great enough to use on his celebrity clients for major events while still being affordable. It was a tall order, but he made it work.
"As a hairstylist who can do all hair types — when someone sits in my chair, I can do their hair no matter what — that's my expectation for my business," he says. "There's something for everybody, and everybody has been considered from the very beginning."
He credits it all — who he is as a person, the brand he's created, and the successful career he's built — to his family: his grandmother, his mom, and his sister. "I come from a long line of incredible women," he says. "I'm incredibly, incredibly proud of what we've achieved."