Craig Boutte is a rare breed: a talented stylist who left Paris Parker to become an inner-city minister, only to return eight years later to do education events in our salons. From Craig, we have learned the value of a generous heart—and the tenacity of the relationships forged behind the chair.
“I am in a season of reconnecting with people at Paris Parker, and it is a beautiful thing,” Craig says.
A Cajun Boy’s Upbringing
While growing up in New Iberia, becoming a stylist was the furthest thing from Craig’s mind. It wasn’t until his second year of college, where he studied theology, that he ended up giving his first haircut almost by accident.
“I had an old pair of scissors my dad (a barber) had finished up with. My mom had used them to cut green onions when she made crawfish etouffee,” Craig recounts, chuckling. “I came across a guy from India crying because he hated his haircut. He said, ‘You have haircutting scissors. Maybe you can fix it.’”
Craig rescued the haircut gone bad, and word of mouth spread. Soon, he was regularly cutting hair at home. “My roommate said, ‘You need to consider going to school for that. My best friend was a hairdresser who loved what he did. You get the same look on your face every time you cut hair.’”
Craig Joins Forces With Paris Parker
Hair ultimately became a vocation for Craig. He owned a salon and a beauty school in New Iberia. In 2000, he sold those businesses to the Neill Corporation, and that was the beginning of his partnership with Paris Parker. Craig did everything from recruiting, interviewing, and training talent to working behind the chair and giving creative and educational direction.
“I had a great seven-year run,” Craig says. “Paris Parker created avenues of opportunity that I didn’t have before. It put me in relationship with lots of people who have been everything from mentors to friends to mentees.”
From Behind The Chair to Behind The Pulpit
In 2006, Craig felt called to ministry. For more than seven years, he was a pastor with the Baton Rouge Dream Center. “I was a minister to everyone from fatherless children and the homeless to addicts and prostitutes,” he says. “It was a very rewarding, phenomenal opportunity.”
He re-entered the beauty industry in 2014, when his father developed health issues, and now influences Paris Parker in a different role. As a brand representative for shear manufacturer Hattori Hanzo, he facilitates many education events for our salons.
Though Craig’s dual vocations of ministry and hairstyling may seem worlds apart, Craig says they share a common ground: people.
Seasons of Love
“During this whole journey, people come into and out of your life,” he says. “The relationship you have with people is huge—I have great relationships with Chrissie Gilberti, Debra Neill, Chris Guidry, Sasha Ahart, and so many others. It is amazing re-entering those relationships. Paris Parker has been very good for me in this season of my life.”
Craig says the greatest part of reconnecting with all of us at Paris Parker has been seeing the accomplishments of stylists who were new in their careers prior to 2006. “I’m coming across a lot of people we hired out of school—some were interns with me over the years,” he says. “Now they have successful businesses or have done great in the industry and are loving the craft. That has been the most rewarding thing—seeing their success.”