One-of-a-kind barber excited to help ‘decide the direction’ of downtown Las Vegas
It all started when Larry Reha’s mother cut his hair. He was 12, and it was a “not-so-great” cut, Reha says, so he tried to fix her work and started cutting his own hair after that. He continued experimenting with scissors throughout high school, took a winding road through cosmetology and today owns Makeshift Union, a salon in downtown Las Vegas.
Tell us your background.
I grew up in a suburb of Detroit. I was a pretty difficult teenager without a lot of prospects or ambitions, so I wasn’t headed in a great direction. I didn’t work hard in school since decent grades came easy to me.
When it came time for me to start thinking about college, my dad was getting concerned. I was turned down from a few schools because I hadn’t done any preparation for college or entrance exams. He suggested that I try cosmetology, as I already had a slight background it since I was teaching myself all these years. I decided to give it a shot and received a lot of encouragement from my instructors. About six months into my first school, I was kicked out for repeatedly breaking rules and showing a lack of respect for people. That was a serious wake-up call.
I put my head down and ground out the last year of my education. My first job was in a small barbershop, where I learned a valuable skill set in men’s haircutting. In 2002, I moved to Las Vegas. I was hired as an assistant. I was fired from that job twice, which led me to the salon at a higher-end locals casino. In 18 months, my haircuts went from $11 to $90. That was an extreme challenge, considering my skills did not justify that price tag. I was recruited by Cristophe of Beverly Hills to help open his salon in the MGM Grand, where I spent four years. I grew tired of working on the Strip and moved my clientele to Square salon in Summerlin, where I worked for almost 10 years. Each job I’ve had has progressively been better than the last and has continually helped me grow, not only as a stylist but as a businessperson. Which brings me to where I am now, owning my own shop, Makeshift Union, in the heart of the Las Vegas Arts District. It truly is a dream come true.
Describe your business.
Makeshift Union is a one-of-a-kind experience. It’s not a huge salon, so there’s a camaraderie in the shop between the