Inspiring Conversations with Eldar Gorak of Eldar Gorak Styling

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eldar Gorak.

Hi Eldar, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Hello, my name is Eldar Gorak. I was born in Bosnia I Herzegovina and moved to the United States in 2000 when I was 3 years old. I grew up interested in fashion and art, and earned a fashion merchandising degree from Western Kentucky University in 2020.

When I started to visit Nashville for modeling and acting school as a teen, I would be cast in extra work, and throughout the long and boring days on set, I fell in love with the idea of being on a production set of any kind.

One day on set, I received praise for my help with some of the extras’ hair, and it continued from there. I met friends in the city working at restaurant jobs like Merchant’s on Broadway, or my favorite bartending job, Hi-Fi Clydes on Church Street.

Through friends, I met two of my longest standing clients: Vidalia Anne Gentry and Cya Inhale; both Nashville community icons and pillars. I have them to thank for pushing my creative limits and boundaries even to this day. They believed in me, trusted me, and never gave up on me when I fell short. They have advertised my work all over the city through their amazing careers, and we have had the pleasure of working on so many different campaigns together.

When people see my work, it may come as a shock that I don’t have a cosmetology license, nor did I go to school for hair styling. Instead, while attending school full-time in Kentucky and working full-time in Nashville, I found time in my schedule over the past 7 years to evolve and expand my skill sets: wig styling and construction, coloring, etc.,

I have always been detail oriented and been the most critical of myself. I am never satisfied, no matter how much the client likes the product. Where others would say “it’s not a big deal”, I’m the one that deconstructs something I spent 9 hours working on just to satisfy a “lightbulb” moment and figure out how to do it better. I’m the one that spends hours on something to assure quality and a near-perfect outcome every time because I refuse to settle. I always take note of what to improve, and because of that I feel like my wigs are unmatched. I’m not a one-trick pony. I have spent years elevating and innovating wigs in many forms, and will not sacrifice my standard of quality, and that is why I think people see a difference in my work.

I’m thankful to say that in recent years I’ve had opportunities I would have never imagined: from working on campaigns for CMT, to having a retainer of celebrity clientele; from recording artists to some of the most notable names in the drag community. Most recently my long time friend and client, Jorgeous, has been able to showcase my hair on season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, bringing many new eyes to my work.

With the increased exposure, I’ve seen a huge increase in work opportunities in recent months, and although some days I feel overwhelmed, I finally feel like I’m getting my business off the ground. Seven long years I’ve been building this business and career and I still find myself excited for new opportunities and experiences every day, and I’m still just as critical of myself as I was in the beginning because today’s success is not promised tomorrow.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey hasn’t been easy, but it could have been worse. I struggle to this day with constant self-doubt and the overwhelming fear of failure or that I won’t reach a certain level of financial stability, which I feel comes from my obsession with perfection in everything I do.

I’ve hindered myself for so long. If I didn’t have a clear idea of the outcome and think I could execute it perfectly, I just wouldn’t do it. Throughout the last few years, I’ve found myself still obsessed with perfection, but I can rationalize it much better than before so I can push through and get the work done. As I mentioned before, I’m not classically trained in hair styling, so everything I’ve done up to this point has been self-taught.

Even to this day, I can be several hours into a project, take a look, and realize I’m not happy with it or learn something in the moment, and I’ll deconstruct and start from scratch because I strive for perfection not only for myself but for my clients. It’s their opinions that truly matter to me.

I’ve also struggled with the fear of disappointing my parents with my career. I grew up in a Bosnian, working-class home with Muslim parents who worked day-in and day-out my entire childhood and only wanted to see me be successful and have the things they didn’t. They always wanted me to go to college and get an amazing job because, that’s why they brought me to the United States after all. When I chose to pursue fashion/business degrees, and again when I embarked on my styling career, they questioned my choices, but still believed in me deep down, and now seeing the amazing opportunities that I’ve earned and seeing my talents flourish, they realize it’s what makes me truly happy.

With the constant mental and physical struggle of living in today’s world, it’s most important to me to keep myself motivated and surround myself with people that support, encourage, and most importantly, love me for who and what I am, as well as what I’m not.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a self-taught wig stylist, creator, and educator. Until recently, I was a one-man show with only myself to help with hair and general business infrastructure. My day-to-day is working with my retainer clientele in various capacities, whether it be a wig restyle, a brand new wig, on-set styling and assistance for a special campaign, or a project in the media.

I always work closely with my clients because I like to get a sense of what the client imagines something looking like, and be able to tweak a new wig to their specific preferences, so when they try that wig on for the first time they feel every bit of the fantasy. Seeing a client’s smile when they put on a new unit is the reward I look for; anyone can say they love the hair.

I am forever appreciative of the clients and artists that have had the chance to own or wear something I’ve created because they are the true rock stars and have gotten my name out to so many different communities around the WORLD. They’re the ones who have told me my wigs just sit differently than others.

I am known for top-quality construction, clean and crisp details, and for my ability to work with synthetic hair and make it look as if it’s hair you spent your entire life growing; I ventilate and pluck hairlines to make them look so realistic most can’t believe there’s no smoke and mirrors.

As I mentioned before, my obsession with perfection has been a struggle over the years, but the details are what make me stand out to the artists, creators, and networks that seek my work. When one stylist says “it’s fine” or “you won’t notice it,” I’m the stylist who says, ”I understand, but I don’t like it,” and that’s enough for me to start over and give it my best, ALWAYS. It may be easier to just cover a mistake or not worry about it, but when you take that route, something will be missing in the end. Whether it’s the hairstyle itself, the client satisfaction, or the end result.

I’ve worked with many of my clients for several years on a close personal level, and am excited about the next chapter of my career. At the moment, I’m working on infrastructure and planning how to continue working with my long-time clients as well as creating opportunities for steady business growth.

What I want most of all is to be able to serve a larger number of people in every form. Some of my recent work being featured on the current season of RuPaul’s Drag Race has tremendously increased commission inquiries, which has been amazing, but I don’t currently have the ability to create hair for everyone. I’m very excited to expand the Eldar Gorak Styling team – to enter uncharted territory and quench my thirst for growth.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Nashville so much – the opportunities here are amazing: from chances to build amazing connections and networks, both personal and professional, to being deeply involved in the diverse entertainment industry, you just have to view it with an open mind and an innovative spirit.

Fast-paced city life was and can still be very frightening to me. I’m a boy from Bosnia that grew up in Bowling Green, and I still fight the urge to lift up my hand to wave at a car passing me on the street. Whether you’re enjoying one of the many amazing drag shows around the city or talking to the tourist sitting next to you at Hi-FI Clydes, I love being able to walk into places and find some commonality with people, and I constantly remind myself to take those opportunities, no matter how small, to engage in what life is putting in front of you. Because as much as I love the city of Nashville and its amazing opportunities, it can be a big beast that can swallow you whole.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gorak_eldar/

Image Credits
Elisabeth Donaldson