{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-article-tsx","path":"/primeoakleyshistory","webpackCompilationHash":"fd74fdbb38aa2eda4a30","result":{"data":{"primeArticle":{"headline":"Oakley's Orbit","author":"BADRI VISWANATHAN","authorbio":"","authoremail":"","authortwitter":"","coverimg":"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.oakleyshistory/image/1cHu4z0WldpmYopTJZIbJxsL7h3YjZgjG/","covercred":"Photos by Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon","coveralt":"Photograph of a person receiving a haircut at Oakley’s.","articleType":"article","updated":"","content":[{"type":"text","value":"Behind a neon-lit door on Gayley Avenue, conversations hum and razors buzz, merging to form a chorus – a harmony centered on a centurylong legacy."},{"type":"text","value":"Blades of hair gather on the tiled floors, hair dryers whir and the scent of conditioner envelops the space. “Cash only” signs dot various counters and mirrors around the shop. Vintage UCLA pennants drape from the coving. Newspaper clippings and framed black-and-white photos of Westwood adorn the walls. Music plays out of a black stereo, which sits under a jaguar sculpture."},{"type":"text","value":"Clinton Schudy, the owner of Oakley’s Barber Shop, explains each photo with detail and precision. He points to the Tropical Ice Gardens, a 1938 ice skating rink that once stood where UCLA graduate housing is currently located. He motions to the Janss Investment Corporation’s observation tower, where Schudy said buyers would scan the developing city from the top and select plots of land for housing development in the mid-to-late 1920s. The original Oakley’s Barber Shop predates all of these."},{"type":"text","value":"Along the walls, tall glass cabinets display the Tiny Tonsorial Museum of Antique Barbering Artifacts and Memorabilia, a collection of finely curated barbershop artifacts that highlight centuries of careful preservation and maintained tradition. A 1940s vibrating razor, 1800s men’s travel razor sets and a 1929 weekly sales total log for $81.50 are among the items that amplify the classic ambience of the shop."},{"type":"text","value":"Beyond its menagerie of memorabilia, Oakley’s Barber Shop attends to the ebbs and flows of present business. Waiting customers sit on a couch near the entrance. A bowl of mints, a cup of pencils and a vintage automobile toy sit atop the black wooden check-in table. Schudy and his crew of barbers share friendly banter as they walk by, greeting each prospective client."},{"type":"text","value":"Behind its longevity and success, Oakley’s Barber Shop boasts a story spanning five generations.  Esra Oakley, a second-generation barber, founded the business in 1898 in Springville, Utah, which his son, Bert Oakley, later carried to downtown Los Angeles. According to an email from Westwood Community Council Chair Steve Sann, Bert first opened the shop in 1925 on Vermont Avenue, UCLA’s original location, before relocating to the Janss Dome four years later. Its chairs have shaped fundamental moments in LA culture, as scores of students, faculty, athletes and celebrities have sought its services – all the while its history has remained intertwined with UCLA’s."},{"type":"text","value":"“The Janss family were clients of the shop, and they told Oakley's family, ‘Look, we’re developing this new area called Westwood, and all your business is going to go there because we gave a land grant to UCLA,’” Schudy said. “The whole time that Oakley’s has been around in Los Angeles, they've been next to the UCLA campus, and they're very much a part of it.”"},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"Picture of the logo on the wall of Oakley’s Barber Shop.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.oakleyshistory/image/1oD3rRl8Q6nrkhKEvyGRv8z3A3WNdjJ6O/\",\"credit\":\"Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"Not long afterward, Bert’s nephew, Larry Oakley, served in the United States Navy during World War II and became a pivotal figure in the shop’s development, according to Sann’s email. After returning to the business in 1948, he would go on to open the shop’s second location on Gayley Avenue in 1957. Longtime employees shared stories of the fourth-generation Oakley that have since become shop lore. For instance, Schudy said Larry once resolved one of his barber’s hangovers with aspirin and beer ahead of a full-schedule day."},{"type":"text","value":"“Oakley said, ‘Don’t worry, I know the old Navy trick,’” Schudy said, laughing."},{"type":"text","value":"Larry's mettle was tested early. Sann said men began sporting long hair and skipping haircuts for months on end in the 1960s and early 1970s. The shifting cultural tide posed a challenge to barbershops. He added that Larry joked he never retired because he had spent nearly a decade trying to keep the business running amid reduced foot traffic."},{"type":"text","value":"The Oakley's parent shop on Broxton Avenue closed in 1971. Bert retired, leaving Larry and his father, James Oakley, to steer the ship on Gayley Avenue. Sann said Larry made pivots to save the shop, downsizing from the once-31-member crew to mostly Larry and James."},{"type":"text","value":"“It wasn't 10 days or 10 weeks or even 10 months of no business, it was 10 years of no business,” Sann said. “It could have easily closed in the 1960s along with two-thirds of the other barbershops in America. But miraculously, Larry was able to hang on by his fingernails.”"},{"type":"text","value":"Eventually, the business stabilized."},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"The whole time that Oakley’s has been around in Los Angeles, they've been next to the UCLA campus, and they're very much a part of it.\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"Laura Valadez, who has worked at Oakley’s for more than 30 years, said Larry provided guidance and served as a father figure in the wake of her father’s passing. Albert Duran, an Oakley’s employee of nearly half a century, said Larry constantly displayed a smile and a keen sense of humor. Valadez believes it was that very spirit that attracted Oakley’s star-studded cast of customers."},{"type":"text","value":"“Larry had some really high-profile clients,” Valadez said. “They just liked him because he came in and did dirty jokes.”"},{"type":"text","value":"For one, UCLA men’s tennis coach Billy Martin has been getting haircuts at Oakley’s since the early 1970s. After a championship-winning season at UCLA in 1975 and a subsequent pro career, he returned to UCLA to coach in 1984. Martin said trips to Oakley’s have remained a fixture over his 43-year career."},{"type":"text","value":"The “Wizard of Westwood,” UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden, was Duran’s client. Valadez was often visited by Pete Sampras, a 14-time Grand Slam champion and the younger brother of UCLA women’s tennis coach Stella Sampras Webster."},{"type":"text","value":"“I tried to cut his eyebrows. He wouldn’t let me. He had real bushy eyebrows,” Valadez said. “He was very quiet when he first started coming in here, but then Albert and I brought him out of his shell, and he started talking. He was a shy kid. And that was right at the peak of his career.”"},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"I just treat them like me and you, and they like that.\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"During the shop’s renaissance, the cast of clientele extended beyond the hardwood and the court and attracted stars in the film industry. For instance, Duran became the barber for “Star Wars” producer J.J. Abrams, and they established a long-lasting relationship that remains to this day."},{"type":"text","value":"“He started coming to me when he wasn’t the J.J. Abrams,” Duran said. “He used to sit in my chair and tell me, ‘Albert, nobody wants to buy my scripts. Nobody wants to buy my idea.’ And I go, ‘J J., hey, this is Hollywood. You have to take your time. Just be yourself, and eventually they're going to get to you.’ And look at now.”"},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"Pictures on the wall of Oakley’s Barber Shop.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.oakleyshistory/image/1t1DEhX4LFN8luAjedJQUnz-wEQmT6BES/\",\"credit\":\"Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"Duran believes the key to Oakley’s success with high-profile clients is treating them the same as other customers. For example, he once told Charles Bronson, who starred in the 1974 film “Death Wish,” that he was overbooked and unable to cut his hair."},{"type":"text","value":"“You got to treat them like people,” Duran said. “They appreciate that because everybody else kiss(es) their butt. I just treat them like me and you, and they like that.”"},{"type":"text","value":"While Oakley’s maintains close relationships with some of LA’s elite, it has also borne witness to many pivotal moments of the city’s history. There was the time a rifle-carrying Larry and his employees stayed overnight to protect the shop during the 1992 LA riots. After UCLA men’s basketball clinched a national title April 3, 1995, the barbershop was teeming with raucous Bruin fans. A deafening silence enveloped the shop Oct. 3, 1995, when O.J. Simpson’s murder trial verdict was delivered."},{"type":"text","value":"As the barbershop continued to be privy to such moments, Schudy, the steward who would preserve and carry on the Oakley legacy, joined the shop in 1990. He began working part time as a barber at Oakley’s while pursuing a career in design. Despite working in several other industries, Schudy said he quickly noticed his job at Oakley’s was unlike any other, thanks to the owner’s comedic personality."},{"type":"text","value":"At the turn of the century, Larry, then 71 years old, was looking to pass the torch to the barbershop’s next owner. It had been a long and storied career for the lifelong barber, and Schudy said Larry was looking to relinquish the responsibility he had shouldered for over four decades. Sann said there was no barber remaining in the Oakley clan to carry the mantle into a fifth generation."},{"type":"text","value":"So Schudy stepped to the plate."},{"type":"text","value":"“I thought it would be a shame if this place ever went to the wayside and didn't make it,” he said. “I just told him (Larry), I'd quit designing for those other companies and come work for him and take over when he couldn't. ... I just want the place to continue.”"},{"type":"text","value":"Schudy launched a soft transition phase, managing all administrative duties until Larry died. His involvement enabled Larry to spend the final years of his life solely enjoying the passion that had guided his life and the business he directed – cutting hair."},{"type":"text","value":"Schudy said the shift from colleague to manager posed challenges as team dynamics changed. But he persevered, spearheading a large-scale renovation of the building and adding historical photos of Westwood to accentuate Oakley’s unique blend of past and present."},{"type":"text","value":"“That guy put so much blood, sweat and tears into that shop,” Sann said. “He redid all of the stations. He refinished all of the cabinets. He redid all the upholstery on the barber chairs. He had done all this while Larry was still living. Larry saw this. He saw the love, the heart, the attention, the sweat, the details that Clinton put into the shop.”"},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"Picture of the chairs and signs inside Oakley’s Barber Shop.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.oakleyshistory/image/1XA99l3ly0V7Yu7q5Hj-pwCktsaQ7L67g/\",\"credit\":\"Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"Valadez said Schudy manages the shop with the same skill Larry once had, making for a seamless transition after Larry died in 2008. She added that had the owner been someone without a previous affiliation to the shop, she may have left for good."},{"type":"text","value":"“He runs it just like Larry did,” Valadez said. “He could change a toilet and fix a new one, take it off its base and put a new one on there and fix electricity. He’s a handyman like Larry was a handyman.”"},{"type":"text","value":"In the years since, Schudy has increased the team’s versatility, hiring barbers with specialized skills such as D’Juan White – who conducts operations for his company, Cuttinwell, at Oakley’s – and Anthony Hadley Jr., a filmmaker who helps manage Oakley’s marketing. Schudy has balanced the tightrope between preserving history and evolving to survive in an era that has closed down many other Westwood legacy businesses."},{"type":"text","value":"Oakley’s stared down another crisis as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged small businesses across the nation. Shifting lockdown demands and social distancing disrupted the financial stability of businesses like barbershops that rely on in-person customer interaction."},{"type":"text","value":"So, Schudy did what he had done throughout his Oakley’s career. He met the moment."},{"type":"text","value":"“I went and bought folding tables, chairs, tents, speaker lines, phone lines ... and ran everything outside,” Schudy said. “Three days a week, we would have to set up underneath tents in the back parking lot and cut hair.”"},{"type":"text","value":"Schudy added that as regulations frequently changed, it became clear he had to take a stand to prevent his shop from closing its doors. He ultimately decided on a part-time business model to stay afloat. This decision paid off, as in September 2025, Oakley’s became the only barbershop in LA history to be designated a “Monumental Business” – an honor awarded to legacy businesses by the city."},{"type":"pull","value":"{\"caption\":\"I thought it would be a shame if this place ever went to the wayside and didn't make it.\\\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"On its centennial anniversary, Oakley’s festivities could have commemorated its achievement with a day of relaxation and reflection. Instead, Schudy self-financed haircuts so customers could pay 1925 throwback prices that were under a dollar. Sann said Schudy even honored the special pricing the following day for customers who were unable to receive their haircut before the event ended."},{"type":"text","value":"“People tell me that they really enjoy coming here because it feels super relaxed, like they're in their own living room,” Schudy said. “They really enjoy their time here – not just the haircut, but also the space and the time that they spend with people.”"},{"type":"text","value":"Oakley’s walls reflect that appreciation."},{"type":"image","value":"{\"alt\":\"Picture of a framed cartoon on the wall of Oakley’s Barber Shop.\",\"url\":\"http://oink.dailybruin.com/packages/prime.oakleyshistory/image/11OelwPxmKJ9IrosgEteDpjms7e_DG-vg/\",\"credit\":\"Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon/Daily Bruin senior staff\",\"caption\":\"\"}"},{"type":"text","value":"To the right of the barber chairs hangs a Pixar-style cartoon designed by Kyle Menke – an artist known for his work on “Phineas and Ferb” and “Rugrats” – in honor of Oakley’s 100th anniversary. Menke depicted Schudy cutting the hair of his favorite cartoon character, Underdog, to highlight the barbershop he has helped sustain."},{"type":"text","value":"Oakley’s rise and evolution has paralleled the growth of UCLA. The success of the two institutions is connected and partly stems from their symbiotic relationship, Menke said."},{"type":"text","value":"Now in its 101st year, Oakley’s symphony sounds vastly different from its beginnings as a Utah dream and Westwood startup. Its instruments have become more refined, its notes more complex."},{"type":"text","value":"But its signature chorus – a coalescence of music, conversation and razors intricately woven with its neighboring campus – remains the very same."}]}},"pageContext":{"isCreatedByStatefulCreatePages":false,"term":"winter26","slug":"prime.oakleyshistory"}}}