Anna Wintour has her sunglasses, Karl Lagerfeld his gloves—and for Ricky Hodge, his crown jewel is the perfect bowtie.

Ricky Hodge doesn’t dress like your typical hairstylist: whether he’s backstage at a fashion show or behind the chair at his eponymous salon, he’s never without a signature bowtie. “It’s conservative meets rock and roll,” Hodge says of his distinctive style. Pairing button-down shirts—short-sleeved, to showcase his intricate tattoos—with jeans and wingtips, the hairdresser loves the juxtaposition of timeless and edgy elements, drawn together by a classic bowtie. What began as an effort to set himself apart from the largely head-to-toe black ensembles of his peers has since become his trademark, the heart of his unique style. Over the past two years, Hodge has amassed a collection of 75 bowties, but he also looks forward to making his own from old haberdashery shirts. “Anybody can wear a bowtie, but you have to come up with your own style around it,” he says. “And that’s pretty much how fashion is made, anyway.” For more information about Ricky Hodge, visit rickyhodgesalon.com.